Dubai: The alternate universe which shields youngsters from real life issues

Dubai, oh Dubai.

A great place to live when you are a kid and when you are in university.

As a kid, youngster or young adult living in Dubai you are exposed to extreme cleanliness, a lack of assimilation with people of different nationalities and cultures even though the city itself is multicultural, easy access to luxury and world class facilities. Many people will probably be tempted to ask, "But what's wrong with that?" They will probably make a point saying that it is great that kids, youngsters and/or young adults have great safety nets. And by safety nets I don't simply mean "something to catch you when your family makes one wrong move in their career", I mean the fear of choosing between important alternatives, for example the choice between having a good long term health insurance or a good house for the family. But in Dubai most youngsters are blessed to be surrounded with world class facilities, most importantly world class public transportation which some people only realize the value of when they move to different countries for a vacation or a medium to long term stay.

I am not exaggerating here, but the truth is the biggest problem that a certain number of youngsters encounter in Dubai is probably when can they buy the next iPhone, which girl or guy to date next and whether they have a nice car to drive. STOP. The important thing to realize here is that you are blessed, you are privileged to have a great life as it is and that you are good enough as it is. It is not wrong to strive to be better but it is great when it is not done in an unhealthy way, i.e keeping up with the Joneses. For a lot of people in different countries, the way you may be living is a dream for those people. Comparison really is the thief of joy. Stop comparing, start living. Enjoy life as it is.

When exposed to luxury, the result is that youngsters want more and more and more, they look at lives of other people on Instagram and question why can they not have a similar life. The reality is that you are only looking at a picture. A picture can be a misrepresentation, a picture can be something that is carefully crafted to project a certain image to their Instagram audience. Maybe they have a different set of problems that you do not realize. Maybe, just maybe it is reality. It is okay if it is reality, maybe they have worked hard to get there. Maybe all they need is a little bit of appreciation.

The real kicker, when youngsters in Dubai are exposed to the luxury in real life and on Instagram is that it causes a loss of self esteem and obvious or hidden depression which is detrimental to their mental health. Having everything you could possibly have, without having good health means nothing. It also causes a potential impairment when it comes to real life skills. When you are a student abroad, you are on your own. You have to cook, clean, do your laundry, talk to people of different nationalities and cultures without offending them, manage your finances and usually share a house with someone else, living in a private room or sleeping on the couch in the hallway. And really a good number of youngsters in Dubai are not exposed to it. This was me nine months ago too. Being considerate towards people will go a long way in developing good relationships with other people. It also makes you learn about yourself and it gives you the clarity in differentiating between needs and wants.

Don't compare. Start living. Have a great life ahead.