By Han Mimi
Member of executive committee, National YWCA of Korea
Economic activities are no longer limited to individual consumption. It affects the entire community's consumption due to the chain reaction of the economic circle. Changing the consumers' perspectives from just money spenders to contributors to the entire economy is required. In addition, we need to recognize the importance of education on basic economic principals and healthy consuming behavior.
Today, our teenagers have tendency to misconceive the economic concept as only the activities of purchasing goods or spending money. Their impulsive and unplanned consumer behavior needs to be called to greater attention. Not being able to distinguish the differences between ``needs'' and ``wants'' is the major problem in their consumer behavior. For instance, teenagers like to spend most of their money on cyber, on-line games and fashion icons instead of saving and investing. Such unhealthy consumer behavior will end up causing a much bigger problem.
An increasing awareness on environmental issues is also very closely related to today's economic activities. As a result, the appropriate economic and environmental education is no longer an optional choice to make. It is a must!
Proper environmental management will be the key to economic success in our future. Our teenagers truly need to realize the responsibility that unhealthy consumer behavior can destroy the environment; and they will have to pay for the sever consequences.
The national YWCA of Korea believes that economic and environmental education for the young is our vision and mission in our community. So, through the Success Program, we share various stories about the economy and the environment. We hope that teenagers can realize that they can get plenty of knowledge not just from textbooks but also from their experiences in lessons. Then they will develop healthy habits in searching, planning, participating, and managing mutual study. We believe that practical education is a stepping stone for our kids to prepare for a better future and to make this world a better place to live in.