The Power of Today’s Youth
By Jonathan Page
Every generation is unique. Shaped by the politics, society, and environment in which we grow up, our opinions, skills, and ambitions are a product of our experiences and the world in which we live. Today’s younger generations are no different, they have perspectives and capabilities which the world has never seen before granted by the technology which defines the most connected generation in history.
Social media, for all its imperfections, has undeniable strengths. The youth of today are more aware of the challenges which are faced by different people across the world, but this would be meaningless if this generation weren’t more willing to act. Fortunately, this younger generation is more driven to act. The Greater Good Science Centre at the University of California, Berkeley has shown that ‘iGens’, their name for those born between 1995 and 2012, are
“Less entitled, narcissistic, and overconfident than earlier generations, and they are ready to work hard. They are inclusive and concerned about social justice. And they are increasingly more diverse and less partisan, which means they may eventually insist on more cooperative, more just, and more egalitarian systems.” [1]
Furthermore, according to Mintel: “Today’s British teenagers are growing up as an eco-aware generation and they are optimistic about their power to make a change. Animal welfare is the most common environmental concern for kids aged 12–18, followed by climate change and plastic pollution.” [2], while Janmaat & Keating’s 2017 study [3] found that this iGen generation show the greatest tolerance to each other, across ethnicities and sexualities, compared to their parents, grandparents, and other generations of young people.
These reports have been picked up by the UN, who have highlighted five key traits this youth generation show which makes them capable of changing the world in ways that have never before been possible:
Critical Thinkers
Having grown up with the vast amount of information available through the Internet, this generation knows exactly how to navigate this jungle of misinformation which so often traps those from older generations. They question the information they’re given, and they challenge the views they hear using the information they have available at their fingertips. This generation is better placed to navigate a rapidly changing and almost incomprehensibly complex world.
Innovators
Having such a huge amount of knowledge available to them, and being able to build upon the experiences of millions around the world, young people are inspired with ideas that would never have occurred to older generations. This makes Gen Z or iGens one of the most innovative generations in history, and importantly we know that these innovations will be used for the good of the world, rather than just to exploit it.
Communicators
Being able to interact with billions of people across the world with the press of a button, today’s youth are talented communicators. They are aware of life experiences, perspectives, and cultures in ways that older generations simply could not have been without having spent their lives travelling around the world. The youth of today don’t need to travel to acquire this knowledge, they can discover it from their smartphones. They can use this experience to communicate to a range of different audiences across the world, enabling world-changing ideas to reach millions.
Leaders
Access to technology and a world’s worth of experience means today’s youth are gaining the experience they need to lead others of this generation, and of other generations, towards world-changing initiatives. Today’s youth are technology savvy, culturally conscious, and driven to change the world for the better. This generation will be world-wise and inspiring, capable of leading others towards a better future.
Change makers
The youth generation know the potential of technology, and they know how to use it along with their skills to bring about change from anywhere in the world. As We Make Change has pioneered, there’s no limitation on who can put their skills to good work, and from where these skills can be used. While in-person volunteering will always be important, remote volunteering using in-demand skills that young people have (but might not realise) is becoming ever more possible and enabling young people to make positive change in the world like never before.
Though the world is better in many ways than it ever has been, there are undeniable challenges which must be addressed: climate change, inequality, poverty, and the recovery from the global pandemic to name just a few. Fortunately, today’s youth generation are equipped to tackle these global and existential issues. According to the UN, there are currently 1.8 billion people between the ages of 10–24: the largest generation of youth in history [4]. These are 1.8 billion people with the skills, knowledge and passion to change the world. That’s an incredible chance to create a brighter future in which we all have a role to play.
References
[1] — https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_teens_today_are_different_from_past_generations
[3] — https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1468796817723682
