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The world is speaking
@gen-zed-for-non-americans
Gen Z culture, but, for non-Americans, because we all have a voice. Mods: Blue & Oz (from Australia) Sam & gneurshk (from Canada) C (from Chile) and M (from Isle of Man) . Be free to submit posts and talk to us! [header: an image of the world map icon: a stylized letter Z]
Hi guys! This is mod C (you can call me Fran too) and here I will tell you what this blog is about!
This is a space for people belonging to Gen Z (1995-2010) spread across the world, who want to share their experiences or have place for discussion that welcomes cultural differences. The topics commonly revolve around things that get drowned in American centric social media.
What can you find here?
News about what is going on in the world
Relatable content (AKA Gen Z culture)
The occasional meme
And some topics for discussion too (I strive to get more active in this part)
I'm usually the most active mod but we are 5 in total.
this is so so important to me and mine, and I'm asking you to Do Something so I'll respect your time and keep it brief
in the UK, if 100k sign a a government petition it will be brought to Parliament and debated. y'all know this country is suffering from some 80s-style bigotry right now, and this is one symptom: almost 200k fuckholes have come together to force the government to discuss whether it is 'appropriate' to tell children that queer people exist. this is a big symbolic victory for them. and i am burning with fury.
please, if you're from the UK, sign this counter-petition so they can at least see how much of a minority they are. simply put, the attempt to put these bastards in their place isn't gathering enough steam. there are barely 2000 more signatures now than there were this morning (27th January 2023), and that isn't enough. i refuse to let these people feel even a moment of victory or satisfaction. please help.
i feel like i should take off the mask after all these years and admit that the hidden purpose of this blog was to appeal to the global south crowd and give us a place to complain about people minimizing us, but 16 y/o me was way kinder and optimistic than to say that openly lol.
Stop the NSW Government from killing bees and destroying beekeepers’ livelihoods
been really hard for me to talk about this but the NSW government is trying to kill my dad’s bees, even though they’re not infested with the varroa mite.
the government only acknowledges petitions with at least 20 000 signatures… it’s a long shot but we have three days to just *try*. please sign and share with your circles, it’s a quick thing that means so much to my family!!! thank you so much 💔🐝🚨
4000+ signatures!!! maybe it’s crazy to think we can get to 20k by tomorrow but we have to just try. thank you so much, please keep sharing the petition!!
Stop the NSW Government from killing bees and destroying beekeepers’ livelihoods
8,500 signatures!!! but my dad’s 60 healthy beehives are still scheduled to be killed by the NSW DPI tomorrow. state parliament requires petitions to have at least 20,000 signatures to be brought to debate, please keep signing and sharing!!!
lil glimpse into the stonewalling we’ve been getting from DPI. it is truly so depressing. time is really running out for us, please sign and share our petition!
Stop the NSW Government from killing bees and destroying beekeepers’ livelihoods
Hey guys, I know I don’t post much in this blog anymore and I am not exactly sure who will see this but I’m posting this because today is the Philippine Presidential Elections and, just like what other people here are already saying, we’re fighting for our lives right now.
We are fighting against the return of dictatorship in the country. We are fighting against the continuation of corruption and injustice. We are fighting for a better future. We are fighting, so that we may finally know peace.
Today, multiple issues regarding the elections have come up. Vote-Counting Machines (VCMs) “malfunctioning”, SD cards missing, people getting PAID for voting for the dictator’s son and his party, and more. Even the commission in charge of ENSURING FAIR ELECTIONS is failing to fully understand the grasp said issues, wasting people’s time and votes.
If you do find this post and read it, all I ask is that you share the news about the Philippines. Anything about today (May 9, 2022),
about Halalan 2022/PH Elections 2022,
about BBM and the Marcos Family,
about Leni Robredo, Kiko Pangilinan, Chel Diokno and the rest of Robredo’s senatorial slate (+ Neri Colmenares),
and if this inspires you to learn everything else, then please do.
We are asking for your help, not in votes, but in sharing what is happening here to the rest of the world. Whatever happens, whatever the results are, we want the whole world to see what is going on. (But thank you to the foreign news outlets who have been speaking on this).
All the Filipinos are asking for is a fair government, where lives are recognized and uplifted. We cannot be kept in the dark again, we have had enough.
