It’s not easy to understand the actions of generations who have come before us and are coming after us.
There is a cycle of judgment that has continued for hundreds and hundreds of years that needs to be stopped. It will only lead to hate and distrust. It’s widely known that Generation X judges Millennials, Millennials judge Gen Z, and Gen Z judge the new Alpha generation.
It’s in our human nature to want to judge others and make them see our points of view, but it should not come to the point where our generations become more and more depressed and anxious.
Recent studies have shown an increase in mental health issues in our youth. Most adults blame the screens that we watch, but don’t consider the weight that is put on our shoulders every day. It doesn’t occur to them that we want to have a life outside of our busy schedules.
People are also reading…
We are expected to be good citizens that are well rounded, we are supposed to make the Earth great again, but also go to college to get a well-paying job to support our families, until we retire at an old age. This life doesn't appeal to many anymore.
It’s no surprise that people have turned to social media to build their careers. Not only do they get to create content for their viewers, but they also get to embrace their creativity — many crave that sense of freedom. I know I do most of the time.
It’s become easy to join critics and criticize today’s youth, but it’s important to take a step back and realize that we are all humans.
A lot of youth in Gen Z have gone through traumatic events like 9/11, COVID-19, school shootings, inflation and so much more. It’s no wonder that most of us are sick of what our world has become. We were exposed to technology and the internet at very young ages. The same technology that we get reprimanded for using every day of our lives.
Understandably, adults worry about us. The internet has driven people down rabbit holes that are hard to escape, but technology is something that most of us can’t live without. Our phones and computers are a necessity for homework and work. They act as a line of communication and a form of entertainment.
My classmate, Aida Velasquez Lopez, said she wishes that older generations understood the importance of mental health issues.
“Everyone can have mental health issues, old and young, but it feels like we were taught at a young age that showing our problems is weak,” she said.
Gen Z is known for our rebellious nature. And we’ve made mental health an important part of our lives and fight for the respect every human deserves.
We're starting to prioritize ourselves before our jobs and other people. We’ve learned from the adults in our lives that it’s important to be happy and do what we want to do with the only life we get to live.
“I also want them to understand that just because you did things one way and they worked for you doesn't mean that it’s the only way to do it,” Velasquez said. “They should accept that change happens.”
Change can be seen as selfish by a lot of people, but by taking a step back, we can see that change can be a good thing. Generations tend to leave behind the messes they’ve created for future youth to take care of, and that’s not right. It’s been this way for a long time.
We aren’t going to settle arguments the same way that generations before us have done. I think it’s useful to know what has and hasn’t worked in the past, but I also think that having an open mind is important.
Being hard-headed does no good for anyone. Not being able to see where the other side is coming from can be detrimental to our future decisions. I hope that one day, we can start to see each other in a new light and appreciate our differences.
Lastly, I say to older generations: We are and will never be you. We need to make decisions for ourselves and we’re trying to find our own way in this world.
We’ll never be the same because we’re not going through life the same way you went through your life at our ages. Thank you for your advice, but it’s time to let us take the reins on our own lives.
