Do you agree with our readers? Have your say on these MetroTalk topics and more in the comments.
Struggling with modern life? Previous generations had it worse
‘It cannot have been easy being in the 1910s and 40s’
Sharon (Metro, Fri) sympathises with the pressures facing today’s younger generation. But it cannot have been easy being young in the 1910s and 40s, when millions of young boys lost their lives on the battlefields.
It was not easy being young in the 1930s when kids left school at 14 to work long hours in factories or on farms for six days a week – it was hard graft, as my grandparents informed me.
It was not easy being young in the 1960s when my father had three jobs to keep a roof over his family’s head (they seemed to have more kids in them days).
If the younger generation face ‘pressure’ from social media, turn the phone off and delete the app. Previous generations did not have the luxury of blaming ‘mental health issues’. Denise, London
Give young people a break
Atticus White (MetroTalk, Mon) says rather than facing a mental health crisis, the young have no emotional ‘resilience’.
Young people get an unnecessarily bad rap. Those I know are leaps and bounds ahead of where we were at their age.
They are running marathons and half-marathons, taking part in Parkruns and directing serious plays in local amateur dramatics groups.
They are studying hard at university and bagging jobs early doors, they are competing in swimming galas, baking cakes, arranging gatherings for friends IRL (in real life), winning prestigious educational awards and much more.
They are absolutely wonderful and wonderfully inspirational.
I am a mother of two (20 and 15) and know a lot of young people!
Yes, as Atticus says, they do appear to be on their phones a lot but it’s all balanced out by the above. We can’t get away from phones as we all manage our lives on them. Take inspiration from the youth of today. They are amazing. Maggie, Harrow
The future of work: more automation, fewer jobs
‘The idea of 100 per cent employment is farcical’
Jimmy (MetroTalk, Fri) says Labour’s benefits cuts do not go far enough – suggesting people should ‘get a job’ to ‘escape poverty’, and not rely on the state.
I’m a trained engineer and work voluntarily as getting a job is much harder in a climate of AI and automation.
The idea of 100 per cent employment is farcical given immigration and population rises. Labour is so lacking in foresight they are creating an underclass.
I urge Jimmy to read Rise Of The Robots by Martin Ford and see that the job market is succumbing to ever more automation. Look at supermarkets losing checkout staff to self-service tills.
More unemployed people needing taxpayer-funded benefits is a recipe for disaster and this government is leading us into it. DL Borrell, Hazelhurst
Some people will always need benefits and that’s okay
‘My son will always need benefits’
I would love Jimmy to meet my son. He is 25 years old but operates at the level of a young child.
His disabilities, present from birth, are so severe I was twice offered a termination during my pregnancy. He has up to 40 seizures a day, is in constant pain, struggles to absorb nutrition and is autistic as well as learning disabled.
He needs someone with him 24/7 and sleeps only four hours or so per night. He would love to work part-time but I don’t see an employer taking him on any time soon.
He will always need benefits. I look after him 24/7 and so I require benefits too – carer’s allowance and universal credit.
The benefits that my son and I get are indeed a benefit. They benefit the state, which otherwise would have to support him in extremely expensive residential care. Annie, Leicestershire
Means testing pensions? That’s not how insurance works
‘In the case of national insurance contributions, the insured event is loss of income upon retirement’
Julian (MetroTalk, Thu) argues in favour of means-testing the state pension on the basis that it is an insurance payout.
Following his logic, if Julian’s house burns down, his insurers should only pay out if he can’t afford to rebuild his house from whatever savings he has at the time of the loss.
When people pay insurance premiums, it is on the understanding that if an event occurs that is covered by the policy, they will receive a payout, regardless of their financial circumstances.
In the case of national insurance contributions, the insured event is loss of income upon retirement. Jon, Newcastle
We need fewer degrees and more skilled tradespeople
‘in order for our society to function it needs skilled workers’
We’re told there’s a shortage of truck drivers, as well as builders.
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A main reason for this is that recent governments have wanted to get more school leavers to go into higher education, rather than learning a trade.
But in order for our society to function it needs skilled workers such as builders, plumbers and lorry drivers. A Wills, Ruislip
Metro has helped me laugh and learn since schooldays
‘I first picked it up in year 6. I’m 20 now.’
It’s not particularly related to any topic but I really just want to express my gratitude to everyone behind the scenes at Metro.
I’ve been picking up a paper since I began taking the bus to school in Year 6. I’m 20 now – a uni student – and I still look forward to the thought-provoking features that the paper provides each weekday, the stories centred around intriguing people and the opinions and Good Deeds mentioned in MetroTalk.
It’s educated me about issues I’d never before considered, humoured me and led to some great conversations over the years.
I also love that wherever I am in the country, I’ll see the paper when I take public transport. To this day, it still excites me!
So, thank you again. Zsazsa, Manchester
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