A Powerful Generation
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash
When people think of post-millennials born after 1997, they are likely to fall back on several stereotypes. A generation born into a digital world where things seem to come easy – a click of a button can allow one to become knowledgeable, make purchases, contribute to discussions, make friends, and even become popular without ever needing to leave one’s room – has created concerns that this is a generation that feels entitled and self-absorbed, that good things should come to them easily and that style triumphs over substance. This is a generation that is perceived to be obsessed with self-image, and lives for the “likes” on their social media accounts and the number of followers they have.
But consider this – being born into a world of technology has also enabled this generation to do more than what their parents and their grandparents could ever dream of. These post-millennials, through their smartphones and mobile devices, are able to learn more about the world, engage with multiple worldviews and open their minds to greater extents than ever before. They can scrutinize different realities, ponder critically, and embrace the perspectives that they feel most strongly about because they are truly informed. They have the means to rise up if they feel passionately about a cause or issue, and rally support from a worldwide community to fight alongside them. There is strength behind every Facebook and Instagram post they publish and every tweet they send out.
More importantly, this is a group that may never need to feel like they are walking alone. The “imagined community” coined by Benedict Anderson in 1983 is now their reality – even through the darkest of times like the Covid-19 pandemic that has created burdens on their future employment and mental health, they can reach out and connect, tell their stories, voice their concerns and take an active step to create change. Indeed, this is a powerful generation to watch out for.