Youth-Activism, and its importance today
The catalysts to widespread social change have almost always been driven by teenagers and young adults. Over the past few years, youth activism has been more visible in social, political, and environmental change than ever before. Spearheaded by the immense popularity of social media platforms such as Twitter and TikTok, political leaders, social campaigners, and youth activists alike all have a stage from which they can advocate their ideas - platforms with almost limitless potential. With the ‘age of information’ reaching an all-time high, it makes sense that more and more young people find themselves involved with important socio-political justice matters, whether it be from their active participation in local causes and organisations, or simply coming across an informative TikTok on their ‘For You Page’. Here, I thought I’d share a few insights into why youth activism is particularly crucial in this day and age.
‘Activism’ can be an intimidating word. It can bring forward images of angry mobs of mass protesting, and people chaining themselves to important buildings in various acts of defiance. However, perspective is key. Young people protest in the hopes of making the world a better place, as they feel that they have to pursue justice by taking matters into their own hands. This is hardly a new concept - examples of teenagers and young adults mobilising against systematic injustices can be seen throughout history. Take the student-led fight against the American militarism in the Vietnam War during the 1960s, for example. One of the main reasons American troops were removed from Vietnam were the extensive marching protests organised by the Student Democratic Society (SDS) - their largest anti-war rally hosted of a crowd of 17,000. This catapulted the destruction that the US military and government were causing to the very forefront of media attention.
Nowadays, youth-led activism is growing at a faster rate than it ever has before. With adults busy building their lives and being accustomed to working within these established systems, it is usually young people that take it upon themselves to explore social justice movements and to actively challenge the problems with the institutions in power. They provide a newer, fresher outlook on the status quo, and aren’t afraid to ask difficult questions. They often aren’t led by hidden agendas or feel like they have to filter what they say for the sake of their careers, or their bosses. Through finding their purpose and being driven by their passions, valuable skills are learnt - learning about these social issues opens their minds, teaches them collaboration, and positions them for leadership.
However, although social media makes it seem like the only way to be involved in activism is to be loud and visible, it is important to remember that there are many ways to support social justice causes from behind the scenes. Tens of thousands of young people campaign arduously for climate justice, racial and gender, LGBTQ+ rights - to name a few. To sum it up, activism is a way of caring about what our future will look like, and having a say in the systems that we’ll inherit in the coming decades. Even if it’s just keeping gaining awareness and educating yourself on issues that you care about, you can rest assured that you’re still playing a crucial part!
References:
https://www.ethicalglobe.com/blog/youth-led-activism
https://secondlineblog.org/2018/08/five-reasons-why-youth-activism-is-essential/
https://www.scmp.com/yp/discover/your-voice/opinion/article/3061830/why-youth-activism-more-important-now-ever
