DOPCANDY

I have been thinking on what the effect of current economic crisis is doing to the young people in our communities. The news over the last couple of days about students need to pay more for their education seems to be leading our young people into an increasingly difficult financial position. What role does the church, our youth ministries and the Gospel of Christ have to contribute to this? Can we live a message of hope today?

This was published in the Observer in December 2008 and makes for depressing reading! Zoe Wood writes:

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Young Britons
Forget Generations X and Y, and say hello to Generation Recession. For the nation’s twenty- and thirtysomethings, the last downturn was lost in a blur of ‘Madchester’ and hip hop.

These young men and women have been suckled on student loans, then weaned on to credit cards, but a deep recession will provide a rude awakening for their generation, empowered by credit.

As the years of plenty draw to a close, plans for a second gap year will be shelved, and expensive holidays may be sacrificed for the odd weekend in the country. For the first time in a long time, the younger generation may even learn to save surplus cash as they attempt to survive the downturn, cutting back on disposable income.

The implication for trendy restaurants, clubs and bars could be frightening.

Those approaching 40 see the world through different eyes, with their view punctured by leaving school or college at a time when there were already two million unemployed – a figure that eventually scaled three million and looks like it may yet do so again this time around.

Today they remain conservative in their outlook, as memories of the dole and unpleasant DHSS officials linger.

But as the sleeping beast of unemployment stirs, young Britons are being forced to address their casual relationship with money – learning to deal in hard cash, not plastic. And they may also find they now have only one bank to turn to – their parents.

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Comments please?