What's cool, what's hot, what's not....

By Lakshmi Balakrishnan

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 29. Welcome to the world of the young and the restless. A place where speed is important, winning a must, and confidence the passport to being called ``cool''. They may be selfish, determined and aggressive, but at the end of it all the one word that best describes Delhi's Generation-X today is ``confused'', if a new survey conducted by MTV is anything to go by.

According to the survey, the priorities of the younger generation are changing fast. They might consider tele-serials like ``Kahani Ghar Ghar Ki'' cool, but when it comes to their own lives they would rather live alone and build a career while their parents stay at an old people's home.

Though parents are still seen as decision-makers, with even the boldest of the young lot preferring to sneak out than argue with parents to get that late night deadline extended, leaving one's folks at an old age home is no longer considered unacceptable. A good 56 per cent of the youngsters interviewed for the MTV survey, in fact, wanted to stay separately.

And no, ``we don't need no education'' is no longer the tune of the rebellious brats. Studying is considered hep, as is being seen in college, if not the classroom. Money makes the world go round for this restless lot, with 43 per cent believing that it does not matter if one does not enjoy the work, as long as it brings in good pay.

Conducted by IMRB, the study -- ``Tuning into the Indian youth'' -- covered 1,619 youngsters in the age group of 15 to 24 years in six metros: Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata.

According to the study, independence is what Generation-X swears by, with almost 54 per cent wanting to work while studying. And though having fun is clearly the motto of their life, nearly 70 per cent believe that college education is important for success.

Romance continues to be the ``in'' thing round the clock for the Pepsi-Cola generation, with having a boyfriend or a girlfriend being seen as a must. Love may be in, but when it comes to marriage, confusion is the order of the day. While a majority feel that marriage restricts individual freedom, 39 per cent think it necessary to live with their partners before marriage.

The survey divides the youth into five categories on the basis of attitudes, lifestyles and trends. Not surprisingly, a majority of the young brigade falls under the ``wannabe'' section that believes in showing off, followed by the ``rebels'' who are in the process of breaking free.

The ``cool guys'', who lead the pack by following the ``work hard, play hard'' mantra, form just 20 per cent of the young brigade. The number of ``two-faced'' and simple-living ``home bodies'' is going down, according to the survey, with more and more youngsters trying to join the ``in'' group.

As to where they seek the inspiration, it is friends, films and TV. So while having a sleek mobile in your pocket and a pretty face by side makes you cool, donning a design that is moved from the shops to the pavement sends you just as quickly to the rebel camp of the boring lot.

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