The YOLO generation: without hope and without opportunity
by Dean Carroll
Fast becoming the motto of choice for young adults, who see little hope of doing a job they aspire to or which matches up to their qualifications, the ethos has proved dangerous for many. Through drinking games, risky pranks and wanton sexual behaviour many intelligent young people have either ended up in hospitals or police stations. At the more extreme end, those frozen out of education and employment completely - by limited life chances - turn to criminal gangs to offer them status, kicks and a sense of belonging.
In fact, the definition for YOLO on Wikipedia states that "one should enjoy life, even if that entails taking risks". Indeed, why not take such gambles if your stake in civil society amounts to zero? Unlike their baby boomer parents, most young people cannot dream of owning their own home. They cannot hope to create a better life for their children. And they certainly cannot expect to deliver on their full potential in the workplace. Instead, they see a future of managed decline where wages – if you are lucky enough to have a job – retreat and living costs rise.
Recently, I attended a family party for an uncle who had reached his 70th birthday. Still fit, spritely and full of good cheer – his speech acknowledged that he "really was born at exactly the right time". He highlighted how he had benefitted from free education, plentiful state healthcare, a generous pension and retirement age, and not having to toil in a manual job. He owned his own home by the time he was 30, due to a good job in the then booming aviation industry and the reasonable house prices that preceded the devastating property boom. It certainly was a golden age.
Compare that story to the tragedy of today when numerous graduates who have achieved a first at university, completed their masters degrees and then worked for free as interns for months on end only to find that they have to take a part-time job in the low-paid service sector. They are expected to live at their parents' home in the childhood bedroom in which they grew up and be happy with their lot. 'Do not be a snob, no job should be beneath you', they are told by pious politicians who have already feathered their own nests and will never face the harsh reality of hopelessness that now presents itself to tomorrow's generation. At the same time graduates and postgraduates are saddled with mountains of student debt bulit up to pay for an education, which they quite reasonably assumed would lead to some sort of career.
Of course, there is a bigger picture to consider. The global economy is fragile and Europe is yesterday's man when it comes to economic growth – due in part to the destruction of its manufacturing industry, the narrow focus on unproductive assets like property as well as stocks and shares to make a quick buck, scant natural resources and the media obsession with celebrity that ranks a reality television star above a doctor in terms of usefulness to society.
And so, it is difficult for our youth to find some positives to hold on to. Despite claims from complacent European Union leaders that the worst of the eurozone crisis is over, there are no apparent green shoots of recovery. It may be that young people just have to get used to financial haircuts and economic hardship as a way of life. But it really will be a sad day if our children get to their 70th birthday celebrations only to say "I really was born at exactly the wrong time". Policy-makers must act on youth unemployment and they must act quickly before a tipping point is reached.
As a university professor engaged in competitive intelligence studies, I feel that most of the politicians today are more concerned by their re-election than by the creation of jobs for the young.
The lack of strategies and of European-wide programmes not looking back to the past, but firmly engaged in the technologies and products to the furure should be a commitment.
This means that PPP public and Private Partnerships should be stronger, and that the academics should be concerned by the 'social researc responsibility. That is to say, to be socially engaged in paying back to society part of the money given by the states for the research development.
The second point is that most of the innovation and changes are not coming from large structures. But, the bureaucracy rules, the thresholds of project consideration do not favour small ones; where the job creation and innovation is often the most important.
YOLO is more than an alert index, it may just be a strong indicator of how our society is drifting if the present state of inneficiency of politics remains.
Dou Henri - Marseille, France, France Business School
It seems to me that 'youth' unemployment is a massive issue. To be more precise, it is of huge concern that there are growing numbers of people who have been unemployed for a long period of time, and a sizeable proportion of these people are those who should be embarking on a career.
I suppose this is a eurozone issue at least, though it's difficult to make general statements regarding such a vast swathe of disparate territory. However, in the case of Ireland (where I am from), if I was someone today in their early twenties - about to graduate from university - I think my first choice would be to try to pospopone looking for a job as long as possible-so stay in education.
Failing that, I would either emigrate or become a criminal. In Ireland, it is crystal clear that our government is not able to solve the issue of how to provide a future for young people because it's really beyond the scope of any government to solve this.
The government's role really is to act as a gatekeeper and to make sure it doesn't erect significant obstacles to economic progress. But when your economy is essentially wrecked, there's not really much any government can do. At least not anything a democratic government can do.
No name supplied
My concern is the link between increasing retirement/pension qualifying age and the rise in youth unemployment. Employment opportunities cannot outstrip employment demand - keeping the elderly in work, even if they want to, will restrict youth access to the job market.
Our youth need practical work experience but work that offers variety and fulfilment for the mass of our youth is not there. Even if they have to work in retail - Tesco, Asda and so on to get the much-needed experience to move onto better employment, the jobs available are limited by the number of 60+ women and 65+ men that remain in the work force.
Our manufacturing base, eroded by the Conservatives, needs to be rebuilt then and only then will job sufficiency, meaningful apprenticeships become available to our let down youth. Life in the services used to be a route to a career that gave much opportunity to improve educational standards, promotion, achieving worthwhile occupations, travel and security. We know what has happened to precious organisation.
The government strap line 'we are all living longer etc' and you must all work until you drop is a huge scam, which underpins the governments changes to tax, retirement, pension policy. Given the rise in alcohol/drug abuse, the increase in junk food being the staple diet for most and the rising cost of good, fresh, healthy food and associated health care, most will be lucky to reach 60 never mind 80+.
As long as we keep giving the UKs money away to the EU (Common Agriculture Policy to name but one drain), overseas aid and so on nothing will change. We have a government that is more concerned with re-election, PR sound bites and many within the cabinet that have no understanding of the normal grind of every day life to tackle properly the serious issue of youth unemployment.
Malcolm Lindley - York, UK
Looking at the current government, it is perfectly clear that despite their words, they have very little genuine interest in the electorate until a few days before each election. Why do I say that? They studiously ignore everything we say.
They treat us as children in need of assistance from vastly superior beings (them). They invent tales about our youngsters, saying they are coming out of school more stupid than when they entered the place.
I have recently heard a 'solution' talk that youngsters should engage more in sports. Apparently, if children receive extra sports training in schools, they will leave sufficiently brainwashed to then join 'Team GB'. I heard no real mention of youth unemployment, maybe kids will become so involved in sporting activities, they'll magically have little need of a job?
No name given
