why is the English govornment so utterly crap with youth policies?

I know, it SUCKS. I just worked out that now I'm 16, I have to spend over £1000 on bus fares until I leave school. WTF are they doing with this kinda money?? Is this my 'reward' for wishing to go to school and learn?

They follow America, because America is the new, amazing country. As the English, we do not like making innovative new ideas, but wait until the Americans do something. Plus they are wealthier, and have more forces, than us.

They don't listen to what WE think is right. They think it's right if it earns the govt more money. That's what it's all about, really - if it earns them the green stuff, then they'll do it.

I, too, am ashamed to be a brit teenager. This country sucks now. Seriously, I was considering starting a revolution... anyone wanna join me? (lol)

Totally agree.

I'm so glad to see someone on here with my views.

The government don't listen to us teenagers, instead they just go ahead thinking that there doing something good which in actual fact is just worse. For example raising the minimum alcohol age. Like wtf is that going to do ? Imagine no students being able to drink ?

And i know what you mean about the buses. The drivers are all idiots as well, but i suppose they dont make the rules.

I'm very angry with this country at the moment. I really do hate it. Young people are the future of tomorrow, so why don't they get more of a say ?

And a message to the English government - "Let America do what they have to do, DONT COPY THEM"

Because you are being groomed as the future ideal citizen!

Feeling hopeless, negative , apathetic, unquestioning, addicted, rejected by society, powerless in fact any condition which will keep you quiet, believe anything, challenge nothing, aspire to nothing, lack ambition, lack education because when these conditioners work you will be so easy to manipulate into the system.

The future is in your hands, please dont let your generation get mugged by the Government as mine has, rise up against injustice, the decline of law and order, the destruction of the National Health Service, warmongering, corruption demonstrate for a better World.

Put the demo back in DEMOcracy!

because every time they want a solution for something the government looks towards America. We need to be original and think of how to solve problems for ourselves. We seem to be so heavy influenced by what America does that its like we are turning into a mini version. We are fat, pretend to be loving in the ghetto, and are running around with knives and guns. I think that being part of Europe we should look more to Europe, as there way of life seems to be more relaxed but easier to handel

So you think that lowering the drinking age will stop alcohol abuse and solve the problems associated with alcohol,

Yer right.

The answer is to give these morons education not sympathy

It's 10 Years of New (corrupt, depraved, immoral) Labour party.

From a 46yo viewpoint:

Drinking age raised to 21? Look at what's going on with underage drinking and sales of alcohol to under 18s. Twenty-one is seen as an age where there is an "adult" cast to a person's features and complexion, as well as their social behaviour in terms of maturity and concern for the possible consequences of anti-social activities. Like it or not it will be easier to differentiate between over-21s and under-18s.

Smoking age to 18? In the present climate where cigarettes are seen as more evil than Satan, this was bound to happen.

Driving age being raised, how is one year going to change anything? A recent report stated that one fifth of 17-18yo's admitted to drinking and driving. Sorry, but if you can't act responsibly at a certain age, the powers-that-be will take your privileges away. It's a parent thing, in this case it's Nanny (State) doing it and you can bet your boots that unless your peers get their collective act together it will not stop at 18yo. Many people already think that 21 would be better.

WHY THE HELL DO 16 YEAR OLDS HAVE TO PAY FULL FARE ON PUBLIC TRANSPORT? Because many teenagers insist on taking up two seats on a bus with bags, feet and other bits of themselves, and don't have the good manners to make room for even elderly people to sit.

People who are still in school who can't get a job until they finish school obviously can't afford the high prices no wonder there are groups of chavs on the street causing damage. Again this is a matter for parents. If a youth deserves an X-Box 360 or whatever and if his parents can afford it, then he will get it. Wrecking bus stops, lamp-posts and the like is not going to change anything if his parents are skint except to make them more skint when the council tax is raised to pay for the damage. If chavs had brains they would realise this and possibly stop damaging public property. Those of your generation who do not engage in such activity should be acting to stop your less brain-gifted peers doing it, either by direct protest if they are among your immediate group or by reporting them. Social damage costs us all; these idiots are doing nothing more than leaving you a society in which the cost to your pocket will be far higher than it might need to be in terms of local and other taxation.

They can't afford to do anything else because the prices are too high. Sounds grandad-y, I know, but we didn't dwell on the "nothing to do" routine. Every generation gets the same "it wasn't like this in my day" statement from older folks and I guarantee that you will one day think, if not say, exactly the same. What happened to youth imagination in only the last ten years? Have you become so utterly dependent on the X-Box that you cannot think for yourselves when it is surgically removed for a couple of weeks? What happened to getting out into the country as a group and getting involved in something socially worthwhile such as a community farm or just taking yourselves off camping for the weekend? If your parents won't allow you to do it independently, why not join a youth movement - scouts, air/army cadets or the like? There's more to life than hanging around under a lamp post mouthing off at passers-by.

Changing the drinking/smoking age wont change anything, they will get them from other sources, how come our government wont take notice of what works? Those who want to wreck their lives and futures will always do this, as they always have. Among the majority of teens, there is a good sense of self-discipline; the minority is letting the rest of you down. It's your generation so it's largely up to your majority to help set the standards that you want your own eventual offspring to grow up to meet.

Why do they follow the Americans ALL the time? Because we've been influenced by the TV programmes since at least when I was a kid ('70s). Even the police are not immune - they now look like refugees from the 1970s "Streets of San Francisco" TV series.

Why can't they have a lower drinking age like other countries in Europe with lower crime rate & teenage drunk statistics & things. Because in Britain we've been locked into a "get it down your neck in four hours (3 1/2 hours on Sundays)" regime for so long that the practice of doing so has become habit. The hope was that extended licensing hours would be seen as an invitation to slow down and pace yourself; the reality has been that the advent of alco-pops have only served to make people who drink at the same speed as before become drunk quicker. The habit has been passed from father to son (and mother to daughter) among those who have not seen the opportunity to change. In a teen culture where it's seen as cool to get totally plastered by 9pm there will never be any incentive for any government to reduce the legal age for purchasing alcohol. Again, it's the minority of your generation letting the rest of you down.

England has totally lost all dignity & heritage. Not completely, but your generation is helping to speed up the process by adopting all the negative aspects of a culture that America has suffered for donkeys' years.

I'm ashamed to be a British teenager, The country is a pushover. If you're ashamed of your generation, then it's up to you to do something about it. Parents have been progressively prevented from being able to guide and educate pre-teens. If you are concerned about the result, which is prohibition in matters such as alcohol, driving, smoking and so on then you need to be getting the kind of life experience that will enable you to move for change based upon sound knowledge in the future.

"America is the bully saying give us your sweets & Britain is the kid behind going yeeeaaah". This doesn't affect only your generation. Witness Iraq.

Because they are middle aged privately educated individuals with no sense of real life.

What you're describing is pure socialism. It's going on all over the world.

It`s not just youth policies it`s everything there just crap.