Family Life Education Series
"Our teenage children in the 21st Century"
Sub-culture of teenage youth - Part 2
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This is the Part 2 of translated article on "Sub-culture of Teenage Youth" by Dr Cheng Chi-ho, Associate Professor of Department of Applied Social Sciences, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Our readers may recall that in his Part 1 article, Dr Cheng analysed the development of the youth sub-culture in Hong Kong over the past four decades. In the present article, Dr Cheng advises parents on how to deal with this contemporary phenomenon among our youth.
Youth & adolescents possess characteristics of being self-centered and lack of patience and impulse control. They tend to be pleasure seeking and promiscuous, as well as addicted to alcohol and drugs. They are experiencing life on the fast track so to speak. Under the influence of the mass media and the materialistic nature of our society, our youth and adolescents tend to have the following characteristics:
(a) Spending uncontrollably due to boredom;
(b) Strong peer pressure and in-group sub-culture;
(c) Living in a fantasy world;
(d) Communicating through ICQ that is based on impersonal interaction and exaggeration;
(e) Easily manipulated by the mass media, and
(f) Anti-intellectualism (de-value education).
The values of the older generation, namely hard working, careful with money, and reality-rule, are hardly seen among the younger generation. A greater gap has been detected between the two generations. With the lack of communication, the problem would tend to worsen.
Causing concerns is the trend of de-valuing education with youth and adolescents being less motivated in life. Their morale standard has been greatly reduced. They are after "quick-cash" and would not be able to resist social temptation and would fall preys to criminals. Their lack of awareness and societal experiences would keep them in the dark until it is too late. As parents, how can we help? There are many answers to this question. But one simple truth is:
KEEP THE CHANNEL AND MIND OPEN FOR COMMUNICATION
- From Welfare Services Group -
WITH OUR YOUNGSTERS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE