I know that some of my students will not want to read this article to the end, or even open it. However, I believe that you have left it too late to make decisions about your future. For that reason, if you read this article and position yourself for the future, it will be to your advantage.

One of the first courses students take upon joining the Department of New Media and Communication at the Faculty of Communication at Eastern Mediterranean University is a course I teach; those who have attended will certainly be aware of this. The issue is not the content of the course, but rather a sentence I say to the first-year students. I think they feel a little uneasy when they hear that sentence, but I feel obliged to say it because they need to face reality.

After graduating from university, you are unemployed…

I don’t know exactly what goes through the mind of a young person who hears this, just as I see that those young people don’t fully understand the truth either. To some student friends, this may seem like a serious accusation, to others it may serve as a catalyst for action, and to others still it may give the impression that I am a very arrogant person. However, no matter how much we deny or ignore the facts, they remain true.

My classmates know; I am also talking about certain steps to overcome this situation. I will return to this point later, and I do not think there is much that can be said to deny this situation.

Condition 1

You come from a wealthy family. All you need is a degree, and you can get that at university. In that case, there is nothing to worry about. As long as you don’t do anything too illogical, you can continue to live comfortably. You won’t have to worry about work, or you will already be joining your family’s business after graduation.

Condition 2

If you or your family have well-respected, influential, and capable acquaintances, you can establish a business or find employment through your connections. There is no cause for concern in this situation. Indeed, improving your daily life or achieving a higher standard of living will not be difficult. People tend to do business with those they know because they trust them, which is only natural. Who would want to face potential problems with someone they don’t know?

In both of these circumstances, you can shape your future without much change. The important point to remember is that what I am saying is not only about finances; even if your financial situation deteriorates, I believe that someone in either of these circumstances should not have concerns about the future.

Condition 3

Let’s get to the most challenging condition, one that many of us find ourselves in. If you don’t have a life within the first two conditions, you have to work very hard. The one in a thousand examples that emerge from this condition are so embellished and presented that it creates the image that anyone can succeed and be like the people in those examples. Seeing this example constantly on social media also creates the thought, ‘Why can’t I do it?’ I absolutely do not judge young people in this regard. In fact, in my time, this situation was more about neighbourhood pressure than social media. We were exposed to statements like, ‘X’s child has succeeded here, so should you,’ or ‘Y’s child is doing this job, so should you,’ and even comparisons.

In our time, these pressures came from our immediate surroundings, in a limited way, but now I think young people experience internal conflict through social media. Nowadays, these pressures come from peers rather than the immediate surroundings. I believe this creates stress and uncertainty. That is why I make efforts to guide and inform. Otherwise, I have no desire to decide what anyone should or should not do, or even to generate ideas.

The lives portrayed on social media have a narcotic effect, terrorising our thoughts. As a result, we become so fixated on the lives we are addicted to and desire that the areas where we could actually be successful become invisible. I believe this is also where our anxieties about the future stem from.

Another issue is intergenerational differences and the unique structure of each era. The time we live in has its own pros and cons. The position that needs to be taken here should be: how can I minimise the damage from the cons and benefit as much as possible from the pros? So how will you achieve this?

To my friend who has read this far, I would like to offer this advice: pursue your field or the things you enjoy doing and taking an interest in. You will definitely find a way out from there. Those who have taken my class will remember; I said to produce content related to your areas of interest, the topics you are curious about. You too should focus on the area you are interested in. Understand that not everyone can do everything, and realise that you need to do the things you enjoy doing. Don’t focus on other people’s lives or successes. Achieve your own success for yourself…

As technology and artificial intelligence take centre stage in the future, many people will lose their jobs. In the future, job opportunities and areas of human work will shrink. At this point, turn inward and ask yourself who you want to be. In my opinion, the present era needs people who have truly developed themselves. University does not guarantee anyone a job or status. Therefore, my advice to anyone who is studying at university, considering studying, or not considering studying is this: do what you enjoy doing. Focus on your own life instead of the inflated lives others have created for themselves.

Note: If you’ve read this far, I’d be grateful if you could share your thoughts. Perhaps I’ve overlooked something…