MANILA, Philippines—They say members of the generation Y will live fast and die young.
But young people around the world are resisting the “you only live once” dictum– and there are signs to prove it, a report said recently.
People born from 1980 to 2000 are said to belong to Generation Y— tech-savvy, driven, and ambitious individuals who are very competitive in various fields such as in school and the workplace.
On the other hand, the media bolstered the image of the millennial generation as rebellious, oversexed, and drugged teens through television shows and movies showing the said stereotype.
The rise of the social media also reinforced the notion that the generation Y is individualistic, gaining the moniker “selfie generation.”
Yet, according to a report released recently by the British newspaper The Telegraph, millennials are now living clean and trying to be wholesome. The article revealed figures on alcohol consumption, drug usage, and youth perception on justice from the United Kingdom, which seem to reinforce the new lifestyle of the millennial generation.
The article cited that fewer British teens are binging on drinks and drugs. More teens are now law-abiding. Also, it was cited that instead of rock stars, more young people are idolizing country singers and book authors who they consider as “wholesome.”
Fashion also showed the shifting perception of the millennials. The rise of the “normcore” fashion trend—a clothing style, which blurs gender lines by donning simple unisex style clothing—was interpreted as a sign that more teens are more comfortable with conformity rather than individuality.
Philippine setting
The same signs reflecting the shift of the Generation Y mindset are also reflected in the Philippines. According to the 2013 Young Adult Fertility Survey, alcohol consumption, drug use, and smoking declined among Filipinos aged 15 to 24 years old.
According to the survey, the percentage of “current smokers” declined from 20.9 percent in 2002 to 19.7 percent in 2013.
Also, smoking among the Filipino youth declined from 41 percent in 2002 to 37 percent in 2013.
Drug use among the Filipino youth dramatically decreased from 11 percent in 2002 to only four percent in 2013.
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