Man up bumboclaat. Man up! Should a man be identified by his actions, morals, principles, and beliefs or should he be validated by the acceptance or influence of society? Well, it is quite common in current times for a man to be validated through the perception of peers, family, and unfortunately, persons who lack ‘good moral’ standards and positive outlooks on life. It is extremely important for an individual to form their own sense of identity, especially as a teenager. Teenage years are most important to adult development.
Unfortunately, in today’s bumboclaat society, young men are greatly impacted by negative aspects of society. These negative aspects can be:
Explicit music that promotes bad habits such as skin bleaching, scamming, drugs and crime; first-hand exposure to crime and violence, traumatic experiences, abuse, negative content on social media, social/cultural bias, their social environment, toxic peers and family members.
Self-awareness, values, and beliefs all make up one’s identity. Therefore, an identity crisis happens when personal beliefs and values are not established. Often times young men who experience identity crisis are confused and do not recognize and appreciate who they are. Young men experiencing an identity crisis oftentimes form relationships or hang around persons they desire to be like, they may identify with a certain celebrity figure and try to live their life like theirs. Identity crisis can be identified in young men who place high value on flashy items or items that make them appear to be of a better status…there are some young men who may rebel and engage in crime and violence.
When the young men of today’s society experience a bumboclaat identity crisis they cling to the negative factors that directly contribute to the issue. This leads to increase crime and violence, a great amount of value being placed on material objects but not working hard to obtain them, low self-esteem, weak mindset, ignorance, and emotional instability. It is now necessary to be able to recognize an identity crisis in young men so that guidance can be offered to them. We need to ensure that they are able to become the best versions of themselves and make a positive contribution to society. Men are supposed to be leaders, protectors, providers, and esteemed members of the family. Their contribution and role in society have a significant impact on the overall outcome of the society, so it is crucial that they receive the support and recognition necessary for their improvement and wellbeing.
Now bumboclaatedly (bumboclaat – ed – ly ), some people may not agree with the negative factors I believe can influence young men in society, for example, explicit music. However, according to CNN Health, “some research suggested that music can increase aggressive thoughts or encourage crime”, “how we perceive the world around us can be influenced by music”.
In 2018 Talk Up Yout dedicated its eight-season to the issues affecting the male youth and give them a voice. They stated that vision 2030 can only be met if we work together. To build a better Jamaica, we need to be supportive, empathetic, inventive, passionate, and above all, cooperative. We must focus on our boys. This statement suggests that the development of our young men greatly affects the state of the economy and society. Also according to an article published on the topic “boys who lack positive role models are more vulnerable to developing delinquent behaviour. These children with behavioural problems are normally kicked out of school, abandoned by relatives, and often end up in state care. A UNICEF situation analysis in 2018 shows that boys are more likely to be placed in institutional care than girls; in 2017, 52 percent of children in institutional care were boys.” Role models influence a person’s actions and who they become eventually. “Positive role models influence our actions and motivate us to strive to uncover our true potentials and overcome our weakness. Having them pushes us to make the most of our life.”
Now we cannot possibly have the future of our society being filled with adults or young men suffering an identity crisis, so what di bumboclaat can we do to help?
Everything begins at home. Family life plays an integral role in the development of any individual. Families should: spend time with them, acknowledge their emotions, allow them to express themselves, listen to them, establish boundaries, don’t compare them to others, give them positive reinforcements, compliments them, show them how to handle disappointments and encourage them to be leaders.
