Gen Z: Awareness, Activism, and Digital Life

“So far as our generation is concerned, a lot of the focus is on our distinctive vocabulary. But that’s not all. What’s also true about us is that we are quite aware of what’s happening around us. Smartphones, the Internet and social media have made it possible. I think I am more interested in Gaza, Palestine, Ukraine and world politics, than most people I know who are a generation older. Whether we protest on the streets or not, we do not shy away from expressing ourselves on social media. And we’re certainly much more capable of treating others equally. Friendships between people belonging to different sensibilities are far more common amongst our lot than it has ever been. I am aware of the conventional association between youth and rebellion and I have always found it puzzling. Everyone can and should protest, regardless of age, when they think it is right to do so.”

“The year I turned 13, my mother allowed me to have my own Instagram account. I had a smartphone and though I was not allowed to take it out of the house, on it I could see the world from home. It was new and exciting. Those days, there was an early avatar of Tik Tok — Musical.ly. I would upload pictures and post on social media frequently. Now, I’d rather wait for an important event or that perfect picture. When I was younger, I thought of Twitter (now called X) as a platform for grown-ups. I created an account at 14 and my world opened up a little more. I was exposed to world leaders and political debates. I was brought up in Calcutta, but now I am a student in Sonipat. When I first moved, I expected the differences to feel sharper. Instead, I found similarities among people of my age beyond barriers of language and geography.”

“I was born just around the turn of the millennium. My childhood was overpowered by Boomer and Millennial sensibilities. Digital Native? Not until my father got us one of those big fat personal computers when I was 10. I used it for sure, but mostly for school stuff and games. Texting was cool but there was a limit on SMSes per day, at least for a while. Touchscreen phones and Evernote came a little later. To date, when I want to note something down, my first instinct is to look around for a piece of paper. With the rapid advancement of technology and the subsequent information overload, no one prepared us for what was to follow — options, needs and convenience. We might be several shades more entitled than the Millennials, but we are not lacking in awareness. The year gone by witnessed political movements across the globe, and at the helm was the generation so often labelled “inattentive and unbothered”. As it played out, these digital strategies breached the state’s power structures quicker than ever, making history.”