In the age of social media, predominant with a “loud” generation of virtual protesters, more commonly referred to as “keyboard fighters,” words are religion and opinions are the gospel. I quote “loud” because it has two very contrasting anecdotes. The need for these opinions is very frequently questioned and undermined by many. Contrary to this belief, Generation Z is proud of how vocal they are and firmly believes that they can bring palpable changes through social media.
Although they acknowledge that some people, who also identify as Gen Z, tend to misuse these platforms to spread misconceptions too, there is still a much larger group of people using their voices for good causes. Afterall, you cannot judge an entire group of people based on a few examples. Starting with raising awareness regarding various issues, to protesting online against rape culture and boycotting brands and celebrities for using racial slurs and pejorative terms, Gen Z’s voice for change knows no bounds. Human rights, mental health awareness, and the stigma against menstrual hygiene happen to be some of the more prevalent subjects circulating all around the internet portals. Gen Z is also popular for exposing and publicly acknowledging sexual predators that live among us.
It is indeed rather commendable that these tendencies have initiated more conversations concerning matters most people would otherwise shy away from. Unafraid to speak of religion, politics or any subject for that matter, this virtual generation is indeed revolutionary. However, amidst the pool of never-ending judgements being passed, it is also often easy to be met with conflicting opinions or be misunderstood. The underlying problem with most people in this case is that they all want to hear big, bold opinions but only as long as they are the same as theirs. The untold truth is that most people just want to hear what they already believe, maybe because it is easier than accepting the truth. I suppose it may not only be facing the truth that is scary but also the possibility of finding out that they are wrong. It is easier to shelter oneself by clinging onto the illusions of a simpler reality that isn’t real at all in most cases.
It is paramount that Gen Z learn to be even more receptive and impartial in order to be able to educate themselves further because they are in fact, the future. Here is hoping that they can continue to use their voices to bring forward sustainable changes, because in the era of internet networking, there really is no excuse to sit back and be philistine. Having said that, it is also vital that they are able to accept any mistakes they make because without acceptance, there is no growth, and without growth there is no change.