Everything has changed now. Today's youth are intensifying their efforts to be heard.

You might wonder now how the youth can be a catalyst of change with the prevalence issues plaguing the young ones of today. Many of these issues are engaged to health and political problems. Should the youth get more involved in national issues? And why? This is the question we need to examine.

The youth is a great help to the world, and their contributions should not be taken lightly. Their open-mindedness allows them to see the world from a fresher perspective. Today, even students engage in active conversation regarding matters they care about, including social issues such as unemployment, and corruption. They believe that through discussion, they can be heard and thus create change. Social media savvy youngsters are even taking to social media to raise awareness on issues to a wider audience.

On the other hand, the youth are also involved in problems that hinder their development. Juvenile crime is increasing at a terrifying rate. Roughly half of all youth arrests are made on account of theft, simple assault, drug abuse, disorderly conduct, and curfew violations. Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) statistics show theft as the greatest cause of youth arrests. The number of juvenile delinquents in the Philippines increased from 10,388 in 2017 to 11,228 last 2018, with physical injury the most committed crime by minors, the Philippine National Police – Women and Children Protection Centre reported in January 2019.

If we were to hope for a brighter future, we should empower the youth, the inheritors of the future. They are the ones who will build our nation in hopes of helping future generations. Be an advocate for change. We must promote an informed, and healthy democratic society for all. We should engage in active conversation to inspire action. Through this, we will be able to stand together.

Our fight is not yet over. This is not the end that will darken the future of the next generation. We must stand for the truth and build a better nation for all. The youth will declare that through perseverance, hard work, unity, and being open-minded in every issue, we will stand strong and brave to overcome it. In the context of national issues, youth will shine the light of freedom and hope to nourish society with the knowledge and experiences they learned. Creating change is not easy, but if we choose to fight for that change, a light will shine in the middle of the darkest nights.