Internet, welcome to online wanderlust

Over the last decade the Internet has become very popular with young people.

But all is not milk and honey in the cyberspace. While the Internet has brought many advantages it has also swayed the young people in the negative side.

There is no doubt that the Internet has good influences in widening, increasing and improving young people’s knowledge.

“The internet and other social media where most young people tend to spend most of their time in is a form of communication.

“Social media make communication much easier; they are neither good nor bad. It’s what you do with them that is positive or negative.

“The problem is that many young people are living in a different scenario. Some live dreaming about success and they are not in control, they have knowledge but do nothing to reach to success.”

The social media that the older generation accuses the youngsters of being lost in is about more than talking to friends and keeping in touch easily.

The financial aspect of it through advertisements makes Facebook for instance, a money making machine.

Ochieng’ says: “There’s a need to break from the older generation models of success and power which is unfitting in this day and age.

“We are living in an age and time where the new form of power is knowledge and ideas.”

Given that this is the digital age where information and knowledge are easily available are the twenty-somethings in the best position to succeed compared to their parents?

“Accomplishing a dream is a process. It doesn’t matter how much they know, real knowledge is useless until it’s put into action,” says Ochieng’.

Because of the offhand attitude of their parents, misrule and the lack of honesty by politicians the youth of today has been placed in an inexcusable position of economic hardship. But should it wallow in hopelessness?

The twenty-somethings don’t have to be paralysed by the economic and social problems they face.

Their future is in their own hands and they take responsibility for their future. Lack of money isn’t the end of the world, but lack curiosity and motivation to engage with new ideas is.

“Young people need to break away from the past. Blame is the trademark of the failures. Everything is available for them to make a living.

“Just know what you need to do and do it over and over until it works,” says Ochieng’.

Twenty-six-year-old Business Information Technology graduate Ken Waweru believes these are the best times yet: