THE LIFE OF YOUTH IN MODERN SOCIETY: SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND WAYS TO SOLVE THEM

Young people are an integral part of any society, but at the same time they face unique challenges and difficulties. In today's society, young people are particularly vulnerable in areas such as affordable housing, mental health and discrimination. Let's look at these problems in more detail:

Lack of affordable housing. High real estate prices and rising mortgage interest rates make it unrealistic for many young people to purchase their own homes. This is especially noticeable after the Central Bank raised the rate to 21% on September 28, 2024, when it reached its maximum value since 2013 [3]. The lack of affordable rental housing options further exacerbates the problem. Young people are forced to stay at home with their parents or rent housing in unsatisfactory conditions, which in most cases has negative consequences for their physical and mental health. This can be expressed in chronic fatigue due to the long journey to study or work, and even in some psychological aspects of the attitude of young people.

That is, this point partially implies the following important problem of modern youth – mental health problems. Young people face high levels of stress, anxiety and depression. This is due to a number of factors, including peer pressure, academic demands, and uncertainty about the future. Unfortunately, many young people do not have access to the mental health services they need. One of the most unobvious consequences of housing inaccessibility, according to the authors of the work, may be a problem with self-esteem, most of all it concerns the male part of the youth. First of all, this is due to the fact that Russian society is still very traditional, which imposes certain responsibilities on men, for example, to maintain a family and a house. The inability to provide themselves with even rented living space and the need to live with their parents can undermine young people's self-confidence and self-reliance, besides, a lot depends on the level of parental support for children. They can either help children financially and morally, or on the contrary, oppress them by drawing their attention to more successful and successful peers.

Mental health problems can have serious consequences for young people. And although modern society is actively transforming stereotypes that going to psychologists and psychiatrists is a sign of weakness and, moreover, humiliation, this opinion still lives in some people. The high cost of psychological and psychiatric care exacerbates everything. Even if young people are ready and fully understand the need for treatment, they often cannot afford it. As a consequence of this, the following problem develops.

Lack of hope and despair can lead to poor academic performance, relationship problems, drug addiction, substance use, and even suicide. In addition, it is more common for young people to take risks, which can lead to dangerous consequences such as dangerous driving, socially dangerous behavior, and others. All of this has devastating consequences for young people and the people around them.

Of course, in the work on the problems of modern youth, it is impossible not to mention such a thing as age discrimination. Although it should be noted here that in Russia the concept of youth covers a fairly large age range. According to paragraph 1 of Article 2 of Federal Law No. 489-FZ dated December 30, 2020 "On Youth Policy in the Russian Federation", youth, young citizens are a socio-demographic group of persons aged 14 to 35 years inclusive (with the exception of cases provided for in Part 3 of Article 6 of the Federal Law) [6]. In this regard, it would be logical to divide all youth into two groups: from 14 to 24 years old, covering the most vulnerable part of it (minors, students and university graduates) and from 25 to 35 years old.

Young people aged 14-24 mostly face age discrimination, they cannot either find a job, or they are treated without due respect. Discrimination based on race and religion in Russia is not widespread, which cannot be said about discrimination based on gender. Women suffer the most here: they can either be paid less than a man in the same position or not be hired at all [5]. And although the Government adopts various laws to protect women's labor rights, in practice this does not always work in a positive way. For example, employers may avoid hiring women for fear that a girl may go on maternity leave, take parental leave, and other reasons [4]. The good news is that the government does not ignore such cases. In particular, on October 28 of this year, a bill was submitted to the State Duma prohibiting childless women from being denied employment. In addition, he suggests that mothers of children under three years of age, in case of inability to perform their previous work, will be able to switch to another job while maintaining average earnings — now legally this can be done by a mother whose child's age does not exceed one and a half years [2]. Along the way, the government is trying to solve the problem of low fertility, but this problem is already the state, not the youth specifically. Of course, such changes in labor legislation require careful preparation in order to prevent unfair behavior not only by employers and, but also by women themselves who want to get a job.

We have considered the main problems of modern youth and now it's time to think about ways to solve and prevent them. First of all, solutions to these problems require a comprehensive approach that includes the participation of Government, organizations and society as a whole.

The government can subsidize mortgages for young people, impose taxes on empty housing. It should also be noted that maternity capital is allowed to be spent on purchases, and one of the last ideas was the idea to introduce a lottery among newborns [1]. It offers to raffle 10 apartments, 100 cars and 1000 sets of household appliances every month. With mental health, everything is not so clear. To raise awareness about mental health and expand access to services, youth support programs, including routine medical consultations, can be developed. It is also necessary to raise awareness of the risks associated with substance use and provide addiction treatment services. However, young people are still more likely to repeat after their elders, so it is especially important to form a healthy corporate environment. Motivate students and employees, and encourage them in various ways. All this requires careful study and elaboration on the part of the state. As for gender equality, this problem finds an active response in modern society. As already mentioned in this article, new draft laws aimed at solving and preventing gender discrimination are being tested right now.

It is important to understand that by solving these problems, we can create a more supportive and just society. Youth is the future of our country. It needs to be grown under careful supervision, with love and parental care. Only by working together (including on ourselves) can we ensure that future generations will have a bright future.