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In the Arab world, the youth have a responsibility to renew and reshape our society’s current status, including its workforce, innovations, skills, and much more. In addition to upholding our society’s culture and values, they are also expected to advance our nations’ capabilities in several key sectors.
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As the most valuable resource for a society, the younger generation is the backbone of any nation, due to their innovative spirit and mindset. However, it is up to them to determine their place in society, and how they build that identity for themselves. To accomplish this, the appropriate medium must be used to direct their thoughts, voice their concerns, and sculpt their identity and values.
Today, the way the media portrays the youth is extremely important in influencing, motivating, and encouraging their decisions. For this, we must monitor what they are exposed to and how it adds value to them, which is achieved by ensuring that content or programs on television are created with them, rather than for them. It is critical that the media’s portrayal of the youth must capture their attention, and reflect their ambition to improve themselves, as well as their societies.
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This is also important as young people today are constantly attempting to balance multiple tasks at once. Likewise, the academic environment for the younger generation is growing competitive today, with an increase in the availability of professional courses. In addition to studies, the youth also have several career prospects outside of academic circles, especially with the changing media landscape. As they establish and work towards their career goals from a young age, a platform that allows them to share their struggles, stories, successes, and failures with their audience will always be a true outlet for their expressions and concerns. As a result, a collaborative environment is created where youth can participate in decision-making processes, on an equal footing with adults.
Authentic voices of the youth emerge from environments in which young people feel safe, heard, and respected. Dedicating an effective medium to young people would thus be a novel move, as they would be responsible for passing down these lessons and existing values to future generations. As a result, efforts should be made to produce quality content, with programs centered on educating the youth in a way that is enjoyable for the viewers.
At Al Aan TV (the media platform that I work for), the young minds of today have several channels to steer their thoughts and ideas, one of which is Aish Al Aan Online Café, one of Akhbar Al Aan’s renowned projects, a digital campfire around which they can speak aloud, share their concerns, discuss their issues, and seek solutions in a collaborative manner. As a result, the voices of vibrant and engaged Arab youth are becoming more powerful than ever, recognizing their realities, as well as the steps that must be taken to transform and bring about meaningful progress in their journey. This makes it even more critical to establish an appropriate channel for these young minds, entrusting them with the responsibility of guiding the younger generation, in ways that the general society cannot.
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