And if we need to meet in EDSA once again, then so be it.
QUICK RANT ABOUT PEOPLE WHO WILL RANDOMLY SAY "but what about the people suffering in [x]" WHENEVER SOMEONE BRINGS UP AN ISSUE :
LGBTQ+ Syrian gen-zer here, I really hate how violence and wars in the middle east are only brought up for pity points in arguments, usually homophobic and racist ones too :
"LGBTQ+ people are being denie-"
"who cares about such small problems when there are children dying in syria"
... The amount of times I've seen stuff like this REALLY piss me off, like people (/nay) only give a single fuck about our issues *when it benefits them*, our struggles aren't there for people to fucking benefit from, and guess what? The slowly increasing LGBTQ+ acceptance around the world DOES help us, because surprise surprise, LGBTQ+ people exist *everywhere*, including the middle east, and we are very much fucking dying, if people really cared about the middle east it wouldn't be something they only bring up in arguments, they would actually know what they're talking about, they wouldn't ignore most of our issues and only bring up a select few for 'good guy' points, and I'm not even asking people to care, there's so fucking much going on in the world it's really hard to care about it all, especially with the current atrocities Ukrainen people are sadly suffering through, it's understandable when people don't know every issue in the world, I don't judge people who don't know, Its okay not to care too, because needless panicking doesn't help anyone, getting worked up won't help, what I am asking people to do is to stop using our issues in their arguments, to stop faking their care for good guy points, it's even funnier when people say shit like that to me, I'm very active in the LGBTQ+ rights field being queer myself, and then people well come at me like 'there are bigger issues in the world 🥺🥺 like syria 🥺🥺'... I do know that, I literally live in syria, that doesn't mean I can't care about other issues that ALSO INVOLVE SYRIA, because guess what??? People demanding acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community aren't just demanding it for a select few first world countries, we're demanding it *everywhere*, and that includes syria where so much homophobic bullshit goes on, don't even get me started on all the other sorts of discrimination that gets the stupid pity points argument in reply as if people forget these things happen in said countries too???? Alright rant over I just needed to say that
Yeah anon i feel you on this one. Sorry for taking so long to notice this.
As many of you know, I live in Kyiv, which is the capital of Ukraine.
8 years ago, my country was invaded by Russia. They annexed part of our territory and have been de-facto controlling another part. Thousands of people have been killed. Around 1,5 million became internally displaced - i.e. had to flee their homes to other parts of Ukraine.
For all these 8 years, other countries have mostly led the policy of appeasement. Turning the blind eye to these actions, sometimes pressuring Ukraine to keep quiet and not disrupt their comfort.
Now russia has gathered an unprecedented military force along its and Belarus’s border with Ukraine. They are threatening a full scale outright invasion. In case with Russia, that usually includes deliberate strikes on civilian targets as well. They want to have their “sphere of influence” in Eastern Europe and do not tolerate our real sovereignty and democracy. It is caused by russian fascist imperialism and nothing else, no matter what “arguments” they come up with to excuse their actions.
The situation is getting increasingly more and more dire every hour.
I have receieved a few messages offering some kind of help. I ask, urge you all to spread the awareness of what is happening. Look into ways to pressure your governments into sanctioning russia/its oligarchs, officials and those close to them. THIS is what is needed the most. This is what can potentially save millions of lives.
Thank you for reading. I have made some great friends on this platform, so thank you guys for all the great time we have had talking to each other.
Ok, I want to write it. I need to. A bit emotional post, obviously.
I am one of the internally displaced. I left Donetsk, my hometown, in 2014. I was forced because of war, terror and occupation. I wanted to live in Ukraine - it was my choice by mind and heart.
I know, that unbelievable thing - such as war - can happen. No one believed in that - no way, it’s madness! But war came into my home. I know the sound of mines falling into my yard. I know what fear is. It is not so easy to scare me after that, but this experience is also making me be on the alert. Now everything looks serious. I wanted to think that I am safe and nothing will happen, but now these thoughts are dangerous and naive. All this news and all these actions - I cant close my eyes to that.
Today I packed go-bag again. No, I am not leaving my country. It’s in case I will need to go into the shelter.
