English

Disenchantment among the youth in Latin America

here is a general distrust and that explains the rise of populism represented by figures such as Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro

The lack of opportunities, climate change, and social issues have affected these generations - Photo: Jorge Alberto Mendoza/EL UNIVERSAL
05/05/2019 |08:49
Redacción El Universal
Pendiente este autorVer perfil

The fact that the world has changed in many ways is an undeniable and tangible reality . A series of surveys carried out among young people in Latin America , the Inter-generational about the Current State of Latin America Survey , makes it clear that the youth in this region lives in a state of disenchantment, distrust , and pessimism of the context they live in. There is even more evidence: the younger the person, the more unhappy they are . The study was focused on two main groups: Generation Y , also known as millennials (between 24 and 36) and generation Z , known as centennials , who are under 23 years.

These are generations who were born in an era when the internet was available at home and the immediacy of news, since they could witness every event at the exact time it was taking place, in any part of the world. There are also young people who can't conceive the modern world without a cellphone , a world they can't connect to without a smartphone .

Among the many results and nuances from the survey , it is worth emphasizing that young people from these two generations don't believe in political, religious, military, or social institutions except family , which is the only institution they believe in. It should be acknowledged that this skepticism and dissatisfaction with institutions is their own fault, and it is not only a recurrent issue in Latin American countries but also in countries all over the world. There is a general distrust and that explains the rise of populism represented by figures such as Donald Trump and Jair Bolsonaro ; for example, in the case of Bolsonaro , his electoral win was fueled by young Brazilians . In Mexico , the government chang e with a new vision was also fueled by the disenchantment of young Mexicans with former regimes .

Newsletter
Recibe en tu correo las noticias más destacadas para viajar, trabajar y vivir en EU

In Mexico , there is a general nihilism among young people but it was pleasantly surprising to witness the reaction of millennials after the September 19, 2017 earthquake , where they organized through social media and fulfilled the needs of those affected quickly, in contrast with government institutions specialized in emergency situations. It is a lesson that should be considered by government officials in order to generate trust among teenagers and young people, who are part of any transformation .

gm