Youth Observing Reality

a program on youth problem

Omah Limasan, 17 September 2016

"Indonesia is one country in the world that’s densely populated, reaching 255 million people. Youth group in the age range of 10-24 is reaching 25% of total population, or around 65 million people in number. Total population of adolescent is important for the existence of a state. Why? Because they will play a role in this country in the future, "said Trustha Rembaka, coordinator of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta in one discussion about Youth Problem which was held on Saturday, September 17, 2016 at the Secretariat of Stube-HEMAT Yogyakarta.

A program on Youth Problem is important because young people today are in the era of advanced technology where information is very accessible by anyone.  Young generation needs to improve their personal quality and life, at the same time, they should have self-filtering ability on current information to avoid bad influence. They are expected to act efficiently and touch other young generation to anticipate negative sides in society, such as violence, drug abuse, unhealthy habits, promiscuity, pornography, hedonism and egoism.

The discussion was attended by mostly students coming from various regions in Indonesia. As the opening game, Trustha challenged six participants to arrange map fragments of the islands of Indonesia. It is a reminder that they had come to Yogyakarta from distant areas, so they should study well and build their region after completing their study.

The recent data of new students number coming to study in Yogyakarta shows that there are more than fifty thousand people, recorded from several campus, consisting of UGM 8,700 people, UNY 7,400, UAJY 2,500 people, UII 5,000 people, ISI 1,100, USD 2,500, UMBY 2,000 people, UST 2,500 people, 4,500 people UMY, UAD 4,000 people, ITY 250 people, PGRI 750 people, APMD 400 people, UIN 4,600 people and plus many others that have not been noted.

Such large number of students are really potential for national development if they commit to the goal of learning to get new experiences, grow to maturity and dedicate themselves for the society. However, it could be a problem when they are unable to avoid laziness, violence, drug abuse, promiscuity, hedonism and unhealthy lifestyle.

In the discussion, the participants were grouped into several small groups. They read newspapers and chose a news relating to a case occurring among youth. Then, each group shared the news and gave feedback. Some news chosen are including drug abuse, smoking and unhealthy lifestyle, theft, traffic violation, pornography and self-management. Furthermore, the participants conveyed social messages related to news through a creative design using drawing and coloring to attract attention to deliver messages.

As the closing statement, the participants were reminded to be always introspective, be wary of various negative situations and be wise in life. (TRU).