AHABWE NOELA SHERYL: The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: The Paradox of Being Young Today

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda published an opinion piece by Ahabwe Noela Sheryl examining the contradictory experience of being young in the modern era. The article uses Charles Dickens’ famous phrase as a framing device to describe how today’s youth live with both expanded opportunity and mounting strain. It argues that young people now have unprecedented access to information, social awareness and tools for creativity, but that the same digital environment also fuels distraction, misinformation and shallow engagement.

The commentary says youth are often active in social causes, entrepreneurship and community building, yet face weak trust in institutions, limited job prospects, housing pressures and wider concerns such as climate anxiety and conflict. It also points to rising anxiety, depression and loneliness among young people, describing resilience as something many are expected to demonstrate without enough support. The author, identified as working with the Afro-Arab Youth Council, places these challenges in a broader regional context, noting that in parts of Africa and the Arab region a large youth population can become either an economic asset or a source of instability depending on whether opportunity exists.

The piece does not report a breaking event or policy decision. Instead, it calls for stronger mental health services, education that matches present realities, better economic pathways and more meaningful youth participation in decision-making. Its central message is that youth should be treated as present stakeholders, not just future leaders, because the same generation can be empowered to build society or pushed toward disengagement and radicalization.