Will Our Generation Change The World?

What makes our generation so different from that of our parents'?

That's the question that comes to my mind as I stare aimlessly, distracted from studying for this last final of my undergraduate career.

We're so different--that is undeniable. We live in a much more advanced society, with the high tech industry at the forefront of our civilization. Our parents didn't even have computers, phones, or the internet. Nowadays, everything is "high speed" or "high definition", anything slower than LTE is an artifact, and we have access to an unimaginable amount of resources through a single click on a search engine.
Our cars are faster than ever, with great fuel economy, luxurious interior design, and global positioning systems. Our phones--what used to be limited to 3 uses--for calls, for the time, and for texts--are now comparable to Batman's utility belt on crack. With the onset of smartphones, our society now relies on our phones for research, entertainment, and directions, as it sits at the helm of our social lives, dictating every interaction we make.

But it isn't just technology that makes us different from our parents.

We're as far removed from our parents' generation in every aspect of our lives as technology was in their time. From the way we dress to the way we dance, the music we like, and the way we interact with one another, I'm surprised that we haven't speciated yet.

I look around this library and can't help but be distracted by the girls that walk by--round of applause because that's one thing that hasn't changed. 10/10 girls here are beautiful, just like all our mothers. I can't say the same about the guys... well, because I am a guy. But one thing that has changed is our perception of beauty that is reflected in the way we dress. 7 out of 10 girls that walk by me are wearing elastic training pants, better known as yoga pants, that outline every curve of their legs, along with an exposing top. And keep in mind, we're in the library. When I go out at night, there's always a flood of high waisted shorts that make me wonder if "greatly ventilated", for lack of a better word, is a fashion statement. Strapless and extremely low-cut that make you wonder how on earth the twins aren't falling out are as commonplace as seeing a white car on the street. Though it may seem like I'm targeting women for dressing provocatively, let's be honest, I'd be targeting both genders if men were wearing crotchless pants that had women rubbernecking everywhere they went. Regardless of gender, the way we dress wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't our primary key to attraction. We'll pour hundreds and thousands of dollars into the brand name clothes, scents, and accessories that will make us more attractive before we even think about what we can do to make us more beautiful on the inside.

Dancing is an art, and art is always changing. When I think about dancing in the mid to late 1900s, I think of men and women, hand in hand, moving with delicate footwork and gracefulness that resembled a show--but that may just be from the movies. Regardless, I know it was much more appropriately called "dancing" back then. Now, all I ever see is girls on all fours, rubbing their bodies on guys in such a way that I feel a little bad for their fathers every time I see it. Is it art? Maybe. If it is, then you can all call me the Rembrandt of stiff, virgin-like movements that would have dads chasing me with their belts.

I think our taste in music highlights the generation gap between us and our parents more than anything else. Our parents generation was defined by the classic rock of Queen, the power ballads of Journey, and oldies by the likes of Peter, Paul & Mary, and Ben E. King. And us... we're religious followers of the electronic dance music and rave scene. Guitars and drums have been replaced by synthesizers and laptops, while a concert or festival experience is determined less by the music and more by the drugs.

And interaction... as for that, I guess its not different, we just have less of it. Rather than talk to a stranger while waiting for a bus, we'd rather stare at our phones and rely on social media to keep us entertained. We've become a generation that simply doesn't interact--because, why go through the awkwardness of human interaction when we get updates from friends we already know, all conveniently stored on a couple GB of memory on our phones. What's the use of calling old friends to see what they've been up to, when we have Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat giving us the low-down on what all 1200 of our friends are doing, every few minutes? I don't think the lack of interaction is because our generation doesn't want it anymore, we simply all just forgot. As the saying goes, you lose it if you don't use it.

The difference between generations that worries me most, is how privileged we are, compared to our parents. Our parents got here first, and when they did, most of them didn't have a choice between working hard and being comfortable. Their only option was to grind their tails off to make things happen and in a lot of cases, became successful in what they did. A lot of us were born into what our parents created for us. And sadly, we have that option of being comfortable, because we're privileged. Sadly, I've seen less leaders in my generation, and more of those that expect something to be handed to them. This is the difference that defines our generation, and the one that's tied to everything else that makes us different. We're privileged--we have time to waste on social media, the money to spend on improving our image, and the option to be comfortable and have fun.

Being different from our parents is not a bad thing. It's inevitable that we're different from them, because so much has changed since their time. We're all just a part of a whole new age, each and every one identifying with a new image that represents themselves, apart from their parents.

Being different from our parents is only a problem when we aren't copying the things they did right. When we let materialistic possessions replace personal traits, when we don't work as hard as them, and when we forget the manners they taught us, we're headed down a path that is void of meaning. In this new age of endless discovery and advancement, our generation is expected to do great things. Yet, we're getting too comfortable. We're enjoying the perks of what our parents' generation has made possible, and doing less of contributing to our future.

I'm guilty of this privilege. I'm guilty of being too comfortable, of being materialistic, of choosing my phone over my loved ones, and having too many damn choices. As I sit here, I realize that I too am victim of everything that makes us different from our parents, and I want to change. I want our entire generation to change. I know that I'm not responsible for rallying an entire generation towards leading more meaningful lives--I know that there are plenty out there that have accomplished much more than I have. Yet, for those out there like me, that haven't found meaning yet, that aren't taking advantage of the amazing position our parents have put us in--I want us to change that. Will our generation change the world? I believe so. We all just need motivation. We all just need to get our eyes off all the materialistic distractions in this world. It's okay to be different from our parents, but let's keep doing what they got right.

Let's keep our manners. Gentlemen, give up your seats for the ladies on the bus. Hold the door open for people when going in and out of places. Say excuse me, thank you, sorry, and tell people that you appreciate them if you do.
Let's keep working hard. Harder than our parents did. They've put a roof over our heads, clothes on our back, fed us every day, and put us through college--we're in a great position to succeed, so let's put everything we have into leading meaningful lives.
Let's talk to each other more. In this high tech age, where new iPhones are being spewed out every year and new apps to communicate with one another are always appearing, let's not forget that we are a species made for personal interaction. We do our best work when talking to one another and that's where attraction comes from. Let's not forget how meaningful it is to hold a conversation with someone, rather than like their pictures on Instagram.

I think our generation will change the world. We may be different from our parents for every reason listed above, and many more. But as long as shake off the comfortable, get our minds out of privilege, and focus on what has meaning to us... I think it's okay that we're different. Let's go change the world.