The main shelters in Kyiv are metro stations. Sometimes I think about it - this is should look like all these scenes in WWII`s British movies.
And this should stay as frames in films.
It is not easy - when you want to believe in good, but forced to prepare for the worst. But this is how it’s going now in Ukraine.
now since tumblr apparently loves to support non-american authors, but is surprisingly mum about this, imma tell you.
you see, everybody's favorite evil corp, Amazon, bought Indian publishing house Westland some six years ago. Now Westland is a very famous and reputed publishing house in India, and has put forth some of the best titles the country has seen. It didn't shy away from controversial and uncomfortable topics, and some of its books quite vocally criticise the current government, which has been responsible for the current state of india as a pseudo-democratic, pseudo-secular, economically ruined country, the most notable one being The Price of the Modi years by Aakar Patel. It also produced Amish Tripathi's pathbreaking Shiva Trilogy.
Now here's the thing that got me nuts.
AMAZON. SHUT. IT. DOWN. A WEEK AGO.
JUST OUT OF THE BLUE, IT IS CLOSING DOWN WESTLAND FOREVER. NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IS TO COME OF THE HUNDREDS OF TITLES PUBLISHED BY IT, OR OF THE AUTHORS ITS CONTRACTED, OR THE PEOPLE EMPLOYED BY IT.
It has triggered a buying surge in India, as people go on shopping spress to get their hands on the titles they want from this house. Short on supply and high on demand, bookstores across India are showing solidarity and moving surplus books around.
here you go with a few links that i think sum up the problem quite nicely, and please guys. just. please support westland.
here they talk about how this is becoming a trend with global corps.
here they talk about the future of indian publishing houses.
this one talks about a bleak future for literature and how it feels like we're living in a dystopian novel
spread this around. jeff bezos continues to be evil, and will be. he is quite literally, irredeemable.
My younger sister is soon graduating to be a civil engineer. One of their struggles during uni was the unavailability of clean and accessible drinking water supply and they really want to make a change for the students to come after.
She and her colleagues are planning build a clean drinking water tank system that will serve almost 6,000+ students and passers by who use the university's facilities (such as prayer areas, library etc).
They raised 50% of the required costs locally from generous donations in Sudan but with the recent political and economical issues in Sudan, they are trying to reach internationally through gofundme.
If you or someone you know is able to help, please spread the word. The prophet peace be upon him taught us that "there is a reward for every one with a moist liver" and that the best kind of charity is "providing drinking water".
international friends: here’s the deal. South African scientists have been tracking the COVID genome and keeping an eye out for mutations. Most places in the world aren’t doing so. When we announce a new variant, it’s not necessarily from South Africa, we just publicised the fact that we detected it here. And yet, because we’re a country in the Global South, it doesn’t matter that our scientists are incredible and are doing the world a service by tracking and reporting these things, because our ordinary citizens are being blacklisted because of it and being prevented from entering other countries and placed on red lists for no reason
For those who aren’t aware, this is exactly how the Spanish Flu came to be named the Spanish Flu. It didn’t originate in Spain. Spain was just the first country to acknowledge there was a global fucking pandemic and do something about it.
vocab/grammar
dictionary - (also avaliable as an apple/android app!) this is the best resource for learning any sign though there are still plenty missing
nzsl share - this is where you go to find some of those missing signs such as celebrity names or trending words
grammar book - (ebook = $15.64, hard copy = $50, though you may be able to find it in some libraries) nzsl grammar is hard you’re gonna need some help
videos of nzsl in action
turi tv - also available as an app! this has more of a focus on kids/teens but it’s still useful practice
signdna - an archive of nzsl interviews and footage, good practice for more advanced users but some of the signs may be outdated
paid courses (see websites for prices)
mysign - skype lessons you can take alone or with friends
nzsl 4 u - online or in person workshops and courses for groups or individuals
free online lessons
learnnzsl - definitely one of the best online nzsl lessons ever, go try it!
