Via the power of globalisation, the world is becoming more interconnected. People are communicating with each other faster, more easily and over a greater distance. With the rise of social media and other such forms of communication, one generation stands in the perfect position to use this media to its fullest potential: Generation Y.
Nowadays, most of our lives are online. However, while the majority of generation Y’s internet footprints consist of cat photos, selfies and angst ridden tumblrs, an incredibly large amount of young people are increasingly using this technology to foster social change amongst their peers and the wider community.
Access to fast and effective communication means that our generation can galvanise vast numbers of people quickly to campaign for change. It also gives us more opportunities to make change in different ways such as fundraising, advocating and raising awareness in comparison to the traditional modes of street protests and petitions. Youth led organisations in particular utilise this new media to great effect through advertising, informing, fundraising and inspiring their predominantly young audience.
Take for example the Oaktree Foundation, a youth led organisation consisting of over 150,000 members. Their ‘Live below the line’ campaign is mainly based online with a Facebook page and Twitter account used to advertise and keep its participants informed as well as a website where individuals can post their progress and fundraise. Many youth movements today are organised in this manner to spread their message further and allow more people to take action all over the world.
By growing up in a more globalised world generation Y has been more exposed to the problems that the world is facing than any generation before us. We witness the pain, the suffering and the injustice and rather than saying “what’s the point of trying?” it inspires us to make change for a better future. This is something that I believe is unique about our generation. We are of an age that we can make change, but are not yet too old that we have become cynical about our ability to create it. We are a generation of idealists, of optimists and of hopeful activists and we will fight for the causes we believe in harder than anyone else.
Taking action? The youth of today say yes.
- 05:07
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