As a member of Gen Z, I feel as if many false assumptions depict how we view the world. I hope after reading this, the stereotypes that construct how people view my generation can be forgotten. These principles revolve around ideas of social media, open-mindedness, money, lack of assistance from the government, and relationships. These ideas not only reveal how we view the world to work, but also how we wish the world worked.
Despite what some may think, a lot of people my age, including myself, truly despise the presence of phones. Spending hours a day on social media has become so detrimental to the extent that it has increased suicide rates amongst the youth. Though we are aware of technology’s repercussions, these apps are interwoven in the way we communicate and keep up with relationships whether we like it or not. Because we were raised and grew up with social media before the effects were unknown, eliminating it from our lives is a more complex process than previous generations think.
A huge majority of the world heavily lacks the open-mindedness and education that is needed to assist oppressed people of the world. Studies have shown that Gen Z has challenged social norms more than any generation prior. Because of this openness to new ideas, we emphasize the importance of social justice education and more liberal ways of thinking within our everyday lives. This push for a progressive world not only involves constructs of race, ethnicity, and cultures but also other constructs regarding gender and sexuality.
College is a scam. Though accomplishing higher-level education is helpful when applying for jobs, it has created the stigma that it is needed to find a job. Because of this normalization, people are forced to sign up for years of unnecessary debt at an extremely young age. That said, kids are also expected to know exactly what they want to do in the future and stick with their plans. This wouldn’t be a problem if the cost of college tuition was free. Going off of that concept, though financial aid is provided through scholarships and grants, the portion of the money that is taken off barely affects those who don’t have the privilege of getting their college paid for.
Going off the lack of government assistance, the prioritization of money has become the basis of all issues within the world. For example, processed foods are known to create many sicknesses in our world yet the US government continues to produce and sell these goods because of the money it brings from both grocery stores and hospital bills. This also explains why the systems behind prisons, homelessness, and foster care are all corrupt despite the government having the ability and recourses to help. This principle goes further than just government assistance to the extent that the richest people in the world have enough money to create this change yet choose not to.
At the end of the day, I think the purpose of life should be about doing what makes you happy. Whether that be building and cherishing relationships, enjoying life for what it is, or unapologetically being yourself. Staying true to your values enables society to focus on the well-being and mental health of a person, opposed to becoming married or extremely wealthy. Through this, we and the rest of society are capable of harmoniously coexisting in an ever-changing environment.
