by Tanmay Sikka
Many wonder how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted young people. There has been a lot of talk about the negative impacts, but so little about the positive ones. Personally, I feel like there has been a major positive change when you look at the youth today. During the pandemic, the workforce age group in India has gone from 21–60 years of age to 13 years and onwards. This drastic change comes from two major factors.
The fact that colleges and schools shifting online, as well as activities like going out, be it to play, meet friends or just walk became restricted activities; and to fill up their time lest they get bored the youth took to the internet.
The sudden change from active physical work to an internet-based setup has drastically increased the need for individuals with a better grasp, and command of technology. This has opened up space for these youngsters who have grown up with the internet since the very beginning.
The youth of today challenges the social norms, constructs, and patterns every single day moving forward. Instead of taking vacations from work, we are taking vacations even as we work. We are working from our phones with the entire office set up, from communications to databases, to files and paperwork, accessible in the palm of one hand.
In DLF phase 2 itself, I have seen many youngsters perform tasks that made me believe that, once they set their mind to it, the youth of today have the power to make any changes necessary and bring about great progress in thought as well as technological processes and industry.
From baking bread and cakes to planting trees, cleaning up bereft plots of land, teaching children, making videos, writing books, and so much more. Most of these endeavors were brought to light and publicized using the power of social media and the internet. This allows them to combine their values, their hobbies/passions, as well as their skills on the phone, allowing them to create, market, and sell products/services that also try to influence or benefit a social or environmental cause in most cases.
If individually we could all come up with such lovely ideas, and so many different solutions to the problems faced by the world; I can only wonder how much we would be able to achieve by coming together.
Keeping this in mind, I would like to propose we form a community group for the youth in phase 2 to interact, get to know each other, work on ideas and grow together as a community rather than individuals and make that much more impact on the people, our surroundings and the world.
If you believe, as I do, that a community of youth to share and discuss ideas and voice their opinions is required; please find the link for the google form and my contact details below.
