IELTS Essay # 12 - Nowadays young people know less about traditions and culture than in the past. What are the reasons for it? What can be done to improve this situation?

Essay # 12

Nowadays young people know less about traditions and culture than in the past. What are the reasons for it? What can be done to improve this situation?

It is a known fact that traditional and cultural values get modified somewhat when being passed on from one generation to another. That can be termed as the main reason for the youngsters nowadays to be less familiar with them. However, there is also a lack of interest observed overall, about curiosity for one's customs.

In the olden days, people were more family and culture oriented. Not only were the young family members taught elaborately about their culture and its significance, they too were quite keen to perform or observe those certain rituals. Children and youngsters took pride in the accuracy and depth of their knowledge of their values and traditions. This difference in approach towards their ancestry is one of the factors for there being less knowledge about the same in youngsters today.

As the society developed, other aspects of life started gaining more importance, for example academics and careers. People started moving out of their home-towns in search of better educational opportunities and a chance at a better lifestyle by landing respectable high-earning jobs. This departure from their families made the youngsters worry less about their traditions and cultural rituals, and more about the things that affected them immediately.

The present scenario is an upgradation of the situation mentioned in the paragraph above. People mostly study away from their homes now, giving them an exposure at cultures other than their own. Youngsters now prefer to practice the rituals according to their own convenience and likings, which is why the version they practice nowadays is far from the actual rites. Inculcation of broad mindedness in the individuals has also made them to question the purpose of their long observed traditions, rather than being obedient towards them like in the past.

To alter this situation, I feel the traditions need to become a little flexible with time so that they don’t seem very cumbersome in this fast-moving life. Also, most parents just prefer to explain the ritual but not its importance in their culture. I think if the youngsters understood better that for what reason they are supposed to be following their traditions, they would certainly develop an interest in knowing more about them and exercising the same religiously.

To conclude, it is true that most youngsters nowadays are not very enthusiastic about being conscious about their traditions and their culture. Nonetheless, if proposed to in a way convenient for them to comprehend, this situation can definitely be amended.

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