Life on the Street

Samson Shum Sze Cham

I have read a news entitled "Life on the street" in Young Post. Nowadays Hong Kong teenagers are different from those in the past. They like spending the night outside but not prefer to stay at home. The usually play computer games at internet cafes or at parks in public housing estates. To maintain the friendship, some of the teenagers even spend three to four nights a week out on the streets with their friends. The main reason is thier school life. Take Wai-yin as an example. As he could not promote to Form two, he didn't want to go to school anymore. He became depressed and wasn't interested in any of the subjects taught in school, so he spent time with their friends at night.

Besides studies, I think another reason why teenagers hang out on the street is the lack of care of parents. Some parents return home at midnight due to working, and they hardly spend time communicating with their daughters and sons, so making them feel bored. To eliminate loneliness, playing with their friends is their final solution.

It is not advisable to hang out on the streets at night. When they stay out late, they will become preys of triad societies. Being enticed by their friends, they will become drug addicts and break the law. Hanging out on the street at night also affects our health. We will become tired in the next morning, owing to the lack of sleep.