We should celebrate the new generation

As the youngest national newspaper in Britain, The Independent on Sunday has always been optimistic, and one of the reasons for our hopefulness has been our faith in young people. Too often, the young are portrayed negatively in the media, as a problem or a threat.

We are encouraged, therefore, that the Government’s “horizon scanning” group, which looks out for future opportunities and threats, has recognised that many of the stereotypes of the past are out of date. As we report today, the group notes that young people’s use of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs has fallen substantially, and that teenage pregnancies are less common than they used to be. Crime and suicide are down. The analysis, carried out for Sir Mark Walport, the Government’s chief scientific adviser, and Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary, attributes the change to two big causes.

One is that today’s and yesterday’s parents are better at bringing up children. The youth are no longer as desperate to get away from their parents as they used to be and these days often go on holiday with them or even willingly move back in with them after university. The other is the development of the internet and computer technology, which means that young people have more to do and are usually better informed doing it.

Naturally, as the group points out, the digital life carries its own risks. These range from the relatively trivial, such as not getting enough sleep, through to lack of exercise, and to the more serious problems of self-image and status anxiety, including cyber-bullying, eating disorders and self-harm. Yet these should be seen in perspective. Indeed, the group notes that the fashion for “sexting”, which so alarms some of the older generation, is already on the wane.

That is not to say that we should be complacent about the problems of the “always-connected” life and of internet “addiction” – although it is fair to say that these afflict many middle-aged and older people too. Parents, politicians and internet companies need to take their responsibilities seriously to work on practical and supportive ways of protecting teenagers and young adults from the dark side of technology – technology which is otherwise an incalculable boon.

But let us for once celebrate the contribution that young people make to society generally. As the group says, four-fifths of 16 to 24-year-olds took part in some voluntary charity or community activity in the past year – more than any other age group. These are things “that often go unrecognised in public debate”, the group says. Well, this newspaper is trying to change that, with its Happy List, which recognises the selfless contribution made by people – of all ages – throughout the country.

And we welcome the engagement of hundreds of thousands of people, especially younger ones, who have been drawn into politics by the Labour leadership contest. This newspaper did not advise its readers how to vote in the general election, and it does not plan to advise those of you who are eligible how to vote in internal party elections either. But it is important to the health of our democracy that we have a lively and credible opposition, and the injection of new life and idealism into our stale political culture can only be a good thing.

We refuse to share the outdated grumbling about the youth of today. Deference has gone, and quite right too. But public spiritedness and good manners are much more important. The Independent on Sunday is proud to take the view that today’s young people are the best educated, most socially responsible and most promising generation that this country has ever raised.