teachsign - I think this one’s linked with the above source so you can try do both at the same time
thumbs up - this has more focus on grammar and sentence structure
beginner nzsl exercises - fill-in-the-blanks exercises and mini-quizzes
sign ninja - a cute game that’ll teach you colours, numbers, food, and a bit of nzsl history
other resources
there are many nzsl dictionaries in nz libraries
you could try check out youtube, there isn’t a lot on there except for the occasional vocab list or nzsl week celebration but you never know
here’s a list of more resources
i cannot recommend face-to-face lessons enough. if you really want to be able to use the language you need the practice and critiques from a class environment - it’s also the most fun i’ve ever had learning a language
let me know if you’d like more nzsl posts! sorry if these links don’t work overseas!
foreign countries folks, please keep the polish LGBT community in your thoughts
tomorrow evening (28.10.2021 r.) the first sejm (polish parliament) reading of "Stop LGBT" legislative bill is going to take place. the bill objective is to ban all gatherings in support of LGBT people or LGBT rights
the bill would infringe on constitutional right to public assemblies and right to free speech and make any debates on LGBT rights or discrimination it faces (which the bill justification suggest that "the homosexual community" does not experience) virtually impossible.
currently, despite being a member state of the EU, Poland does not recognize same-sex partnerships and offers minimal legal protection to the LGBT minority (~2 milion citizens), while some cities and regions declare themselves as LGBT free zones
the justification of the bill includes (but is not limited to): "protection of marriage as traditional union between men and women", LGBT causes being supported by multinational corporations (it uses a picture of a rainbow IKEA bag as justification), comparing gay men to paedophiles, saying that the heterosexuals are the majority, protection of children and protection of religious catholic feelings
a similar law currently functions in Russia, where any public discussion on LGBT rights or any public display of affection of same-sex couples is prohibited and punished by jail to not "demoralize the children"
the Supreme Court unsuprisingly did not have any objections to the project
the project is a public initiative that raised over 130 000 signatures. the project promotional site uses stock footage of pride parades held in different countries (such as germany, the netherlands or the uk) in order to mislead the public to what pride marches actually look like in poland. the woman behind the project is named Kaja Godek, who just last year helped to pass a bill which made all abortions due to critical defects of the fetus illegal, practicaly banning all abortion in Poland. the bill caused the biggest protests in history of modern Poland since the fall of the communist state. due to that, it is possible that the Stop LGBT legislation bill will be treated seriously, or at least cause some major polarization in society
please, keep us in mind and if things turn sour don't hesitate to call your local polish ambassy or notify your local LGBT organization
(also while we're at it it is worth looking into what is happening at polish-belarusian border and how the migrants there are dying. i believe the lgbt bill being discussed now is a tactic to distract the public from human rights violation of this so-called civilized country)
Fill out the survey on the original Post Plus post (be polite, don’t spam, but GET YOUR POINT ACROSS that we don’t want this). Since we mean business, it’s time to hit them where it hurts; Ad Revenue.
We’re proposing a 24 hour log off as the main event of phase one.
WHEN IS THE PROTEST?
The protest starts by logging off on August 6th, 2021 at 12am Eastern Time (US). Here’s a quick chart to help figure out when you log out.
AUGUST 6th, 2021
12 am Eastern Time (US)
4 am UTC
5 am BST/London
6 am Central Europe Time
7 am Moscow Standard Time
9:30 am Indian Standard Time
12 Noon Hong Kong Time/Australian Western Time
1 pm Japan Standard Time
1:30 pm Australian Central Time
2 pm Australian Eastern Time
AUGUST 5th, 2021
11 pm Central Time (US)
10 pm Mountain Time (US)
9 pm Pacific Time (US)
THE END TIME IS 24 HOURS FROM THE START TIME!
So that means if you log off at say, 6 am Central Europe Time you’ll log back in at 6 am Central Europe Time on August 7th. We’d prefer if if there is no posting, no queues, no likes, and no reblogs during this period.
WHAT IF I CAN’T/WHAT ELSE CAN I DO?
Like this post, share it, and use the hashtags #tumblrlogoff2021 and/or #postplusprotest on ANY and ALL social media. If you’re using the mobile version, you can always leave an honest review on the app center of your choice (once again: be polite, don’t spam, but GET YOUR POINT ACROSS!).
WHY IS POST PLUS/POST+ SO BAD?
