The Collins dictionary defines activism as the process of campaigning in public or working for an organisation in order to bring about political or social change.
Activists want and fight for positive change in our society. To do this, activists can stage demonstrations and protests, boycotts, strikes, petitions, and use social networks to get messages across, using hashtags for example.
Today, activism is really important, especially among youth that wants to make the world they live in better.
Generation Z, the generation of people born after 1997, can be considered a generation of activists. Generation Z is very passionate about today's social issues, such as inequality and climate change. Gen Zers want to be heard and aim for the collective good. Being the most racially and ethnically diverse generation, they are considered "social justice warriors".
And there are reasons for this activism: Generation Z doesn’t want to turn a blind eye to the problems society and humanity are facing. Generation Z is educated and open-minded, has easy access to information and want to live in a better world. Concerned about the future, they want to fight for diversity, identity and acceptance matters as well as a better planet to live in. According to Pew Research, the most recent time Gen Zers saw content about addressing climate change, 69% said they were worried about the future.
Generation Z has some iconic activists who motivate and show the way to other Gen Z ers who also want to make this world a better place:
First of all, we have Greta Thunberg, an 18-year-old Swedish woman. Greta is in my opinion a model of environmental activism. She is behind the School Strikes for Climate and the famous "How Dare You" speech at the UN Climate Action Summit in 2019. She has received several awards including the International Children's Peace Prize and the Right Livelihood Award, both won in 2019.
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Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani woman of 24 years old. She is an activist for female and children education. She started writing a blog about her life during the Taliban’s occupation in Pakistan in 2009 but she got shot in the head in 2012. After her recovery, she became a prominent activist for the right to education and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014, making her the youngest Nobel Prize laureate.
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Billie Eilish is an American singer and songwriter of 19 years old. Even though she is a singer, she sends messages through her songs (All the Good Girls Go To Hell), speaks openly about her ideas in interviews, joins protests and encourages the youth of her generation to fight for our planet by calling them for action.
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X González is an American 22-years-old student and activist. After having survived a school shooting in Florida, she started fighting for gun control. She gave a viral speech (“We Call B.S.”), made media appearances and helped organise the March for Our Lives. This activist was included in Time’s magazine 100 most influential people of 2018.
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Also, I have many friends who volunteer to pick up litter on the beaches of Marseille, and I think it's great that young people are motivated to make a difference. It's small actions like this that can lead to big achievements.
"I love my city, I love my beach and I want it to be clean, I want to preserve it. And I think that if everybody does it, we could really see some radical changes. Also, it's not really a chore, it's more of a hobby and it allows me to spend time with my friends. And it's a bit selfish, but I feel better afterwards." Auriane, 20 years-old
To conclude, Generation Z is motivated and has a lot of hope to make a difference and make the world a better place. Activism is a very good way to do this, and generation Z already has role models to follow.
Thank you for reading me, I would love to hear about you think about activism and Generation Z!
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