Selfies, skinny jeans and hipsters. While I’m not a fan of any of those things, I can’t deny they are a part of our culture. They are a part of our culture, today. Do you remember Myspace? What about the rise of Hot Topic? Ten years ago our fads were completely different. Ten years from now they will be completely different. Every generation goes through dozens of trends that they don’t want to be reminded of.
We are constantly talked down to by the previous generations on how shitty our literature, music and fashion is. What do they know? It’s not like they ever had different tastes and crazes when they were kids that their parents looked down on. It’s not like they were teenagers and vowed to understand their kids and not judge them. It’s not like they felt the exact same way we feel. Oh wait, MY PARENTS TELL ME ALL THE TIME THEY FELT THAT WAY. I’d bet money you’ve heard the same things. Just because some of the things about our generation suck, it doesn’t mean that they all do.
(I mean come on… // Image via MGM)
“Get off your computer/phone/games, it’s killing your brain cells”
As a generation, we are infamous for our technology, with our eyes glued to our phones, tablets, and computers. Why can’t we go outside more? Well I for one can voice my full support for our technology. My 11-year-old brother has been playing games on various consoles for most of his young life. He can work a computer almost better than I can. Like my brother, millions of the youth in our generation have done incredible things with technology.
We have a group of average Joes today whom call themselves “anonymous”. Regular people who have an incredible knowledge base of technology. In response to the Charlie Hebdo shooting Anonymous targeted terrorist websites and social media and shut them down. They’ve also hacked the likes of the Ferguson police department, the North Korean military, and the KKK. So maybe we need to get outside a little more and communicate face-to-face, but if we keep advancing our knowledge through the technological mediums, then let it be.
“Your planet is dying and you’re doing nothing to help it.”
I believe South Park to be the greatest satirical show ever created. You don’t have to agree with me; in fact I know you probably won’t. South Park created one of the most accurate descriptions of the left wings I’ve ever seen. “Aging Hippie Liberal Douche”, is the personification of the extremists in the liberal mindset. He is used as a satirical device to comment on issues faced by many Americans today. The “Hippie Liberal Douche” (HLD for short) of today, however, has a much more realistic concept for our progression.
I drive a big diesel truck and I don’t have a recycling bin. I am not going to save this planet at the rate I’m going. HLDs will save us though. From Hybrids to Biodegradable plastics, I’m given hope for the preservation of our planet. “Going Green” is one of the biggest and most powerful campaigns for environmental preservations ever.
“Just look at all the violence and hate coming from your generation.”
If you really think our generation is screwed, just look at our mindsets. We are the definition of PC. Racism isn’t gone. Prejudice isn’t gone. Hate isn’t gone. These will never leave us because that’s human nature. We have taken strides in sensitivity and changes in thought towards anyone else of a different race, culture, or sexual orientation. Through television, the Internet, and films, we have broken countless barriers.
The trend right now seems to be “racism isn’t dead”. Of course racism isn’t dead, there are people of different skin color. As long as two groups don’t look the same, there will be a certain level of animosity by at least a portion of the groups. However, the majority of Americans today have enough brain cells to see that skin color makes no difference. With organizations like The Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Grants like the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the numerous scholarships and grants devoted solely to individuals of color, we have to recognize this as institutional progress.
Feminism has also hugely affected this generation. With Idols like Malala Yousafzai to set examples for the women of this generation we have nothing to worry about. I’m not even going to address the extremists, because we know they’re being ridiculous. Celebrities like Beyoncé, Emma Watson, and Maria Shriver are self-proclaimed feminists who have utilized their fame to benefit society. Emma Watson, A current UNICEF ambassador, gave a stunning speech on the “HeForShe” campaign. She called for the men of the world to get in the fight for women’s rights. Since then over 100,000 men have signed up.
On top of this list of our generation overcoming prejudice has to be one of the most important Supreme Court rulings in recent history. Friday, June 26 2015, The Supreme Court ruled that gay marriage is a constitutional right in all 50 states. All of the work from LGBT and straight folks alike to make that dream a reality came to fruition, and not only did it happen during our generation’s rise, but we did our fair share of the work.
Going back to the technology topic, one of our greatest contributions as a generation BY FAR, has to be… Kickstarter. Kickstarter has the highest funding-success rate out of any other fund raising sites. We have given a voice and an opportunity to everyone with access to the Internet. In the past if you had an idea that could potentially change life as we knew it, you were screwed. Very few inventors got the backing they needed and their concepts died with their hopes. That’s not the case today. You don’t even need a fully developed prototype. An idea and a camera and you’re on your way.
Yes, I would agree that we have an entitlement mindset. We feel certain things are owed to us. If they aren’t up to our expectations, we aren’t pleased. What we demand is gratification and we want it instantly. That’s why whatever fight we fight will be in effect a lot faster than previously. These brilliant effects of our generation are in the news, online, and present every single day. We demand a higher quality of life for everybody, and if you won’t give it to us, we’re gonna take it. So the next time someone says, “your generation is doomed”, I’m gonna laugh in their face, and keep on walking because I know what we do and I’m damn proud.
In reality, I know that not all of us feel and work this way. I understand that there are bad eggs that taint our image. I understand this because the media only shows the negative, understandably so, the negative sells. There are always going to be those individuals. We don’t need everyone to be perfect and fighting for what’s right all the time. A generation only needs one Einstein, one Gandhi, one MLK to change the world.
