The Kids are Alright
Children of this generation are living in a world of progress. We saw progress on June 26th of this year when the United States Supreme Court passed a law legalizing gay marriage. We saw that people wanted change during the Ferguson riots where people proved that they would not stand idly by while police officers harmed unarmed teenagers. We see progress made every day in the technological advancements and environmental research being completed around the world. So why then, is this generation plagued by words such as lazy, entitled and ignorant? What have we done to deserve these unfair labels?
Every time an election comes around, I’ve seen the headlines blaming young adults for the lack of voter turnout. Cries of “Kids don’t care about politics!” resound. But I’ve also seen the Twitter activism, the volunteer work, the interest in social issues, and I saw it all come to a head with the buzz surrounding this year’s election. Kids, who usually have no business taking stances on certain political issues, were taking stances. People who could not even vote yet were urging family members and older friends to take advantage of their opportunity and to use their freedom. It was incredible; and we all know what happened. This stems from the fact that this generation knows what it’s capable of accomplishing. The young men and women of this country have seen change happening in other parts of the world every day, and no matter how blessed we are to be living in this wonderful country, there is always room for improvement. The world might be better than it was 50 years ago, but it is far from perfect. And thanks to our world’s newfound connectivity, kids can see change now more than ever. It was only a matter of time until they started to care.
It has never been easier to gain access to public opinions than right now. With the tap of a button, you can access millions of tweets about various topics from around the world, all thanks to the internet. The internet has acquired a negative reputation over the years due to cyber bullying, misguided social media posts, and inappropriate videos. However, one thing that is becoming more and more evident is that insulting remarks are no longer tolerated. Just look back to what happened in May of this year when a man interrupted a CityNews broadcast to say “FHRITP”. He was fired. Immediately. Or look at Donald Sterling, the ex-owner of the Los Angeles Clippers, who was forced to sell his two-billion dollar franchise after he was recorded making derogatory remarks directed towards African-Americans. These examples were brought to light through the internet, a platform that is sending a clear message: in this day in age, if you’re racist, homophobic, or anti-Semitic—you’re the outlier. And you are no longer welcome here.
The task facing this generation isn’t easy. There are more than enough issues to deal with, and less than enough time to deal with them. We are heading towards a future of global warming, of conflicts over water supplies, and of ongoing wars overseas. But we are well-prepared to face these problems. We know our country has been set in the past for far too long. We are progressive, educated and more motivated than anyone gives us credit for. Our parents have done a good job giving us a voice. Now, it’s time for us to use it.
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