Generation Now: An Empowered Youth Seeks to Change the World (Student Blog Series)

Life today is challenging; being a teenager and living during this time is even harder. So much has changed throughout the years and being a teen is very different than when it was during the 1980’s, 90’s, or even the early 2000’s. With so much social and political turmoil surrounding our society, it can be difficult for the youth of the world to be told to be quiet and keep our opinions to ourselves. We have a voice, and unlike the many teenagers before us, we have the ability to use our voices to help invoke change.

I’ve always had a strong opinion. It didn’t matter what the subject was, I would always give my two cents on the matter. When I was younger, I was usually ranting about how homework or dress codes was morally wrong. I suppose it was cute and funny when I was eight, but now when I want to give my opinion on the latest political development or worldwide catastrophe, my words are often ignored because I’m seen as a young, uninformed teenager. The fact that adults will sidestep anything we say because we are “too naïve” to truly understand anything that’s happening in the world proves that those certain people are the ones who are actually ignorant and misguided.

Even though the young people of my generation might not have experienced or learned as much as some of these adults, our words still carry meaning and ring with truth. We are old enough to understand the weight of what is happening in the world and young enough to still have a more optimistic and motivated attitude towards making a change. This new generation of teens is more accepting and open to change, which is what the world desperately needs. While many of the adults believe us young people to be full of foolish ideas and beliefs, our ideas are what will lead the world into a new way of life.

Today, teenagers are opinionated, forward-thinking, and want to make a change. We are set apart from the rest of the world because of this attitude. Young people are driven and motivated to make these changes happen. When we see something wrong, we speak out to try and fix it instead of ignoring it and hoping someone else will fix it for us. What gives us the greatest platform for speaking out is social media. Even though it’s still an imperfect way to get a message across, protesting is no longer the only option for speaking out. Now, when a teen wants to share an opinion or idea, they can share a video, write a blog or article like this one, or even post a picture or comment somewhere. By doing this, they can spread their message quicker, faster, and to more people than ever before.

Still, many teenagers find a reason to keep from sharing their opinions. Whether it be that they’re too scared or too shy, can’t find a way to, or just don’t feel like contributing to the conversation, there is no good excuse for staying silent when injustice and wrongdoings are happening around them. We cannot sit idly by and let these events around the world unfold without raising our voices and advocating for change. With some of the loudest beliefs and access to the world’s biggest social platforms on which to air them, teenagers everywhere should be working together to bring about change and awareness to many of the terrible things happening all over the world.

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