Our Youth's Ten Greatest Worries

By Khen Lim



Image source: newamericamedia.org

According to research conducted by Dr Thom Rainer, teenagers today are the most unreached people for Christ in America. Less than 10 percent of America’s youth have accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour. After interviewing hundreds of youth, much has been revealed about their fears of which the following are ten of their greatest:

#10: “I’ll never have a happy marriage and family”

Most youths expressed a deep need to have a spouse and children within a few years but worry that the trends of culture mean few would see their desires of a good home met. Happy marriages cannot be taken for granted anymore.

#9 “Someone I know or love will die of AIDS (maybe me!)”

This disease is ever-present in the minds of youths and not just a distant issue from the evening news. Many fear that someone close to them will have it because of their lifestyles. And with the increasingly liberal lifestyle, those who don’t have AIDS may end up having it as well.

#8 “I feel like I have to have sex to be accepted”

This is especially evident with female youths where two-thirds worry about the pressure of succumbing particularly to their boyfriends or when out on dates. Irresponsible media is also a problem, adding to the ethos that premarital sex is fun and to be expected. Rather than abstinence, adults then urge their children to “practise safe sex.”

The pressure is also on males to “perform.” Many have cried out for boundaries from the adult world. The statistics are alarming – average age for first-timers is 15 for girls, 14 for boys. 75 percent of them will have done it before their senior year in high school. 40 percent of 14-year-old girls get pregnant at least once before they turn 20.

#7 “I can’t find time to do everything”

Life’s getting too complicated. Busyness prevents teens from being focused. With so many choices in everything, teens have little discernment in making the right decisions. Often they don’t learn to say “no” and the results can be frustrating, leading to early-age burnout because they end up doing more than they can cope.

#6 “I can’t tell right from wrong”

And many of them know they don’t can’t tell the difference. 56% of girls and 61% of boys think their generation has serious problems in this regard. Confusion is a big issue with teens – they have serious problems knowing right from wrong, wrongly believing that morality is elusive and deceivingly taught that it is situationally based.

#5 “Peer pressure scares me”

This is of course nothing new but it’ll just get worse from one generation to the next. The challenges and pressures meted out by people and society can actually be transparent but it is a powerful undertow with dangerous outcomes. Teens know it’s not easy to say “no” when peers try to get them to do something they know is wrong.

Image source: huffingtonpost.com

#4 “I (or someone I know) will be a victim of violence or crime”

The youths of today are the most violent in America’s history but you could also say that of other countries. They’ve now become knowing and unknowing victims of criminal behaviour. In 1950, four in 1,000 arrested are 14-to-17 year old teen felons. Today it’s more than 118 for every 1,000. Teenage sensitivity to violence has been numbed by violence portrayed by the media as well. It’s possible that some of them might even think that violence is acceptable.

#3 “I will not be able to make it financially”

Youths know there are no guarantees out in the world and a college degree is no assurance of getting a good job. And if you have a good job, you mightn’t keep it. And the state of the economy doesn’t exactly make others think any differently. Teens are genuinely concerned about economic prospects (or lack of). Even for those who have a comfortable family home express worries that they cannot cope on their own.

#2 “I can’t get a good education”

The research was unanimous with teens’ strong view of the value of education. Three out of four fear they will not get good education. They worry they won’t get into a good college and even if they do get in, they fear they mightn’t be able to financially sustain it. This is linked to the previous financial fear mentioned.

#1 “Something bad may happen to my family”

Today’s teens grow up amongst the highest divorce rates not just in America. In Malaysia, broken families are becoming quite commonplace as well. More homes have single parents today, which, not surprisingly, make teens fear for their own families. Furthermore the example set isn’t exactly awe-inspiring or motivating.

The sheer plight of facing a broken home is very real. And well founded.

This information is presented not to depress but to help Christians understand the fears of young people. Thom S. Rainer is the Dean of the Billy Graham School at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, USA. He has authored 16 books and also serves as president of the Rainer Group and Church Central Associates.

This is only an excerpt of the original article, which is available at www.ChurchCentral.com.