In my speech class this past year, I was assigned to come up with a vision speech. This speech had us think ahead to what we wanted for the future, whether it be a career, college, something about family, the election, we were allowed to come up with anything.
When I was thinking about my vision speech, I thought of many personal goals I wanted to set for myself, but then I thought about my audience. Who I was speaking to and trying to motivate was more important than talking about goals that I know I will eventually reach. I had to figure out what we all had in common and what we could bring to this crumbling world.
What I came up with is that we had all made up Generation Z, and so I started to speak.
Generation Z was born between the years 1996 to 2012. 23 million people of the world's population were born between these years. Society does not know a lot about us yet, maybe because they refuse or maybe because we haven’t shown them. In many interviews and written documents, Generations X and Y confirm that they refuse to listen, and the words are insulting.
A lot of the older generations don’t even know what years Generation Z makes up. They think that since we are growing up in the technical age, our preferred method of communication in the workplace would be by text or social media.
They also believe that we would rather be lazy and work from home instead of going into an office. It is documented that they believe we want higher paying salaries instead of opportunities for advancement and doing meaningful jobs. These single and uneducated adults called the upcoming generation unmotivated, entitled and unprepared.
The generation of ambition while lacking hard work.
Speaking to Generation Z and asking them the same questions the adults had pushed aside was refreshing. When asked, “What is your main goal for a career?”, it wasn't money -- it was happiness and advancement.
When asked, “Where would you rather work?”, we didn’t say at home, we said in an office or workplace. When asked, “What is your preferred method of communication?”, a large percent did not answer by text or phone, we answered face to face.
Together we mean so much more than what we are labeled, and we have the power to change what society thinks of us. We are multi-taskers, being able to use up to five screens at a time, which intimidates adults, we get through tasks quickly and efficiently, we are very flexible and problem solve, we share our thoughts, we are innovators and entrepreneurs and we are not closed off to new ideas of thinking and working with others.
Generation Z tends to be more realistic since we have seen people around us not succeed, and we have seen close friends and families lose their jobs because of the tough economy and government issues we are facing today. Our generation realizes that success shouldn’t be taken for granted, and we will not stop until we reach our goals.
Unfortunately, Generation Z is the generation of lost childhood. We are more aware of global issues than any other generation and we were forced to grow up quicker and to take on heavy responsibility earlier than other generations.
We were here for 9/11, we remember Sandy Hook, Columbine, numbers of attacks by ISIS, what has happened in Syria, France, and so many other countries. The very current events of the Orlando shootings, rape culture, police brutality and our 2016 presidential election falls in the same category.
I am talking about this specific topic because we, as the youngest generation, have been degraded, laughed at, humiliated, looked down upon and for what? Because of what others say and not because of what we do.
Generation Zers already dominate small businesses. YouTube videos, musical prodigies and scientific masterminds. Even though we have yet to reach the age of 21, we are contributing $44 billion to the U.S. economy.
I am here pleading for a change. I can see our generation controlling the business world, creating a new and better environment and economy for us and our children to live in. We need to work with technology and not abuse it, we need to follow our dreams and make them a reality and we need to work for the advancement and well-being of others. We will fix what past and present generations have messed with, because we are the future.
