By Efstathia Valavani,
If you are reading this article, there is a chance that you are a young person who just cares and thinks about what is happening, and tries to act in a certain way, in order to improve the state of our world. If you happen to be born somewhere in the late ‘90s or in the ‘00s, you belong in the generation that is about to carry —as it’s already carrying— the world on its back. In 2025, the oldest GenZ individuals will be at 28 years of age; young enough to be using their energy in order to transform the world and be actively engaged in societal issues, and old enough to have a sense of how things work in the world and of the tactics that can be used.
I am proud to be part of a generation that makes a good use of all the legacy, all the ideas, and all of the creativity that has existed before us, and is constantly thinking and re-thinking about values, actions, and perspectives. We are eager to use the technological achievements of the past and the present in ways that will lead us to the future. There are many expectations around this generation, and many seem to have faith in us. For some, our methods may seem unusual, but I truly believe that when people come to understand how real we are, and how simple our vision is, they will have no reason not to trust us.
At a time when any kind of information is easily accessible, and one can be in touch with the rest of the world at any given moment, we are bombarded with overwhelming images that interweave. It is easy to get lost in all the different views and perspectives, or be confused by the weird structure of the world in which we live. At one moment you come across images with war, destruction, hate, and crime. In the next, the world that was just crumbling down is made anew. There is hope, smiles, love, and adventure. My wish is that we will remain able to see the positive and hopeful things in the world. That we will be able to invest in them, by volunteering, engaging with activism, and by using our voice.
There have been so many “charismatic” people that have led crowds and mobs into the destruction of the world, and there are still leaders that threaten peace, humanity, and freedom. I think that the people that are now young should truly believe in their own capacities, their intelligence, and their ability to win any battle. What is intelligence, if it is used to throw someone in a deep darkness, and what is the point of having a charisma, if you are using it in order to plant the seed of hate among individuals? This is what I expect to be different in the leaders of today: actions that seek to unify the world, that accept all of our differences, and that allow us to create the present as we want it.
Reference
- What is Gen Z? McKinsey and Company. Available here
