A Statement of Change
An opinion piece about Generation Z and their online impact.
Written by Amy, a guest writer, and edited by Stephanie O.
Generation Z is the epitome of the 21st century, describing the people born between 1997 and 2015. These baby-faced adults are creating a lasting impact within society as they are the most diverse generation, as well as the most addicted to the ever-growing Internet. Being brought up in the digital world has massively impacted their socialization as a whole. The digital revolution has meant that Generation Z has a place to share resources, learn about society, but also speak up against inequalities within society.
Generation Z is learning and engaging with contemporary matters at a faster pace than any other generation before due to the accessibility of the internet. Generation Z has the ability to reach millions of people in a matter of seconds, as it only takes one post to go viral in order to stimulate a movement of the masses and make a footprint of activism and empowerment within society. This highlights the magnitude and scale of influence that social media has over society, especially the younger generations.
Gen Z is utilizing the power of ever-evolving technology and social media, to the extent where they can make a career out of it. Social media is now what people do for a living, from the likes of Instagram influencers to social media managers; the job sector is changing forever thanks to the digital revolution. With this employment shift, it has also meant that social media is becoming more recognized as a driving platform for change. Gen Z can use social media to shape and challenge Federal decisions, arguably highlighting how powerful it is as a catalyst for activism.
For example, the climate change movement has arguably been led by the power of social media, and more importantly Gen Z as they are demanding change through protests, activist groups, and by spreading awareness online. Having an online presence about climate change assures that climate change is more than an environmental problem, it is a governmental problem, and it is everyone’s problem. The fact that Gen Z is leading the way on topics such as climate change proves that they are taking steps forward towards a better future.
One way in which Gen Z is promoting awareness of climate change is through sustainable living on social media such as TikTok. Living a sustainable life started as a trend, but it has now spiraled into a lifestyle, as well as the foundations of simple steps to make a positive difference in our environment. The rise of “slow” fashion companies within the social media space has meant that Gen Z is massively impacting consumer markets, influencing people to shop sustainably, and stopping the fast fashion industry from producing more waste than it already has. Slowing down the waste from fast fashion companies will have significant impacts as it can prevent the offshoring of waste to other countries. Offshoring waste significantly contributes to the climate crisis as it displaces accountability of actions onto other countries even though climate change is everyone’s problem.
A lack of accountability towards climate change means that policies, actions, and plans are harder to enforce. Gen Z is taking simple but effective actions to prevent the likes of offshoring and ocean pollution, therefore, preventing the implications of climate change from getting any worse. These actions are powerful as Gen Z is becoming the driving force and leader for a proactive and aware society, through the likes of social media creating a ripple effect of attention, awareness, and change through the power of a post.
The impacts of climate change are arguably Gen Z’s biggest fear of the future and rightly so, but it’s not just our fight: it’s everyone’s fight to try and stop the impacts that climate change will have on society. Generation Z can’t do this alone and that is why it is up to the other generations and institutions to also take action in order to preserve our planet.
Therefore, social media is only the starting point for action and we as a society are the endpoint. It is up to us to nourish the world that we collectively destroyed. It is clear that the new generation is stimulating change and hope for a better future, which is a step in the right direction of positive progress.
About the Author
Amy is a student at the University of Exeter, currently studying Philosophy. During her time at school, she developed a love for writing, which has allowed her to be more creative and start writing blog pieces of her own. One of the main reasons she started writing was due to her peers and mentors pushing her to write a piece and see how it goes- luckily, Amy did just that, and has fallen in love with writing ever since. The main inspiration for a range of her blog pieces so far have been contemporary youth issues, such as; climate change, women empowerment, and the influence of social media.
As well as writing, Amy also enjoys reading, since having the ability to read books illuminates and highlights her creativity further which helps with her blog writing. Furthermore, reading (especially murder mysteries) is a chance to escape her hectic schedule and allow her to engross herself in different characters' lives. Overall, it is clear Amy's newfound passion for writing is a step to a future in the blogging industry, which she is very much excited about and can't wait to keep writing!
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Linkedin- Amy Blakemore
Editor's Note:
A big thank you to Amy for writing this piece! It was a pleasure to feature such an eloquent and passionate voice.
