We're failing our young people

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chic

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I feel that Western culture is in some way failing to satisfy the needs of its young. How can so many thousands of teens and twenty somethings leave home, family, friends and their own country to join radical militant jihadists in the desert of Syria, (or elsewhere), there to promise to wage war against everything that has been familiar to them up to this point in their lives.

Why are so many young people so disaffected? What is so attractive about radical Islam (or radical anything for that matter)?

We try to give our kids and Grandkids everything, yet we're not giving them something that is fundamental to their fulfillment as adult humans.

What can we do to stop and help these young people before thay are forever lost to us? Before they kill others? Before they die themselves?

We can argue about ISIS and refugees forever, but to some extent we're not doing enough, clearly to guide and support our youth and must bear a measure of responsibility for this.

When we were young, many of us were too busy and /or having fun, getting an education, trying to get ahead, falling in love, reaching for a dream, etc. that we never would have left everything we knew and loved behind to embrace a deadly ideology that tortures and kills the innocent because they have become blind to innocence.

How can we we help? What do you think?
 

Too many young people are being failed because there are too many reasons they are failing. No one fix here.

Personally I think technology has contributed or made our society an instant gratification society who's members can't even handle discomfort let alone pain. Instant gratification leads to a lack of patience which leads to the lack of persistence to solve a problem, any problem or issue. Throw in a society that rewards or inspires individuality many youth will do ANYTHING including joining ISIS just to stick out. But the same culture rewards fitting in or political correctness so many blindly follow to disappointment. Uh oh, disappointment equals discomfort which means it's drug and drink time.

Take your pick, no one answer.
 
Western culture focus' on the value of materialism, self gratification and quick rewards, whereas the allure of joining ISIS and rebelling against all that and gaining deeper fulfilment is strong, for the young people.

Children need structure and boundaries, and the support system of family and faith. Parents can't let the entertainment industry raise their children! Children need to feel the reward of earning something, rather than being handed things, it's part of a person's journey towards building self worth and confidence.
 

Hmmm. What about those youth that are poor and disaffected? Not all families have the wherewithal to "teach" entitlement even if they so desired. I think it is an easy answer to tar all the young with the same brush. Frankly, middle class youth are

far less likely to be radicalised than those who come from less affluent or abusive backgrounds. Until we are willing to build a society that is racially/economically/religiously inclusive and also targets the huge disparity between the haves and have nots,

radicalisation will continue.
 
Shalimar said:
Hmmm. What about those youth that are poor and disaffected? Not all families have the wherewithal to "teach" entitlement even if they so desired. I think it is an easy answer to tar all the young with the same brush. Frankly, middle class youth are

far less likely to be radicalised than those who come from less affluent or abusive backgrounds. Until we are willing to build a society that is racially/economically/religiously inclusive and also targets the huge disparity between the haves and have nots,

radicalisation will continue.
Click to expand...

That is certainly true, however I don't see that happening. At the risk of sounding pessimistic, I think that the World population of Humans are going to face enormous challenges in the coming decades; challenges that will require the rich and powerful to become benevolent, giving up a lot of their wealth and using their power for good.

Like I mentioned, I can hope for the best I don't see that happening.
 
I don't have answers to these problems. Kids do need structure and to earn things in life. They also need people to listen to them and help them lovingly over life's hurdles. Maybe parents and teachers are too busy to listen or to help sufficiently when they do, so young people make choices that will lead to death and destruction. Not just joining ISIS, but those teens who acquire guns and go back to their schools, kill their classmates and teachers and often themselves while parents headscratch, "where did we go wrong"?

There's clearly something missing from their lives that needs to be filled. Young people need to learn that murder is not the answer to anger, disatisfaction, unpopularity and all the other challenges that the young face.

If we (society) could somehow fill this void, there would probably be a lot less killing, maiming and terrorism. A lot of problems could be solved for everyone.
 
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