When we think of youth, energy, vitality, curiosity, and endless possibilities usually come to mind. Yet today’s young people carry a fatigue far beyond their chronological age. Before even reaching their thirties, there stands a generation that feels emotionally worn down, walking with an invisible burden on its shoulders. This is the story of a generation that feels prematurely aged: The Aged Youth Paradox.

This paradox is not merely an individual feeling; it is a social reality embedded in the spirit of our time. From their early years in high school, young people are pushed into an invisible race. They feel as if they must get into the best school, choose the right profession, constantly improve themselves, and prepare a “perfect” future without missing any opportunity. Before they can even discover their own paths, they encounter the sharpest form of anxiety about the future. Just as they step through the door of life, the weight of adulthood is placed upon their shoulders.

But isn’t youth supposed to be about trial and error, exploration, and a bit of play? Instead of burdening young people with so much responsibility, we should be emphasizing the value of experience. All these pressures and responsibilities inevitably create a deep sense of exhaustion within the minds of young people.

One of the strongest sources of this exhaustion is the invisible pressure of the digital world. We live in an age where it feels as if we must always be connected, as though we need to keep up with everything at every moment or risk missing something. While social media presents everyone’s life as a stage, young people are constantly forced to compare themselves to others. Everyone shares their happiest moments, their most polished selves. As young people look at this glittering display window, they begin to see their own lives as lacking.

It is no longer surprising for an eighteen-year-old to think, “I haven’t accomplished anything yet.” And yet, this age is only the beginning of the journey. Still, the culture of constant comparison drains a young person’s inner energy, creating a sense of premature aging within the soul.

Economic conditions are another factor that distances the younger generation from their own youth. Young people are growing up in a world where dreams are shrinking, opportunities are limited, and uncertainty is increasing. They want to be free, but freedom is often intertwined with financial security. This contradiction creates an unending pressure in the minds of many young people. Hoping on one hand, staying alert on the other… This state of mind is enough to make a young heart feel older than it truly is.

Alongside all this, there is also the expectation of early maturity placed upon young people. As if everyone must be knowledgeable, controlled, sensible, and perfect at all times. As if making mistakes were a luxury. As if being young were something close to a fault… Yet youth is the courage to make mistakes. It is the process of getting to know the world. But in this age of speed, young people are rarely granted this space. And this, in turn, distances them from their own youth.

So where is the solution?

The answer is actually simple: we need to give young people space and time. The “Aged Youth Paradox” shows us that young people are not lazy, but deeply exhausted. Rather than ignoring this exhaustion, we must try to understand them, create spaces where they can breathe, and lighten the invisible burdens they carry.

They need this space to discover themselves, find their own rhythm, and make their voices heard. Because what this generation needs is not motivation, but to be understood. And we know that youth is not about age, but about hope. Hope can only take root again when it is given enough room to grow.

Asena Atar
Yücel Cultural Foundation
Volunteer Writer