The New Choices of Young People

“Young people no longer want to work, have children, or get involved.” Yet studies reveal a more nuanced reality: work still holds a central place in their lives, they remain attached to their communities, and they are reinventing what engagement means. Youth is not a homogeneous group, but rather a plurality of realities. Many young people are weakened by the accumulation of crises: economic insecurity, mental health struggles, loneliness, housing difficulties, unemployment… Under pressure, they are refocusing on their close relationships and making the preservation of their balance and well-being a priority.

Nevertheless, young people are not giving up their right to make choices. They seek greater gender equality, question the social expectation of marriage and the necessity of having children, and no longer define themselves through work alone, but through the meaning they find in it. Above all, they refuse to simply endure circumstances and are finding new ways to engage and take action. Ironically, the urgency of the situation leaves them little choice.

So, how do those who have grown up in an era of overlapping crises envision their future? How can society give young people the confidence they need to take action? And above all, how can we address problems at their root in order to create an environment that supports the success and fulfillment of this generation?