Idle youth is a serious burden to any nation. Pakistan have 64% of youth that they have less than 30 years of age while 29% youth is between 15-29 years of age. This population is illiterate, semi-literate, and unskilled and many of them are working as manual laborers. Some of these young are engaged in part time jobs. A few of them are employed in full time job. This is the age group which is one of the worthwhile and economically active age group. They have energy to work, enjoy thrill, have fun, need money and resources, eager to be extra ordinary in the society and change their world and challenge the status quo. However, they are unable to find any economic, social or political engagement in the country. Political parties sold them dreams which never came true. The youth is left with the lollypops of the “better future” but they are directionless and alienated. They have nothing to do just sitting on the social media and clicking on liking disliking, throwing emoji on the posts and making fun of each other.Some of them are involve in bullying, harassment, defaming, accusing each other, fighting over non-issues and busy in pity debates. Hardly, the youth is engage in civic or democratic deliberations.
The Pakistani youth is hopeless about their future. Some of the youth is living in isolation and may be using drugs. These drugs would be hazadarious for their health. They feel they are living in an imaginary world which is beyond the perception if they are drug addicted. Those who do not use drugs are frustrated.These youngsters are coming out of the roads, showing frustration towards others in unprecedented events or strike calls. They fight with each other without any reason or logic just to get exhausted and fight with each other on pity issues. In some cases, those adolescents would be gazing or teasing the girls in order to seek some level of pleasure on roads, footpaths, markets, schools, colleges and universities. A few of them would have opportunity to play sports or engage in community, civic, social work or religious work. This is young male’s lifestyle.
These young female has fake identity on social media and similar case is with male. Some of young guys portraying different gender or different identity and would throwing over their frustration and try to avoid from alienation. They would be engaging in useless debates on social media or on phone. Some of females also show frustration in a way that they are victim of black magic or spiritual maltreatment
Meanwhile, females are not exceptions from the above lifestyle except a few routines. Many of females of this age group are in the bracket of marriage market, but they have no opportunity to get marriage or engage in economic, social or sports activities and sitting at home ideally. A few of them would be working somewhere in job market and they are paid very low. Others are partially paid or may sitting idle at home. They play with smart phone and they have nothing to do expect to watch TV dramas, movies, listening music or some or some of them engage in manual work at home. They are doing domestic chores or do gossips about each other with friends on the smart phones. Many of these females would have no opportunity either to engage economically, socially, politically or civic activities. Consequently, the youth is idle and they have no choice but to fight with each other either sitting at homes, sighting on social media, accusing and making fun of each other’s or just throwing emoji on each other on social media.
These young female has fake identity on social media and similar case is with male. Some of young guys portraying different gender or different identity and would throwing over their frustration and try to avoid from alienation. They would be engaging in useless debates on social media or on phone. Some of females also show frustration in a way that they are victim of black magic or spiritual maltreatment. This is the situation, how the youth of Pakistan is living in alienation and frustration. The parent role is important in socialization in order to get rid from this alienation.
First life skills should be imparted in youth that are missing from the Pakistani youth. For instance, males are unable to cook, wash clothes, clean the house or unable to manage their life independently. Even these skills are missing in urban girls too.Some of them show they cannot cook and this type of portrayal showing that we are from different class where we have servants (nokar/ mulazim) at home to look after these household chores. On the other hand, they should learn life skills how to manage a house or how to live in a decent way. Important thing is to overcome from the stress because it is a part and parcel of the life, but many of them are unable to manage how to care or avoid a stress in difficult situation. Stress management skills must be imparted in school and college curriculum. Equally, it is essential to train the youth in entrepreneurial skills.
Further, Government should promote the sports among young people in order to engage them. It will better for their mental and physical health. Government should develop sports infrastructure that cater the needs of young people like sports stadiums, gymnasiums and public parks. In urban slums, this problem is even worse and exhausting.Youth do not have sport places.They are victims of sanitation, hygiene, health or solid waste problems. The people living in those places are miser in their lives and these problems increase the rate of violence among them. This is the reason violence increase and it can be eradicated through the civic, economic, social and political engagement of young people.
The writer teaches sociology at Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. He can be reached: [email protected]