There are a couple things floating around the internet right now about this generation and the misconceptions about us the older generations seem to have, so I figure I’ll add one more and throw my two cents out too.
The first thing I want to say is simply that there is nothing wrong with the older generations. They come from a different time, so to them things we do might not make as much sense as we think it should.
This generation is the most technology based by far, at least right now anyway, we’ll see about that in 40 years, once we have time to create more things.
Cell phones aren’t good unless they’re smart, fast, and on a data plan.
Computers fold, and some have touch screens.
Internet is fast, and easy to get, unlimited bandwidth is the preferred amount.
TV doesn’t need to be watched on an actual TV anymore.
My new tablet, is also a netbook.
House phones are optional. (I could call my Aunt in BC, from home [Ontario] for free on my cell, right now, for $65/month)
And, that’s just the beginning.
This is the generation who gets criticized because a picture floated around for a while of a high school class at an art museum, who all had their phones out.
This is the generation who gets criticized for never going out and pounding the pavement to find a job.
This is the generation who gets criticized for not voting.
This is the generation who gets criticized for always having their phones out, and being on social media.
This is the generation who gets criticized for talking to online friends, because “they aren’t real friends.”
This is the generation who can explain exactly why things happen, if someone would just ask us about it.
That high school class could have been doing so many useful things on their phones.
They could have been taking notes.
They could have been looking up an artist.
They could have been reading the history of a painting.
They could have been writing down an assignment.
They could have been taking pictures of paintings they had to recreate.
They could have been doing so much more than just sitting on their phones texting friends, or checking FaceBook, but that’s all people assumed they were doing.
You don’t have to go out and apply for jobs in person anymore. In fact, when I was job hunting a while back, about 80% of my resumes were handed out online, and a lot of the places I went into causally reminded me that online applications are viewed more frequently than the paper ones they get… those get thrown in a drawer and forgetten all about.
Most of my friends don’t bother voting, because either;
a) no one told them anything about the various political parties, and are overwhelmed trying to learn it all at once
b) they’ve been told “it doesn’t matter who you vote for, they’ll all screw you over in the end” or that all the political candidates are lying anyway
or c) they just simply don’t know how
I didn’t vote last year for all three of those reasons, and I’m struggling with voting this year, because I still don’t fully understand it all.
There are so many things that social media can do, besides just cat videos and sending memes to friends.
I’ve seen so many things online that I wouldn’t have had access to otherwise (I don’t get newspapers).
I see people debating politics and social justice issues, in comment feeds on instagram.
I learned about the dangers of sharing posts about missing people, on tumblr. (It could be an old post, and cause issues for the person in it, or it could be an abuser looking for a victim who fled, to sum it up).
This blog is how I express my feelings and destress, and I’m 2000% sure I’m not the only blogger who does that.
Social media is one of the easiest ways to stay in touch with family who lives in different time zones.
I’ve seen warnings about various products via social media.
That’s just the tip of the iceburg, if I went through everything social media can do, I’d never finish writing this post.
Don’t you ever tell me that internet friends aren’t “real” friends, I have a friend (who I met online), who lives in California and he knows me just as well, if not better than, my friends who I met through work or school.
Just shut the fuck up about “real” friends, the only friends who aren’t real, are the ones who screw you over.
Do you want to know what this generation is?
This is the generation who will make a difference.
We have the power to do so much with technology, the communication options are endless, meaning the ability to share and spread information, news, ect, is endless as well.
This is the generation who will support each other (from anywhere around the world, because somewhere in the world, there has to be someone who agrees with you) until the issues we’re facing have been destroyed.
I follow about 12 feminist accounts on instagram, which has led me to sign several petitions to change various issues, a few of which were actually resolved by the petition.
I see Go Fund Me causes that are fully paid for within hours, because of the amount of people who share them and get their friends to do the same.
This is the generation who will make use of our resources and solve the problems past generations have caused.
This is the generation who will change the goddamned world.