"This piece was written in 2006, during the good ol' days of secondary school. All has been left in its original form so as to retain its... blandness. Funny how a year has gone past now. Dug up for CTG 127, since they reminded me of it during a certain GP debate. Enjoy, y'all."


"Everybody today seems to be in such a terrible rush;
anxious for greater developments and greater wishes and so on;
so that children have very little time for their parents;
Parents have very little time for each other;
and the home begins the disruption of the peace of the world."
-Mother Teresa

Advancement in the human time-line has caused many changes- Political, economic, and social, to name a few. Undoubtedly, life has become increasingly challenging with aggrandized standards of living as the world evolves.

One has to agree to the belief that the lifestyle of teenagers nowadays is technology-based and hereby more titillating as compared to the past, one cannot avoid the fact that it is better to have been a teenager in my parents' time.

It was much healthier in the past with fresh air filling the lungs of our parents; the soft breeze that cooled their skin as they frolicked among the grassy highlands, admiring the scintillating view they had. Such joys cannot be enjoyed in today's society as more and more of Nature's splendor is bulldozed away to make way for towns and cities. No longer would teenagers enjoy the satisfaction of knowing that they have caught a fish from a nearby sewage drain, or marvel at the beauty of their kite floating amongst the wispy clouds that filled their skies. The simple pleasures of life have, instead, been replaced by long, unhealthy hours in front of the computer as teenagers battle it out in virtual reality.

School would have been unequivocally easier in their days as there was less to learn since school syllabus standards would have been lower as compared to today, where students have to undergo the learning of multiple subjects, trying to catch up with a system which would only aid them in their life only if they succeed in memorizing thousands upon thousands of facts without knowing why or how these facts occur. After a decade of monotonous education will today's students get a piece of paper to prove that they are indeed prepared to slave for their metropolitan master- Society.

Fast-paced society has caused many to break under pressure, creating a "survival for the fittest" scenario. On the other hand, life provided less stress as a minority of teenagers worried about their future. The only cause for their concern would be the welfare of their family, mitigated by their much-easier attained diploma should they choose the continuation of their studies. Those that chose to work at an earlier age found jobs without much trouble, a far cry from the hundreds of jobless university graduates today.

Family ties were closer then as compared to today. A rat race has enveloped the world in self-doubt and fear, causing everyone to work feverishly towards their goals. A terrible rush befalls them all as they are anxious for greater developments and wishes. This, in turn, has sparked off a vicious cycle in the lack of family bonding as the children have little time for their parents due to academics and entertainment, and vice versa.

Parents try their best to provide for their seemingly uncaring family as they try twice as hard to secure their jobs. Even parents have no time for each other, let alone their children. The times where the whole family gathers for a well-deserved dinner after a long, hard day has vanished. No longer do people thrive in the joy of having their loved ones as their primary concerns in life. The joy of family has been lost.

Life has been enhanced via the amelioration of technology, yet it is unfortunate that while the "bugs" in machines are being ironed out, the human race in general has been developing "bugs" of their own. Chaos run amok nowadays as violence penetrate our once-peaceful communities.

Due to misunderstandings and various insensitive actions, Man has unintentionally set him against himself- prognosticating a war between nations as the human race commits suicide. Terrorism builds a stigma of fear and hatred in the innocent, this contravention breaking apart the wall of trust had by all for each other.

How is it that a teenager living through this period would find living now better than living in the past?

Therefore, one has adequate evidence to prove a point that is already a fact. Are teenagers better off living today than in our parents' time? Or is it more fortunate for teenagers living in the past? One chooses the latter.