Gen Z Faces Too Much Pressure to Change the World
Is it reasonable to think that one generation can have enough power and dedication to make the world a better place and to eliminate significant issues in the present?
(Max Herman/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
by Sophene Avedissian
This story was originally published in GEN-ZiNE.
Since elementary school, I have been told that it is up to me and my generation to fix everything wrong in the world. Gen Z, those born between the mid-1990s and early 2010s, is encouraged to resolve climate change. Gen Z is continuously pressed to close the gender gap once and for all. Gen Z is demanded to magically eradicate systemic racism across the world. But, is it reasonable to think that one generation can have enough power and dedication to make the world a better place and to eliminate significant issues in the present?
To make an impact, others need to take a step towards solutions along with Gen Z. If not, future generations will be forced to deal with similar issues that are, over the years, exacerbating.
The first time I made a promise to myself to “change the world” was in third grade. After learning about certain elements of gender inequality in history class, I thought to myself, “I need to fix this, all of this. Why hasn’t anyone done anything to fix these problems?” The question, “Why hasn’t anyone done anything to fix these problems” demonstrates both the innocence and oblivion of my younger self. But, I know that my story is not unique. Other Gen Zers feel the need to take initiative to solve the world’s biggest problems.
As the years went by, my goal to make some big change in the world grew and developed. Inevitably, no matter what organizations I volunteered for, I was not making the impact I anticipated. I wanted to do more; to help as many people as I could. Similar to how one person cannot be responsible for changing the world significantly, one generation cannot be either.
Read the rest of the story at GEN-ZiNE.