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9 Jul 2019

Too young for total independence, too old for seeking answers from parents all the time, Welcome the World of the Young Adults. The Internet defines the age from anywhere between the early twenties to their thirties.’

Millennial are the Generation born between late 1980s, through 1990s to the early 2000s.

Some call us the millennial who seek the thrill of start ups and independence, traveling and computer games while unfortunately some believe in seeking thrill in taking up the tide pod challenge (sad). This alone proves that there are variations amongst the group itself depending on indices like maturity, legal, sexual, emotion, education and occupation.

So what do we enjoy the most as the young adults of the world, well science dictates it’s the health.

Health

Young adulthood is said to be the peak of health of life subjecting neither to disease of senility nor flexibility ability to heal soon. Women reach their peak fertility within the young adulthood. Mortality rate is very low. Men are more likely die than women at this age because of accidents (attention reckless riders) and suicidal tendencies. Cancer is much less common. Smoking and obesity are another cause of death in this demography.

Metal health is another sensitive issue of this age pool. Anxiety, depression, ADD, ADHD, substance abuse, addiction and eating disorder are some of the main problems. While many people mistake anxiety and depression for normal nervousness and feeling blue, the problem is much deep rooted and often fatal. Anxiety cripples people as it is prolonged and often overpowers daily tasks. Genetics, certain life events even chemical imbalance/ hormonal imbalance during puberty triggers depression. Substance abuse is easy to get caught up in during tender age. You feel experimental, feel the need to establish authority, peer pressure and get hooked to drugs, drinks. Eating disorders especially young girls who are conscious about their body cause greater harm to the body and mentality. So de-stigmatize the conditions and seek help.

Relationships

Studies suggest millennial are less likely to marry than the earlier generation. Census suggests that people are getting married older. The central reason being the lack of financial stability, not having found someone yet, and feeling too young to settle down. The divorce rates have also gone up. People are now accepting of the divorcees and people are less tolerant towards abuse, lack of love in the relationship, even more infidelity and career.

Location an Education and Involvement

The young adults prefer the core urban areas. Urban adults tend to be better educated and career driven with better salary. Young adults are more likely to have college degree than the earlier generations.  Yet in Nepal the scenario is painful.  For the first time in history Nepal is experiencing a huge demographic dividend meaning the youth account for the largest segment of the population. Yet, 92% of the youth enter the labor market leaving for Malaysia and the Gulf annually. They cannot vote meaning Nepal even with the highest youth bulge has low participation in civic spaces. Hence the same people get elected and no change can be seen in the civic spaces.

The youth can have a huge impact in the field of activism, journalism, entrepreneurship and could help end the corruption and bureaucracy that has plagued the country since time immemorial. The current levels of official youth participation is low and needs to change to bring about innovation and change in the age old methods and not just in paper but in practice.

According to a 2011 youth survey about 80% reside in the rural areas of Nepal. We need to involve the youth in rural areas by operating the projects and operations previously run only in the capital and urban areas, to the rural areas and lower the drain of youth outside Nepal.

The Traits of Millennial

According to authors William Strauss and Neil Howe, they predict Millennial to be civic minded generation with strong sense of community, special, sheltered, confident, team-oriented, and conventional. However, according to psychologist millennial have sense of entitlement and narcissism with pragmatic idealism.

The researchers also say that millennial differ frothier generational cohort and predecessors by a preference for a flat corporate culture, an emphasis on work-life balance, and social consciousness.

In addition, millennial are  said to be social and liberal in their political views as well as higher overall support same-sex marriage and legalization of marijuana and other drugs.

This age group has also been called the Boomerang Generation or Peter Pan Generation because of the propensity of some to move back in with their parents, perhaps due to economic constraints, and a growing tendency to delay some of the typical adulthood stuffs like marriage or starting a career.

So, we belong to a generation who have been labelled lazy, needy and narcissist and yet the future is us. We need to get out of the sheltered life mold and use our brains and heart at the right place to bring about change in the community. We need to establish independence that does not need to be assertive but reformative. We have amazing startups that have been successfully run by the millennial.  The local project, Kathmandu Kala, Vidinterest, Himalayan wonders, urban girl, Smartpani, My earthecobag which have been successfully run by the same cohort. So it’s not the laziness or lack of follow through but the determination to go against all odds and be the change. We need our presence in the civic spaces as well bring about transformation in the society.


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