Wa alaikum asalaam wa rahmatullahi wa barakuthu
Welcome, insha'Allah your time here will be beneficial!
I agree with you, times are becoming harsher and challenging, but I think it is important that we do learn to represent ourselves appropriately! As Muslims our character should be akin to the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.s through this we can reflect the true Islam, I think practicing the traits of our beloved Prophet will help create a more realistic image of our religion!
Something definitely has to be done, because I think our youth are becoming disillusioned and disenfranchised, the more they are seemingly provoked, the harsher they will react! This needs to be changed as we live in a society where Islam is criticised but this is only due to the acts of the minority who fail to represent the true Islam.