Youth Social Responsibility: Some Sense and Some Sensibility

I am not sure if there exists any universal definition of youth. However, in sociological terms ‘youth’ can best be expressed as a period of transition between the dependence of childhood and the relative independence of adulthood. A more popular usage of the term would associate youth with people in the age group of 15-24 years. Youth, in this age group who are either in schools or colleges or in the process of taking up jobs in various walks of life, constitute nearly one-fifth of India’s population rendering themselves a very significant target population segment for market, for policy makers, for demographers, for media, etc. Though social responsibility has not eluded this vibrant demographic segment, it is not honky dory either. Having said this, I am not demeaning those who have in fact shouldered loads of them. But, many from our older generation would, at the drop of a hat, tend to associate freaky, care-free, restless, just-take-it-easy kind of attitude with today’s youth. Blame it on their perception, but they are not entirely wrong in their assessment. Youth today are to a large extent an indifferent lot, especially the urban youth who are more focused on individual achievements (well, nothing wrong with that at all), but are little withdrawn when it comes to the willingness to initiate action to further larger social interest. I am inclined to believe that most of them are kind of trapped in a false sense of contentment that once you post or share a status message on facebook and receive some likes and comments, you are done. Or for that matter, retweeting a socially appealing message from someone is believed to be you-know-what-I-did-my-bit. This vibrant and strong resource of the country needs to be motivated and mobilized to travel some extra miles for the society. Are our young people conveniently shying away from their responsibilities for the society at large, passing the buck to others? It would be unfortunate if the answer is ‘yes’. We live in a country where a Sachin shines at 16, where a Koneru Humphy humbles the big dads of chess at 15, where a Darsheel Safary at 9 inspires millions of children reach out to the stars, where an Agatha Sangma at 28 breaks into the parliament, where a Sania Mizra sizzles at the Flinders Park before even getting behind the wheels. But aren’t these names just a few? Don’t we need one such name in every street and every mohalla? Youth and Social Participation We focus on those young people between the ages of 15 and 24, because they are old enough to understand civic obligations but still young enough to be forming and/or setting examples of civic habits. Young people have a role as targets of community-building work and as active leaders and participants in it. Not only does youth participation in social activities have societal benefits through the development of social responsibility and the fostering of social inclusion but equally importantly it also has potential benefits for the young people themselves. Social participation encourages the interpersonal and practical skills that give young people a sense of self-worth and self-confidence. Civic engagement can thus empower communities and citizens to take greater control over the issues that affect them as significant agents of positive change. The personal benefits participants acquire through opportunities for civic involvement help foster a sense of social cohesion and responsibility. Put simply, if you take a certain amount out of the system, you must give a certain amount back. The more you take out, the more you should give back. By being socially responsible, it has to participate in the development process of the country and accelerate the process of development. With respect to the present generation of young people, sometimes written off as a group of indifferent freeloaders, the reality is much better than the perception. On the positive side, today’s youth are more likely to volunteer than at any time in the past. Youth of yesteryears can show the right path to this generation. The older generation always has viewed the younger one with a mix of hope and alarm. On one hand, the older ones hope their children will improve the society they have inherited. On the other hand, each generation of young people seems all too willing to discard tradition, embrace individualism, and carves out its own niche and course. How well the younger generation lives up to the expectations of its predecessors, or to its own, is a question to which every generation, sooner or later, turns its attention. Youth and Social Capital To each generation, the term ‘youth’ evokes contradictory yet powerful images. We might think of individualistic, self centered, intolerant ones who rebel against traditional values more often than not. But we are just as likely to witness s/w professionals, sport stars, entrepreneurs, social activists, artists, etc. Whether good or bad, the prevailing images or stereotypes of young people often say as much about the communities in which youths are coming of age as about the young people themselves. Young people want what everyone else wants: affiliation, community, solidarity, respect, success, and opportunity. Whether those needs are provided by anti-social elements or conversely by families, peers, market, and schools– is entirely up to us as a society. The nature of the social capital available to young people influences how well they learn, the odds that they will attend college, whether they will set examples as responsible citizen, and the likelihood that they will do drugs or commit crimes. In a nation that prides itself on its young people representing the promise of a more progressive India, their well-being is one of the determining indicators of the nation’s future. As our young people go, so goes our nation. Tad Homer-Dixon at the Tyler Booker Memorial Lecture on ‘Youth, Social Responsibility, and Political Action’ (march 1989) had lauded , “a person is required to do his part as defined by the rules of an institution when two conditions are met: First, the institution is just (or fair)…., and second, one has voluntarily accepted the benefits of the arrangement or taken advantage of the opportunities it offers to further one’s interests…..We are not to gain from the cooperative labours of others without doing our fair share.” In light of the principle of fairness, does youth have any special