Sunday, October 11, 2009

HAVE "PUUYAI" FALLEN IN ESTEEM OF OUR YOUTH?

       Is one of our most popular national values under threat? In a public sruvey, respondents displayed an obviously wavering faith in the old adage "Follow puuyai (senior persons) and dogs won't bite you". Today's young people, the pollsters say, seem to have more confidence in themselves as the "bdlief index" has dropped from 98.6 in the previous survey to 95 this time (100 points is considered historically normal level of belief).
       The pollsters' interpretation of the results may be too kind to today's adults. Perhaps this issue of trust has as much to do with adult's trustworthiness as young people's growing self-reliance. Locally and internationaly, youngsters have been withnessing silly political conflicts, absurdd reasons for wars and a much-advocated economic system teetering on an abyss' edge, to name just a few.
       They have learned how common it is for adults to be hypocrites, and such bad ones at that, And every day yields a new lesson on double standards, nepotism, prejudice and etc.
       So, it's basically good news that young people are not trusting adults as much as before. And why should they? it is the childen now who are begging their puuyai to stop smoking. The anti-climate change campaign has been utilising the energy and sincerity of today's adolescents. Digital innovations have been dominated if not monopolised by young people.
       They, of course, don't play politics, and it's no surprise politics is where the world's mess is concentrated, and where, no pun intended, everyone is acting like a child.

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