Grace Chun, Orange County School of the Arts, 9th grade
Although some believe that Youth Activism is harmful to society because at times it is morally questionable and youth do not have a fully mature thought process, it appears that Youth Activism brings benefits to society because it empowers more generations to bring positive change.
To begin with, youth activism for social and political change has a positive impact because it empowers the next generation to address social and political issues effectively.
Sanjana Buddi, a graduate of Rutgers University with a degree in Information Technologies as well as a minor in Political Science and PURE youth director who raised supplies for impoverished children in India which was explained in her TEDx article, The Power of Youth -Changing the World, explains to her students, “about the impact of the object that [her]organization donated, but about the boundaries that they faced and how they had to push ahead and fight them just like [she’s] fighting [her] own boundaries” (Buddi 17). Many problems around the world are not addressed as much as needed by adults because they are not as insightful on the topic since it did not exist during their childhood.
Inspiring other youth to work to change problems they see is important because it can provide a fresh perspective on a topic
adults may have missed and is crucial for societal progress. Having activists from various backgrounds, around the world, and varying in age can lead to a society where fewer problems are left unnoticed. Another reason why youth activism can provide benefits for society is because they can be a positive influence on other youth activists.
When Buddi returned to America after donating supplies and talking to the students at the schools in India, she claimed that “[her] word
had spread across America as well. [She] now [has] 13 active PURE Youth branches across America” (Buddi 19). As Sanjana Buddi worked towards meeting her goal, she was able to show others the reality of the problem and led them to a path where they were able to contribute to the cause.
At the end of Buddi’s speech, she addresses the audience and tells them to each hold a dollar bill in the air, many people making small contributions result in big change. Youth activism inspires and positively influences young advocates to take action on the current issues and therefore, causes a positive impact.
Nevertheless, some may argue that youth activism brings benefits, but it has a larger negative impact. Failing to consider the dangers youth activism poses, resulting in conflicts in social and political change because of their simplified thought process and the morally questionable underlying mechanics.
In the article, Youth Activism: A Danger to Democracy,according to the author, Vasta Singh, a 2024 graduate from New York University Abu Dhabi and
the Managing Editor of the Gazelle, “[Greta Thunberg’s] ideology rests on two pillars:simplification and action. As alluring as this ideology may seem at first glance, and I would even concede we need it to some extent, it is undoubtedly somewhat naïve and perhaps even dangerous” (Singh 9). Singh uses Thunberg as a general idea to argue how youth activists think too simply about the conflicts that occur within society, suggesting that, if not contemplated with
adults, youth activists may make rash decisions only focused on their idea of the world.
Greta Thunberg’s dangerously simplified idea of the crisis of global warming only reflects the life of someone from a place of privilege. Having major changes made based on the ideas of youth activists that are not known of all the different social classes and cultures of the world may lead to larger problems as a result of a lack of acknowledgement of these groups.
This comes along with the often unknown, morally questionable underlying mechanics. The author notes the research conducted by Daniel Kahneman, a Nobel prize-winning psychologist who discovered that children are geared toward a part of their brain that is characterized by emotions, and declared that, “‘Children are naturally geared towards using “System 1’, which is characterized by emotion and intuition” (Singh 5). Throughout this part of the article, Singh constantly emphasizes the manipulation of a child’s innocence.
Because a child’s mind naturally leans towards “System 1” and their potential for manipulation, adults could exploit them for this reason. Using an innocent child’s image over a normal adult is more appealing in society’s eyes which can also impact the views of the public as they tend to insulate youth activists from criticism.
Youth activism causes negative impacts on social and political change because of their oversimplified thought process and possible exploitation.
However, youth activism for political and societal change has a positive impact on their life and the lives of the community they strive to impact because of their current involvement and way of utilizing technology. Megan Carnegie is a writer who discusses topics relating to culture and lifestyle for WIRED, Courier, and the BBC as well as the author of the article, Gen Z- How Young People are Changing Activism. Megan Carnegie notes that “Constant exposure to grim realities has prime Gen Zers to deal with hardship proactively” (Carnegie 9). The audience of activists enjoys watching youth rather than adults because of their involvement, enthusiasm,and ability to provide newer ideas. Since youth activists are already successfully working to raise advocacy, ending these considerably normal actions may suddenly cause a drop in awareness.
Another reason why youth activism provides positive impacts is because of their way of utilizing technology. As Carnegie was explaining the advantages of youth activists, she claims that, “With tech-enabled devices providing constant access to news and user-generated content, escaping is no mean feat. Young people can’t turn away from the discourse, so it’s no wonder that many digital native Gen Zers are spurred to act on their societal grievances” (Carnegie 7).
Gen Z’s effective solution of protesting for their beliefs has been due to the time period they are living in which has allowed them to spread stories around the world with ease. Being more comfortable with technology, allows people of Gen Z to spread their message and goal more effectively while being able to look through the internet for other activists who are working towards another problem. In conclusion, youth activism brings positive impacts on social and political change due to their current involvement and use of technology.