responsibility? Well, the answer is simple and is ‘yes’. Self belief is the order of the day. Today’s youth symbolizes energy and enthusiasm. They stand for innocence and innocence that makes them believe that impossible is nothing. Because young people embody our hopes and carry out our dreams, they and the organizations of which they are a part must be at the center of efforts to rebuild social capital. The i-pad/facebook generation is yet to be disillusioned and yet to be cynical because they have the energy and the belief that they can move mountains. They need to act to bring about the change they want in this world. They need to be socially responsible because if they are they can change the society. History bears the testimony to the very fact that all the major revolutions in the world have been led by the youth and campuses have been the hotbed of revolutions. At the same time young people have less invested in the status quo; they have less to lose from change. Role of Media Youth-focused institutions in our country are not generally designed to solicit young people’s input on bigger social issues- governance, social development, poverty alleviation, clean environment, etc. This lapse translates into thousands of squandered opportunities to prepare the next generation of social capitalists. It will take a major shift in attitude and practice to create a lifelong pathway of civic engagement. As young people seem to grow up faster and more independently than their parents did, the society needs to provide them the right platform to translate their energy into meaningful social action. Concern about the current generation of youth's sense of social responsibility and commitment to larger social cause surfaces frequently in the media. At best, youth are presented as disinterested in political processes and ill prepared to help run the country; at worst, they are portrayed as self-indulgent and increasingly impatient. Current debates about mandating corruption free system, community service programs, revamping citizenship education, and changing juvenile justice legislation represent attempts to promote social and political engagement in youth and to control their rebellious tendencies. The Surf Excel 10/10 campaign to help poor children, the concept of citizen journalist of CNN IBN, among others have certainly contributed in raising awareness. Lifebuoy ad campaign, to cite another example, depicts young children charging up for cleaning up their neighbourhood. Again, it starts with the idea that a single individual can make a difference. The ad campaign by a popular tea brand shows a vote seeking politician getting outwitted by a young man. These are not really a fictitious plot but quite contemporary and pragmatic. Lead India was a wonderful platform to expose young minds to several needs of the hour. ‘Range De Basanti’ was not a writer’s imagination, rather an imaginative pick from the reality which went on to have significant impact on the psyche of the young people of India. The NDTV campaign to get a retrial for Jessica Lal is what we get in return. And I salute the renaissance of youth as a powerful catalyst of change. The greeting cards marketed by CRY on occasions like New Year, Christmas, etc. have always caught our attention and at times without our knowledge we have acted responsibly. So why not doing is consciously and leaving others to follow the suit? The media has am affirmative role to play in molding this generation youth. This role is not given or authorised by anyone but the media is vested with this role by itself. With the 24x7 news and entertainment channels and social media taking the centre stage, media shapes the character of people not just by providing information, education and entertainment to them but also by acting as the forum for public discussion and debate thus providing an opportunity to find expressions for their ideas and feelings. When it comes to youth that are increasingly media savvy these days, media provides to them not only information but also educates them on various aspects of the society pertaining to their career choice, moral growth and entertainment needs. We all know how unprecedented can the viral impact of facebook or twitter go. With information moving faster than ever before, it makes the youth aware of global social changes, developments, innovations, research and experiments being carried out in various fields aiming at changing the very human existence for betterment, etc. It inculcates in the youth the desire to learn more and more and imbibe the fast changing technologies and development processes while competing and vying with each other. The Way forward On the greener side, today’s youth are more rational, less corrupt, more progressive, less tolerant and more risk-taking. Let’s allow them the luxury of being little more impatient than what we think we are/were. If the common wisdom prompts them to take the path less traveled by and take the plunge into the unknown by violating a rule or two, then be it. Two wrongs will never make one thing right. But, if the wrongdoing can be self-destroying or self-defeating then I think every wrong thing must be allowed to be done once and once for all. Thomas Hardy puts it this way- “In dreams begin responsibilities”. So the need of the hour is to dream big and be more (socially) responsible. Being socially responsible one does not need to be like another Raja Ram Mohan Roy or a Swami Vivekananda or types to start with. If one can make even the smallest yet desirable difference to the society that would make the world a better place to live in. A small storm in the tea pot may just snowball into a far reaching and defining change in the society. Merely blaming the system (we do it quite often and quite conveniently) for anything and everything that is perceived as not-done is not really done. Today’s youth should come forward and be a part of the system to initiate changes. Rome was never built in a day. But I am sure one can lay a brick everyday to ensure that a Rome is built in due time. Today’s youth possess the right/balanced mix of self belief and attitude to make things happen. Let "if not us, who; if not now, when?" be the mantra. Nothing changes unless you make it change. Go for the kill, boys! The elders have not brought about the change, you have to. Because I have all the reasons to believe that you believe in change and you believe you can bring about that change.