If you look at the figures, Pakistan should be a power center for innovative young minds that allow positive changes to influence their country. With a population where over 60% under 30, it is quite visible that youth would have the appropriate thoughts of revolutionizing Pakistan’s dynamics. Or at least that’s what we tell ourselves. In reality, Pakistani youth is a strength that produces chaos without an ultimate direction. Equipped with unmatched motivation among young individuals, our young people have everything they need except power, authority and let’s see it, all decent ideas.

As a young sovereign individual, I can demonstrate the fact that Pakistan’s young generation is actually proud – but proud of what exactly? Well, many young Pakistanis seem more invested in idolizing political leaders than in thinking critically about the state of their own country. An influential politician, Imran Khan’s young supporters, destroyed, destroyed public property and closed schools, all in the name of a leader who, let’s be honest, not exactly left the country in better shape. Khan’s supporters made him a deity, making him the centerpiece of a national identity crisis. Instead of tackling real problems, they are busy glorifying a man and ignoring the destruction their blind devotion has caused.

Youth is also obsessed with causes that do not concern them – such as fighting for ideals that honestly have not yet shown any real results. Many have become so disillusioned about the country’s situation that they are no longer even interested in its future. The idea of ​​nationalism has faded, replaced by a sense of hopelessness and self -pity. They would rather complain about poverty than work against solutions. There is little patience or resilience in this generation – just a feeling that they are stuck in an eternal loop of misery. That’s what drives their downfall. Inability, a lack of unity and the tendency to blame the previous generation of the mess they are in.

But let’s give credit wherever it is. Many young Pakistanis want to change things. They start NGOs, volunteers and promote local causes, at least until they get a better job offer abroad. They care about their community and social issues, but not enough to stay around and promote real change. They have remembered all the inspirational quotes about “loving your country” but their dreams are strange not related to them.

It’s a strange time. We are traveling a generation that is technically more “connected” than ever thanks to social media, they have more knowledge than any generation before. Yet the connection to their roots, culture and history? This signal seems a bit weak. Instead, they roll through their feeds, like American content, dream of dollar signs and wonder when they get shin somewhere else. The irony is almost painful.

In the end, Pakistan’s youth is actually an asset, but one that is not invested in properly. What is needed is a massive change in the way we treat our young people’s ideas. If we continue to force them into boxes and fail to offer real options, they will take all that motivation and pride somewhere else. And let’s be honest, they will probably thrive wherever they go. But here is the rubbing: The only ones who want to lose are the people who have sacrificed everything for their nation and see that it is being wasted.

– The young author is Aitchison College -Student