by Dorothy Hoffman

Created on: October 31, 2010

The 21st century is shaping up to be an age of shrinking expectations and increasing political and social division and intolerance. Our leaders preach austerity to the poor and working class while doling out the spoils to the global elites. Compassion seems to have become a quaint luxury our leaner, meaner society can’t afford.

Is it any wonder that today’s youth would be focused on their own interests and getting ahead in a cutthroat economic climate? The older generations haven’t shown much compassion for their descendants, who will inherit the political, economic, and environmental disasters we’ve created.

Those problems – global warming, economic crises, wars and conflict, and an ever-more and intrusive government – are overwhelming, and individuals are left feeling powerless to effect any kind of positive change. Even making our voices heard by our leaders seems like an impossible task. They have their own agenda and look out for the interests of the elites, with little concern for the wellbeing of the rest of us. So why should the younger generation agonize over suffering they didn’t cause?

A lot of pressure is put on kids today, starting in preschool; to be successful, they’re told, they need to pass high-stakes tests, get into the best colleges, and make lots of money. But by the time they leave school, they’re likely already up to their necks in debt, and high-paying jobs are hard to come by. The American Dream looks more and more like a tantalizing mirage, always just out of reach. And in the meantime, our political leaders are busy dismantling Social Security and Medicare – the social safety nets that kept earlier generations out of poverty since the Great Depression.

The lesson the youth of today glean from our increasingly uncivil society and cutthroat economy is that no one is going to look out for them; they need to take what they want for themselves. It’s hard to imagine how compassion for the weak and vulnerable could thrive in this kind of environment.

Yet, many do feel compassion and empathy for others. Today’s young people are no less compassionate than those of past generations. Many kids have a much greater awareness of how their personal lifestyle affect the health of the planet than their parents do. Students are still often in the forefront of movements for the rights of women, gays, Latinos and other ethnic groups, and for greater social justice throughout the world. In Europe, the students are standing side by side with workers protesting the harsh austerity measures that punish the hard-working middle class for the crimes of the rich and powerful.

Parents may see their kids’ online activities on Facebook and Twitter as a sign of disengagement from the real world. It’s true that much of this interaction is trivial and useless. Many young people are obsessed with designer fashions, electronic gadgets, and celebrity gossip. But so are many adults, and with far less excuse. Kids, after all, are entitled to some frivolity and irresponsibility. They’ll have to grow up all too soon in today’s environment.

We haven’t left them much of a future, but we can only hope they’ll have the compassion and strength to do a better job with it than we have.

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