As one generation of people fulfills their lives, another is constantly rising behind them to follow in their footsteps. Even though the faces of the people inhabiting this earth change over time, the earth they live on remains constant. Just as the older generation has already experienced most of their lives, the younger generation is just beginning their journeys through existence here on this planet.
The older generation’s responsibility is to encourage, uplift, and prepare the younger people to make the world a better place.
According to journalist Luca J. Peterson, the younger generation seems to be progressing towards working with passion rather than working only for a paycheck. They tend to want to enjoy their work and find some sort of fulfillment in it.
Many young people are driven by the dream of “changing the world around them,” causing a spike in global advocacy for change in areas such as international relations, environmentalism, and humanitarian efforts. The younger generation views life as an opportunity to make things better for themselves and the people around them.
It is important to speak words of encouragement and support to young people who are striving for greatness – if they are continuously put down or criticized by people of the older generation, their efforts could become less concentrated on bettering the world and more focused on proving the older generation wrong. If the world constantly built up the people who were fighting for positive change in societies worldwide, there would be a lot more positive change to occur.
We also need to change the way we talk about the younger generation. Many have called millennials and “Gen Z” the “generation of instant gratification” due to the rapid advancements in technology and communication we’ve seen in our time.
These people are stereotyped as lazy, self-centered, and “soft.” Removing these stereotypes and encouraging the opposite behaviors in younger people can inspire them to continue striving for positive change in their lives and the world around them. If they are constantly put down and belittled, how can they be expected to fight for good?
Changing how we talk to and about the younger generation is vital to ensuring that they are prepared, motivated, and supported enough to continue making the world a better place for themselves and the next generation to follow them. Why not be a part of such a positive movement?