As the upcoming generation, it is our duty to speak up and encourage change. We’ve lived life through our elders’ views, but it’s our turn now and the type of world we want to live in is up to us. The United States is made up of 340 million people — 340 million different faces, names, views, cultures and beliefs. Of them, 20.67% are Gen-Z, and though that doesn’t seem like much, it’s approximately 70 million people.
This is a 21st century society living in a country that’s foundation was created 247 years ago; people and beliefs are bound to change. It’s been a constant struggle for this generation to speak up, from hesitating to raise their hands in class because of the constant fear of being “wrong” or judged for their perspective, but we need to break that stereotypical mindset that tells us it isn’t OK to have differing opinions.
With the 2024 election approaching, Gen-Z can have the biggest say in which political leaders are elected, and we need to make a change. Voting is one of the best ways to make an impact and get your voice out there. The right to vote is a privilege not everyone has and, even though many have the choice, not everyone utilizes it.
Our society has gotten used to complaining about policies that they do not agree with, yet no one does anything about it. There have been many elections that have come down to a candidate winning by an extremely small percent – like the Al Gore and George W. Bush election – which shows just how much your vote can matter. Only one person can write a new sentence, but together, we can write a new chapter for our country.
Along with voting, peaceful protests have proven to be impactful. Notable examples in history include the Civil Rights Movement and the Women’s Suffrage Parade. There have been increasing issues of differing perspectives regarding civil and human rights the past few years, but this isn’t the first time people have been vocal about injustice. In the past, when we ran into issues like this, peaceful protests had a huge impact on the outcomes.
For example, the Montgomery Bus Boycott started with activist Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat, which led to a 13-month mass boycott of public transportation that created an enormous financial loss. Due to this protest, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the policy of segregation as unconstitutional. Mass boycotts have proven to be extremely effective, but research shows that it requires 3.5% of the population to take part in a nonviolent movement for it to be effective. With Gen-Z making up 20.67% of the US population, it’d only take about a fifth of the generation to make a difference.
But if a wide-scale boycott seems so big it’s overwhelming, start small. Repost something on social media or take the time to educate someone else or even reach out to your local representative, as these are good ways to start the process of making a change.
It’s time to make the United States of America the “land of the people” again, and the only people who can do that are us.
