Whether teenagers today have a more difficult life than they did twenty years ago.
Dear Editor,
I am writing to respond to your recently published article about Hong Kong teenagers, and I would like to express some notions about whether teenagers today face a more challenging existence than their counterparts twenty years ago.
From my vantage point, teenagers nowadays have more obstacles to overcome. As Hong Kong has a high population density and fewer residential areas, the price of housing is significantly higher. What is more, due to the global financial hub, living in Hong Kong now requires more money than before, so the cost of living has increased dramatically. Hence, many people had to live in a subdivided area, but living in a narrow area for a long time may cause various mental problems for teenagers and also have an impact on their studies. Additionally, the digital era has had a had a great influence on adolescence in many aspects. For example, with the popularity of social media, a lot of negative information has latent effects on teenagers, distracting them from their studies. Moreover, loads of different information has also intensified peer pressure and created competitive relationships between them.
Moreover, the environment in Hong Kong is also a large concern. As immigrants in Hong Kong increased, the traffic congestion was increased by the increasing number of private cars. It causes a lot of environmental problems, such as air pollution, noise pollution, and light pollution. Living under this uncomfortable condition may increase the likelihood of teenagers developing depression, anxiety, and mental illness.
However, with the progress of high technology, certain teenagers’ study burdens have increased as they can access a vast array of necessary study resources on any topic rapidly, and technology also provides them with many learning tools for interactivity, such as education apps, learning platforms, and online classes. Although twenty years ago we also had them, they were not mature enough and were inconvenient.
Furthermore, with the improvement of education, mental health problems are now being addressed, attracting more noticeable attention from society. Compared to twenty years ago, there is greater awareness of the importance of prioritizing self-care and seeking support when needed. The promotion of attention to teenagers' mental health provides them with more chances to express themselves and a better living environment. Therefore, the mental problems that come from studying may be solved with more care.
To conclude, while it is undeniable that teenagers today face a lot of unique challenges, it is also true that they possess more resources to overcome these obstacles.
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