By: Jhangir Kakar
Youth is a powerful force that every country possesses, serving as the backbone of digital progress. Their efforts and energy can lead the country in the right direction and provide a clear vision to the country’s stockholders about how to compete in the modern age. However, the majority of today’s youth are engaged in unnecessary digital activities that hinder their ability to become productive citizens. They need to realize that they are part of the digital world and must embrace it to succeed in the modern era.
The digital world is progress and a change that can be summarised as the new-born world that emerged and expanded after the internet and computers. As youth, they must now know and accept the digital world entirely; they are part of it and have no possibility to live in another world except by adopting it. The majority of the youth of our country are engaged in unnecessary digital activities, i.e., digital fraud, improper social media usage, and blackmailing others rather than productive activities, i.e., learning digital skills, i.e., web development, blogging, graphic design, online business such as purchasing and selling products on Amazon and other online platforms, e-learning, i.e., digital learning, and attending online classes.
To put youth efforts, energy, and time into the right and proper adaptation of the digital world, institutions can play a good role by giving them a sense of how to be productive citizens and utilise their working abilities for the country’s progress digitally.
Research is the process of discovering the latest things to bring creativity, development, and innovation. It is not possible without investing in quality and standard education. It is an acknowledged fact that education produces smart thinkers and quality minds. Therefore, investing in quality education is directly investing in youth. This linkage requires a proper allocation of budget to promote research through the education system to encourage and motivate young people and their ideas. The ideas of youth are important and should be considered an asset to the country. Ideas need action, and action needs the attention of the country’s stockholders to bring about the latest progressive change.
Three things are important to be focused on, especially budget allocation, infrastructure, and an updated curriculum to polish the abilities of youth as well as put them into action.
According to Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, an Austrian writer, “In youth we learn; in age we understand”. This quote is perfect guidance for youth. Youth is actually a period of learning, knowing, and discovering new things. This period must be spent productively to have a bright future in the coming days.
In conclusion, bringing youth into the latest digital world requires multi-faceted approach that involves education, research opportunities, exposure and empowerment. In addition, the youth also need to break all the traditional barriers, like old-fashioned thinking, a lack of adoption of modern ways of life due to tribalism, religion, and local traditions, accepting false information without knowing it first, and so on. The barriers badly affect the graph of progress and stop them from moving ahead or adopting the new life that has emerged in the world.