The future of today’s youth looks bright enough to me

By George Wright

My great uncle who fought in the RAF against the Nazis would have rung my neck if I tried telling him that we have it hard. 

Despite everything that young people face today, I still feel privileged and lucky to have been born in 1989.  

Freedoms and opportunities
We live in a culture that prides itself on tolerance and diversity, boasting freedoms and opportunities that many born a century before could only dream of.

We all know times are hard for young people. University fees are trebling at the hands of our brutal ConDem government, meaning students leaving university from next year will enter the world of employment with debts of over £50,000.

Generation bust
However, I found myself becoming particularly riled up last week when reading a Guardian blog asking: “Is this the hardest period in which to grow up ever?”

No, I do not think it is and frankly I am fed up of constantly being told that we are “generation bust”.

The late 70s and early 80s with the Winter of Discontent, Thatcher, unemployment at 3 million and the rise of the National Front were probably not the best of times to grow up in either. I could go on.

Resilient and hardworking 
Many of you may see this as an almost reductionist way of looking at things, but my point is that throughout history people have had to pull themselves through hard times and have come out the other end.

I don’t have the answers to the current mess but I think we are as resilient and hardworking as past generations and not the shallow, materialistic, broken bunch the media often depict us as.

I don’t want people to think I am underestimating or trivializing the situation we are facing.

A little optimistic 
You don’t need me to remind you about cuts, unemployment figures, rent prices, unpaid internships and tuition fees.

I have accepted that I may struggle to find work after university and I know there is little chance of me getting on the property ladder before I hit 30, which might even be a little optimistic.

However, please don’t even try and imply that this is worst time to grow up ever. It’s just not.

And even if you think I am kidding myself, leave me and my bubble of naivety in peace because if we enter the working world thinking we’re screwed before we’ve even started, what hope have we got?