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During a recent #CoffeeWithFriends session, our conversation centered on the sense of despair prevalent among Singapore youths regarding their future.
Although this despair is undeniably influenced by the high cost of living and escalating housing prices, this despair is not exclusive to Singapore but is a shared experience among youths worldwide. The Global Economy’s data from 2022 reveals that youth employment rates varied across countries, ranging from 6% in Singapore to 30% in Greece, indicating the global nature of these concerns. Given the prevailing uncertainties worldwide, it is understandable why Singaporean youths harbor apprehensions about what lies ahead.
Drawing upon the lessons of history, there is hope. Societies have consistently overcome significant obstacles and I believe that hope is the antidote to the despair our youths feel as it will provide them with an optimistic outlook and a path toward a brighter future.
But even as we take solace from the history of mankind and acknowledge that there is hope, this hope needs to be coupled with the belief in self-agency as the vehicle to assume control of, and shape, their own destinies.
Self-agency results in a growth mindset that will enable our youths to view challenges as opportunities for growth and learning, help them set…
