Sincerely, Gen Z

​Written by: Kyra Variyava

To the non-believers of our generation,

When we talk about this generation, there is a preconceived notion of us being the
depressed, aimless, wavering, unsatisfied bunch of kids who constantly have something
negative to say about the world. And I don’t live under a rock. I’m aware that we’re still a
world under construction and we have a long way to go, but I refuse to believe that
we’re the kind of people that sit back and do nothing. And there is no escaping the
hypocrisy, is there? On one hand you say our generation isn’t doing enough and all we
care about is ourselves, but on the other hand you criticize us saying we’re too loud and
obnoxious- so since you couldn’t make up your mind and chose to comment on our
generation- let me remind you of all the incredible things that this generation has
actually managed to do:

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1. It’s safe to say that of all the generations ours is the most open-minded and
progressive. Had it not been for those few extremely brave kids who stood up for
themselves at the family dinner table and explained to their parents that their sexuality
wasn’t “just a phase” or for the swarms of young, determined people who flooded the
streets in a cry for equal rights, this world would not have been as accepting of the
LGBT+ community as we are today. It was this very generation that really burst the
bubble and made sure to be heard.

2. Honestly, whether it comes to doctors, lawyers or marine biologists- we have it
all. Some of the brightest minds are the youngest. But what’s even more cool is that it’s
those very same kids who are also vloggers, creative writers, you-tubers and social
media influencers - something your generation clearly didn’t see.

3. Our founding fathers may have fought their way to liberty and advocated for
equal rights, but it was your generation that constructed the prejudiced mindsets that is
still prominent even today. While that era ingrained the fact that there is a difference
between the blacks and the whites, it was my generation who threw in splashes of
colour and made the world see that the perceived threat isn’t people of colour but a lack
of acceptance.

4. Acceptance is one of the most ground- breaking achievements of our generation.
For the first time, people aren’t afraid to be who they want to be. In fact, we’re slowing
trying to undo all the past mistakes and carving a safer road for those people who want
to do something other than the convention. We’ve created a safe space for young
aspiring minds to venture out into the world without breaking under the pressure in
careers they’re forced into doing. So while we may not see instant success at first, at
least we aren’t afraid to take that big leap and find our own place in the world.

5. This is a less prevalent one but as important- we’re trying to eradicate the
concept of beauty being only about tiny waists and hour glass figures. The amount of
gorgeous plus sized models is steadily being welcomed into the modelling world.
Unfortunately, the stigma still lingers but the number of girls (and guys!!) who are slowly
embracing their bodies and not being afraid to face the world is definitely something I’m
proud of.

6. Music in this generation is again highly disputed. Of course, the previous
generation saw legends like Queen or Arethra Franklin, but our generation saw singers
like Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato using their platforms to speak up about the
importance of mental health and to remind people that they’re not alone. More than just
that, music isn’t just released from record labels and big music production houses any
more. In our world, smaller artists find it so much easier to put up their music and have
a fair chance to project themselves which I think is incredible because music is one of
the most powerful forms of expression. (And for whatever it’s worth, sometimes we
need a little bit of Taylor Swift to tell us to shake it off)

7. The kids of today aren’t always playing football outside or watching Netflix 24/7 -
while we love all of that some of us also believe strongly in the concept of climate
change and are actually trying to do something about it. From Greta Thunberg to
Friday’s for future, it might be small but it is STILL a step towards making this planet
liveable. While we are criticized for not doing enough, I think the important thing is
unlike you, we’re trying.

8. Lastly, like any generation, we have the bright minded geniuses, the Harvard-
Law -School -going legends and that Indian kid that every adult is always singing
praises of, but JUST like any other generation- we have the dreamers. We have the
kids who may not have got a 1600 on their SAT score but worked all year to give it
THEIR best shot. We have those kids who may not be national level badminton players
but still play a game every Sunday because they love the sport. We have musicians
who may not be the opening act at rock concerts, but sing to little kids at a library and
still have a smile on their face because love what they do. I’m sorry that we didn’t
exceed your expectations that were not yours to set anyway but for one thing I know,
we may not be perfect but at least we’re trying to be and I’m so proud of that.
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Yours sincerely,
Gen Z.