By Josmat Jerry
The current timing of the world has witnessed some rapid change. The way we picture events happening around us, the manner in which we think and the motion in which circumstances play on are all at a different phenomenon compared to the old ages or past centuries. Youths of nowadays are thereby not left out from this rapid change. What they yearn for, what they’ve got their eyes on and all that ruminate within their minds are far from our expectations and predictions. They’ve grown to become so desperate in that their dreams, goals, objectives, needs, wants, desires are huge and expensive.
A youth has been defined from multiples perspectives. It can define it from the age range perspective, say from age 16-29 years. It can also be seen it from the aspect of maturity level in sense that anyone who is matured enough can be referred to as a youth. According to the 1999 Nigerian constitution, a youth is seen as anyone upon reaching the age of 18 years is old enough to decide for him/herself which depicts the forming of a youth. Summarising these various views, “a youth is someone who seeks to become independent’, independent in sense that s/he wants to be the sole controller of his/her life.”
Nowadays, the desire of youths has been hue which drives out the question on ‘what does youth want?’ What are the things they’ve got running all wide in them that makes them so furious? The first desire of every youth is freedom. With the exemption of age range and maturity, the first desire of every youth is to be free. Youth aren’t in any kind of bondage but they feel they are in one and therefore want some space for themselves.
The need for freedom begins from the point of wanting to take decisions all alone. They don’t want their decisions influenced by anyone be it parents, elder ones or any person who once intervened in their matters or help them in making decision. Youths always want to be responsible for their actions (good or bad), they want to explore the thoughts of their mind and see what their own doings can materialize for them. They want to do all things that concern them themselves which include buying of wears, decision on who to be with, taking stand on where to go and where not to, wanting privacy and lots more that has to do with freedom.
A youth want to create attention for him/herself. The talk of attention ushers in the need for recognition. Youths are always in desire for attention and recognition. Through any means their heart so want, they want to be known for something identifiable, something unique. Sometimes, they care less whether their aspirations is of great good to them or the other way round, they just want to with get known for something.
The desire for attention is done by getting nice wears so that they can be noticed once they appear, bleaching their skins so as to attract the opposite sex to themselves, dressing half-naked, the use of excessive sweet-scents perfume, displaying some swags like walking in a particular style or manner, having a haircut or hair style that are of present age, and putting in their best in academics so as to be known for brilliance and intelligence. All these drives are in pursuit for attention.
The need for resources is also of great desire to youths. They thereby get their heart focused on obtaining resources to shape their lives. Resources of this ranging from money to valuable things. Due to their daily increasing taste, their need for money is of priority to them, they are always all eyes on to-whom and what can make this happen. Girls begin by tasking guys once their parents are unable to meet their monetary needs due to one reason or the other. Guys on their own try to troubleshoot on how to go about this, the desperate ones who are of little or no patience end up engaging in dubious means like brain washing people to get money.
Youth is the period to set goals, to plan ahead for a better tomorrow and a time to lay foundation for adulthood life. Youths are thereby encouraged to be mindful of the kind of path they walk on, they should be careful of the choices and decisions they make because these are lifelines that can either make or mar them.