Tumblr’s primary focus is on FAN content (whether any of us want to admit it or not). Putting these kinds of contents behind patreon like paywalls is a terrible idea and the legality is NOT in the user or their subscribers favor. You can absolutely get in legal trouble for what tumblr is proposing with this new feature. There’s also the worry about the site’s (poor) security and access to Post Plus users bank information. Do you really want a site that lacks a functioning search function and whose userbase routinely get hacked to have your credit card information? No, you really don’t.
WILL THIS WORK?
Maybe, maybe not. It’s an attempt at doing something to combat tumblr’s impending self-inflicted demise.
ANYTHING ELSE?
There’s a time zone checker linked in a previous post if you need it and I’ll try to fix any mistakes to times as I find them. Keep an eye out for future posts closer to the protest date and the eventual phase two! Thank you ALL for your support so far.
Online Safety Relevant to the Current State of the Internet
On twitter I made a tweet about how online safety lessons in school can be very out of touch but that the advice of people who are familiar with the current internet shouldn't be disregarded. So here's my informal collection of online safety tips
Sources: unrestricted internet access since elementary school (not recommended), being a formerly involuntarily home bound person for several years that amassed way too much online experience
This could possibly hold upsetting reminders to people who had bad experiences online including mentions of grooming and emotional manipulation so please proceed with caution!
Information Sharing
Make an online pseudonym for public profiles and websites.
Don’t feel like you have to list everything about you for the world to see.
Sometimes it’s not a question of “can this information be used to locate and identify me irl?”, but simply “do I want this information publicly available and linked to my online persona?”
Unlike offline, being online leaves a constant trail of who you were accessible at all times. People are constantly growing and changing. Try to limit the information you share so you can ditch that trail and start over if need be.
Sharing information with people you make friends with and trust is a judgement call on your part, but always be on the safe side and be protective of your information.
Start as cautious as possible with online safety. Any risks or judgement calls can come later when you are 1. aware of the risks, 2. ready to address them if they occur, and 3. have gathered plenty of information instead of doing something blindly and hoping for the best.
Do not share your triggers publicly, they can very easily be used against you. Instead use websites with a large amount of filtering options to curate your online experience. If you are going to share them, only do it privately with people you trust.
Importance of Boundaries
It doesn’t matter how mature you are, don’t enter age limited spaces you don’t qualify for. It’s disrespectful to the boundaries of the people who made that space. Boundaries like this exist for the comfort of both sides involved.
Just because you can “handle it” doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Desensitization is not something to brag about.
Venting or making r18 posts as a minor on a public account is VERY dangerous. Intense emotional vulnerability is something manipulators will look for as a way to get to you. The same with sexual jokes to develop your comfort talking about those topics casually and eventually escalating the situation. If you are going to talk about such things please keep that in private conversations with people you trust in your age group.
Note the difference between public and private online space. Tweeting something on a public account is not the same as having a conversation in the cafeteria with your friends.
If an adult tries talking to you about r18, run the other way. Doesn’t matter how cool you are, it says something weird about THEM if they’re willing to talk to a minor about that stuff.
If someone( like 3+ years, honestly depends on how old you are) older than you wouldn't be comfortable saying what they're saying to you in front of other people (like a teacher or guardian), that's suspicious as hell. Run in the other direction.
The younger you are, the more age gaps matter. There's a bigger difference in development between a 13 year old and a 17 year old than there is between a 20 year old and a 24 year old. It helps to try to contextualize it with real people instead of numbers. Instead of thinking "oh just 4 years? that's not that weird" consider "oh. that would be like a freshman (13/14) dating a senior (17/18). yikes."
Be just as wary of people your own age talking about things that make you uncomfortable. Just like irl, sometimes you’ll meet people your age that are hurtful.
Friends complain to each other and talk about their issues, that alone is fine. But when people are doing it without permission, draw a line. When people are making it feel like you’re responsible for maintaining their mental health, you need to draw a line. When it starts to effect your mental health, PLEASE DRAW A LINE! I know it feels like your responsibility sometimes, but it’s not. You cannot be there for others if you’re not taking care of yourself first and foremost.
Don’t be afraid to block people. Even for petty reasons. It’s good to block people. Don’t force yourself to see stuff you don’t want to see.
