Existential Crisis amongst Youth: A Comparative Perspective

Authors: Sonakshi Ruhela , Dr. Priyanka Tiwari

Pages: 36-41

Abstract:

Existential crisis is a stage of development at which an individual questions the very foundation of his or her life; whether the life has any meaning, purpose or value. Demographers referred to the present youth as Generation „Y‟ and further stated that they are the ones who experience loneliness, alienation, and stress most of the times. It has been found that youth are engulfed by the crisis of existentialism and the unpredictability of future. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to identify the areas responsible for existential crisis amongst youth today. The sample of this study consisted of 75 boys and 75 girls (Sample Size =150) in the age ranging from 16-20 years hailing from the Delhi region on basis of Incidental-Cum-Purposive Sampling technique. Youth Problem Inventory was used to measure the areas of existential crisis. The findings indicate that among the three areas namely- Family, Personal and Social; the Family plays a major role in the development of existential crisis amongst youth followed by the Social area and then the Personal area. Study also revealed that relative gender difference was present in existential crisis amongst the youth.