Changes of Lifestyle for Young People

Introduction

There have been massive changes in lifestyle of young people a century ago and the life of teenagers today. Most of the changes are remarkable and dramatic. Nowadays, there are fresh forms of media like the internet and television. Family makeup and emphasis on values today are nothing in comparison to what they were a hundred years ago (Weil, 1997). The young people’s objectives and viewpoints are also dissimilar amid of the two periods. All these modifications have made people believe that life today for a young person is far harder than it was a hundred years ago.

Evidently, there exists several distinctions between life lived by young people in older days and that lived by teenagers today.

Young people a hundred years ago lived a sanctuary life in comparison to those of the current times. Today’s teenagers do not just hear of violent activities within their communities, but are also aware of what is taking place in their nations and the world at large (Shephard, 2011).

This has been made possible through embracement of technology and media. Television and the internet have enabled several young adults have their lives affected in ways no one even knew probable. The world today has been compressed to one small village by satellites and technological advancements that make communication of people in different continents easy. In older days, people communicated by use of signs such as blowing of horns, lighting of smoke, using messengers to convey messages from one region to another. The use of letters and posters was extremely high.

Nowadays, communication is through social media like Twitter, Facebook, email addresses, cell phones and Skype just to mention but a few. Televisions have enabled news and entertainment to be easy and interesting. It was extremely hard to locate someone with a television a hundred years ago. Only a few people possessed them and were assumed to be wealthy people in villages. Approximately 80 percent of teenagers today have access to television, have cell phones and can easily access the internet.

That enhances communication for them (Weil, 1997). There are certain distinctions in household concepts of older times and present times. A young individual’s household should be the superior influence of their lives. Parents of young people a hundred years ago comprehended this, and did all they could do to make sure this happen. When one looks at what is called household today, it is not what individuals hundred years ago would term as a family. Divorce was never known in communities those days and if there was a kid, a mother and father were present too (Hoikkala & Suurpää, 2005). Teenagers were extremely keen to protect their siblings.

It was not possible for children to have two mothers or fathers and had no choice between father mothers. Families today are prone to family violence, divorce cases and remarriages that make children have more than one mother or father. This has made teenagers today to ignore the concept of family values and can do whatever they wish at any time. Discipline is extremely low in teenagers today as compared to young people hundred years ago.

Conclusion

Life today is far away different with life lived hundred years ago especially when young people are involved. The family structures and bondages of older times were strong but today they no longer have power. Parents today do not have full authority or capacity to discipline their children. This makes them ignore the values and principles governing families. In older times, communication was poor but today communication is extremely easy since technology has made the world a small entity. Life has really changed and things are not the same at all. The more changes are experienced, the more life becomes hard.

References
Weil, A. (1997). Eight weeks to optimum health: A proven program for taking full advantage of your body’s natural healing power. New York: A.A. Knopf. Shephard, R. (2011). Lifestyle and the Respiratory Health of Children. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 5, 1, 7-32. Hoikkala, T., & Suurpää, L. (2005). Finnish youth cultural research and its relevance to youth policy. Young, 13, 3, 285-312.