Being Constantly Online
The 24 hour news cycle is not a good thing to follow 24/7. Taking social responsibility is a good thing, but your brain is NOT built to worry about every issue in the world at once. One strategy I use for staying sane is I try to only check the news once a day, and if something needs more attention to set aside an amount of time I’m going to focus on it before I need to take time to step back.
Touch grass. Not literally, unless you can in which case I highly suggest it, sometimes it’s just good to lay in a field. What I mean is you need to dedicate a good portion of your time to being offline (sleep does not count). What your offline time looks like is going to differ depending on your level of ability, but even if you are house bound it’s important to build some hobbies that don’t rely on the internet. Talking to people offline is also a good goal if possible, even just to your housemates.
Social etiquette greatly differs online and offline and sometimes the reminder that were all just Some People gets lost behind the numbers and the fabricated personas. Keep in mind the difference in how information is shared without forgetting that the fact we are all people remains the same.
Be generous with your etiquette. You will avoid a lot of stress if you conduct yourself with the same politeness you would have in an offline interaction. Master the art of "minding your own business" for your own sake.
Arguments and Competition
As soon as you can, you need to internalize the fact that leaving an argument is not losing.
It is inevitable you will be exposed to many people who disagree with you. Some people only want to argue to rile you up. Sometimes that’s not their intention, but it’s what they’re doing. You do not have to remain in conversation with people, especially if they’re not interested in actually coming to an understanding. Even if they are interested, sometimes they just suck!! Leave!! You can leave!!
On that note, sometimes you are going to get valid criticism and it’s going to hurt. That is part of learning. If someone says you messed up and did something hurtful, take a second to step back from your defensiveness and consider: intent ≠ effect. Apologize, repair what you can, and move forward with the ability to do better in the future. You’re going to mess up every once in awhile, it’s inevitable.
To summarize the past two points: don't waste your time on unnecessary hostility but don't close yourself into an echo chamber either. Debates should be about learning.
Sometimes people are not going to like you. This happens offline too but people tend to be a lot more blunt online. Sometimes people dislike you for no reason or for really petty reasons. That’s not your problem, move on.
Don’t actively seek out people you don’t like or who don’t like you to argue with. Whether or not your side is the “right side” doesn’t matter, it’s going to cause you so much unnecessary stress. Feel free to keep posting your opinions on your own profile but don’t seek out unnecessary conflict.
This is a different type of competition than previously mentioned, but be aware of the danger of comparing yourself to other people. Especially if you’re a creative or student, DO NOT GET SWEPT UP IN THE GRIND CULTURE. It’s more subtle in some places than others, but anytime you see the notion that you should be working yourself to the bone be VERY critical. Also be critical of any online cultures (such as gaming and art communities) that brag about unhealthy habits or act like it’s ~part of the culture~ (ex: all nighters, not taking breaks, getting hurt. Any activity that neglects health to work toward a goal).
Not just grind culture, any community of subculture that shares anti recovery sentiments is a huge red flag. Even if they're joking, it's not worth the risk of internalizing those statements.
Everyone’s social media presence is to some degree doctored because it’s a purposefully selected collection of what they allow you to see. It’s fine to like the persona you see being displayed, but never forget that it is not reflective of the entire person. Everyone online is JUST SOME PERSON. Do not forget that and start holding yourself to a standard you can’t even see every side of.
By posting online you are opening yourself to criticism. Whether or not it’s justified can vary, but either way it’s going to happen. Mute stuff, go private, disable comments, etc if you need to.
Misc Tidbits
these are technically just general info that is also good for offline but I have seen things that make me think people online need the extra reminder.
Learn what cults are, how they recruit, and what they do to their members. I'm not kidding. This is particularly relevant at the moment because of current societal unrest and widespread loneliness. No one is immune to cult propaganda, and not every cult is based on pre established religion or family. Many exist ONLINE and are able to manipulate people without ever meeting face to face. (learn more: Loneliness as a Pandemic: The Dangers of Online Cult
Familiarize yourself with the concept of pseudoscience. Please familiarize yourself with the concept of pseudoscience and then learn how to identify pseudoscience. (learn more: Karl Popper, Science, & Pseudoscience: Crash Course Philosophy #8)
Q. How do I know if a source is reliable?
Final Thoughts
It's important people of ALL ages learn these lessons, because the internet is constantly changing and we are all vulnerable when in the presence of other people.
