Are we privileged? - NCS grad, Chloe
I would consider myself more privileged than some (especially as the festive season rolls around) as I have a roof over my head, food, and water. I understand that not all children will get presents under the tree this Christmas, some people won’t have a roof over their head, and others won’t even have food. I’m grateful that I get the opportunities I do, as I know that not everyone gets the same.
In society today, everyone is more privileged than someone else without even knowing it. No one stops to think about what they actually have. Most young adults just want the newest tech, like a new iPhone, but there are people out there who want the simple things, the things we take for granted.
According to The Guardian, over 130,000 homeless children were living in temporary accommodation this time last year and nearly 10,000 of those children woke up in B&Bs, hotels, or hostels on Christmas Day. In these places they live in a single room with their parents, and share bathrooms and kitchens with the other residents. As a whole, 50,000 more children in the UK were homeless, which was a rise of 59% in comparison to five years ago.
Living in insecure accommodation can have a really bad effect on a child’s mental health and emotional wellbeing as well as their education – especially if they are moving from one place to another for long periods of time. If you have a roof above your head, and you’re warm, then you are more privileged than some families out there.
We have the opportunities we do because of the people around us, our friends, family, and our community, even if you don’t realise it. What we need to do is stop and think about what we have and how lucky we are to be where we are today. We need to stop feeling so entitled to materialistic possessions and try not to take things for granted, because it can be taken in the blink of an eye. Everyone deserves to have a permanent place to live, some food, water, and a steady income, but for some, that’s not possible.
It’s a vicious cycle. If you don’t have a permanent address you can’t find a job. Most of us are lucky enough to have jobs, and that’s because we have a permanent place to live. We’re not sofa surfing or sleeping rough in the cold. Think about those less fortunate people, the people who don’t get to have a job because they can’t afford to live anywhere long enough to get a job and pay rent.
What we need to do is stop and think about what we have now and acknowledge that most of us are in fact, privileged, even if you don’t realise it.
