The Only Thing Wrong With ‘The Youth’ is Your Opinion of Them

I was born in 1994, so I am a millennial; just one year shy of being part of Gen Z. Meaning I had the privilege to grow up closely with both generations. I had the privilege of seeing the generational gap being created between Gen Z and everyone else. Gen Z grew up in a time that was extremely different from what anyone had ever experienced before them; the age of technology. I remember using encyclopedias in school on essays and projects, but I also remember googling what I needed on other essays and projects. Neither is foreign to me, but there are millennials who never had technology at their fingertips until they were in their twenties. Here lies the disconnect.

When I was in high school, the only social media that was a big deal was MySpace. Now, teenagers have Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Twitch, and probably a million more my millennial ass doesn’t know about. Social media is a career now. That also means they are experiencing more than any of us were culturally, politically, and materialisticly. The magazines I used to look at and go ‘Man, I wish I looked like her!’ or ‘Man, I wish I had that bag!’ are now regularly scheduled social media posts. The Juicy Couture tracksuit of my day is now the Gucci sneakers. The flat tummy with the low rise jeans and midriff showing is now the big butt in biker shorts with a fanny pack on. (Side note: It’s not a belt bag, it’s a fanny pack!) The same exact things I experienced as a teenager are still happening just in a different way, a much more expedited way. I hear a lot of people say they’re growing up too fast, they don’t look like kids, but weren’t we all in a hurry to grow up when we were their age? We just didn’t have YouTube make up tutorials and flat irons that didn’t make our hair frizz. They have a completely different toolbox than we did, that’s not their fault.

With the age of technology came the age of information. It’s so much easier now to stay informed about what’s happening in the world, what’s happening in society, what’s happening with friends, what’s happening with the Kardashians; it’s all literally in your hand. Gen Zers are some of the most engaged and informed people in the world right now. They are also some of the most progressive people in the world. Millennials like to think we’re progressive, but Gen Z pretty much came out of the womb waving a pride flag in one hand, a black lives matter flag in the other, and wearing a t-shirt calling for gun control. I mean think about it; Gen Zers are responsible for March for Our Lives, climate change protests, many of the Black Lives Matter protests happening right now, pushing for inclusivity of the LGBT community in schools, you have people like Greta Thunberg, Malala Yousafzai, Hadiqua Bashir, Joshua Wong, Elle van der Burg, Amika George, and Autumn Peltier. Greta Thunberg is a well know environmental activist who raised awareness and started a revolution of sorts by sitting outside Swedish parliament on school days holding a sign that said “school strike for climate”. Malala Yousafzai is a well known advocate for female education. In October 2012, she and two other girls were shot by a Taliban gunman in retaliation of her activism. After her recovery, she was one of the most famous teenagers in the world and she used that platform to advocate for the right to education. She is also the youngest Nobel Prize laureate. Hadiqua Bashir is an activist who wants to end child marriage. Joshua Wong has been an activist in Hong Kong and actively involved in protests since 2014 and is a prominent figure in the Hong Kong protests for democratic reform. He, along with other local activists, was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2018. Elle van der Burg is a model and prominent advocate for transgender rights and equality. Amika George is a UK based activist who campaigns against period poverty. Autumn Peltier is a Canadian Indigenous advocate for clean water accessibility.

As much as the older generations want to say all Gen Zers do is sit on their phones all day, you have to admit they are using those devices to their advantage. They are learning, they are connecting with one another, they are becoming passionate citizens of the world, they are creating change. I can guarantee you if millennials could use the internet on their flip phones without having a panic attack about how big the bill was going to be or we got more than snake on our Nokias, we would’ve done the same thing. If any generation had that, they would be doing the same thing. And for everyone who's saying “But they ate Tide Pods!” right now, shut up! There’s a level of stupidity that comes with being a teenager no matter what generation you belong to. I had friends that would snort salt and Rockstar energy drinks. My dad and his friends used to shoot an arrow into the air and see who would be the last one to run away. We were all dumb teenagers once, but that doesn’t define a generation.

I guess if I have a message for anyone it’s be kind to them. They are the first ones navigating growing up in a world that never sleeps and is constantly changing. Listen to them because they are going to change the world, I know they will. And engage with them; they are some of the most politically, socially, and culturally engaged people I know. They are accepting and loving and want to cultivate change for the better. And, I don’t know about you, but I never had to do an active shooter drill when I was in school. Just saying. They’re strong and passionate and I am proud to know they will be our leaders one day. Don’t dismiss them simply because you don’t understand them.