Don’t take this article as me looking down upon my own generation and assuming I am above the downfalls that I am about to describe. I, too, have found myself doing some of the things I will mention below. Rather, the main point of this article is to bring attention to these matters in hopes that it could change something.

So many times today we see young people taking over the reigns of businesses and being in charge of people almost double their age. This society has, for all practical purposes, become the society of post-1990 babies and more than ever are we feeling the impact of this.

At times, this has been very good. Younger people have become less and less afraid to protest and speak their mind, something that has been crucial in bringing pertinent issues to the forefront. At other times, it has caused commotion. My generation has been known to resort to violence immediately, issue an unwarranted amount of death threats toward people that don’t deserve it, such as NCAAF kickers, and pass up on the manners that show respect to elders. For example, never had I seen so many teenagers call their parents by their first names until I was in high school in Maine.

While my generation is full of innovators, geniuses, and difference-makers with a view to change the world for the better, it is also full of people that have forgotten the basic things that are worth fighting for and that are worth doing.

One of the biggest things that my generation has that none other has suffered is the idea of participation. We, more than ever, are present in a society where participation is rewarded. If you go to a soccer tournament and your team loses, your team will get a participation trophy. This general idea carries across many aspects of life. Participation should not be physically rewarded. Rewarding participation is rewarding losing. Yes, all that matters is that you do the very best you can. However, losing does not deserve a trophy like winning does. It should inspire you to get better and come back better than ever next time, not give you a reason to try to continue to be mediocre.

Another problem that I commonly see with my generation is an overwhelming amount of stubbornness. Many people, including myself, are afraid to admit we’re wrong. We refuse to listen to other people’s ideas respectfully. We are afraid to say we are sorry. In another aspect, we are so stubborn that we let our hands and mouths work faster than our brains. We are quick to hit send on angry emails, we are quick to yell at someone that opposes what we believe in, and we are even quicker to hold a grudge against those that care about us the most. As a generation, we need to listen to our elders when they say they have lived longer than us and try to fix these issues they see in us as children and grandchildren. We shouldn’t carry anger with us forever. We shouldn’t be afraid to say sorry if we mess up. We CAN be wrong and there is absolutely NO reason to get unrightfully mad at anyone and take anything out on someone else. Agree or disagree with someone, they still deserve to be treated with respect.

Lastly, my generation has forgotten about common decency and manners. When I think of the term ‘southern hospitality’, I don’t think that the south has a different code of conduct than other parts of the United States, I think about how ‘southern hospitality’ is famous because the rest of the United States is lagging behind. Adults, parents, and grandparents alike are sirs and ma’ams. Whether it is tempting or not, elbows were meant to stay off the table. If someone is behind you, you should hold the door for them. When you see someone on the street or meet someone new you should be happy and welcoming to them. If someone does something for you, you say thank you. If someone thanks you, you say you’re welcome. And, judgement has no place in the world. Even if someone does every single thing you don’t agree with, they have the right to live their life their way and your job is to let them be themselves. You don’t have to like them, you just have to respect them.

With all the violent protests, bombings, and trouble present around us today, there is not a better time for my generation and I to learn these lessons. The presidential election shouldn’t turn into a boxing match when rallies come to different states, it should be an opportunity for the people of the United States to create something they stand with and support. Everything going on today requires us, as people, to change as much as it requires other people to change. We cannot grow as a country until we decide to grow as ourselves. Change is not fun, and change is not easy. But, change makes the world go around. When my generation decides to change for the better and grow out of the nasty habits I mentioned above, my generation could lead the world into a new golden age. However, wide-scale beneficial change starts with a change in each of us.