A student's view: Another decade later...

Editor's note: Fleischer is a Herald student columnist at Kennedy High School, which has students from Bellmore and Merrick.

Fireworks have exploded and the ball has dropped once again; 2010 has officially begun. This New Year, we are entering an entirely new decade. Who knows what to expect during the next 10 years? Past decades each seem to have distinctly stood out with specific connotations and names for themselves. The 1960s are commonly remembered as the hippie years, when young people listened to new forms of music and felt free and rebellious. A number of years later, the 1990s came along, and technology advanced to a whole new level, introducing us to the first DVD player and cell phones with built-in visual displays.

The past few years, however, have not been such prosperous ones. The recession has had a tremendous impact on the lives of so many Americans and is continuing to affect us all. Teens and young adults are really being hit hard by the rough economic times, causing just as much trouble and difficulty for them as older adults, if not more.

Young people are unemployed or underemployed all over the globe. The unemployment rate for people ages 18-25 in Greece is 45 percent. Most of Europe is not much better and in this country, the rate is well into the double digits.

When college graduates enter the real world and are in search of a job, a résumé deficient of work experience will certainly not be advantageous to them. A lack of work experience remains very harmful to any job applicant. More and more people are trying to earn a spot as an intern, regardless of pay status, because it can be an introduction to a career and a good way to stay occupied if job positions are not available.

What will 2010 be known as in the future? Hopefully, it won't be the decade of unemployment. Right now, all we can hope for is a vast improvement in the world economy and a great 10 years ahead of us.