Today’s post comes to us from Youth Advisory Board member Christian Savarese, who, like many Millennials, isn’t happy that the media has been reporting that his generation is self-centered, doesn’t pay attention to world news, and doesn’t care about helping others following a recent study. Many youth experts have refuted such statements, and Christian adds the Millennial perspective. He explains below that he and many other kids his age are not only well aware of global issues, but they also pursue the topics as an academic and personal passion.
Young Americans Get Involved In Global Issues
Many believe that Millenials are not concerned with what goes on outside their own school or house because of a recent study that has gotten wide media coverage. They believe that the actions of today’s teens are much more self-centered and lack a sense of community compared to teens from earlier generations. Not only is this statement not true, but in fact, teens have been more active in larger communities than ever before. Sure, some Millennials don’t care about anything aside from the newest Apple product, but this does not mean that kids are becoming less aware of current events. With the increase in technology and communication that have been adopted especially by the new generation, it would be absurd to think that teens are not aware of the world around them; they barely even have a choice. Kids constantly see news announcements popping up in sidebars on Facebook, in Twitter feeds, or in commercials on television. They couldn’t escape the news without avoiding media entirely.
News and information are much more accessible to teenagers, and they are embracing this information and putting it into good uses. For example, I recently attended a Model United Nations Conference in Washington D.C. not only to discuss world events, but also to try to find comprehensive solutions to these crises. The basic premise of a Model UN Conference is that each student is assigned a country to represent just as in the UN, and they must work with other delegates to solve a certain issue that has been brought to the attention of the actual UN. These issues vary from reforestation to working towards peace between bordering Middle Eastern nations. Seats are limited and in many schools, the try-out processes to attend these trips are competitive. Not only are kids interested in world politics, but they’re also working very hard to be a part of it. From my experiences attending two trips, I’ve learned so much about global issues, such as the European debt crisis and the militarization of space.
The Model United Nations team that I am a part of is not just a team, but all thirty of us are also very close. No only have I learned about my own topics, but I’ve learned about all of my friends’ topics as well. Students from each of the tens of thousands of high schools in the world that participate in Model United Nations have the same experience as I’ve had. Additionally, these conferences also donate most of their funds to charities and micro financing organizations such as KIVA which help developing nations by providing financial aid and training, public works to create jobs, and increase the standard of living for the people in these countries.
Ultimately, Millennials have developed a global mindset from the increased availability of information about problems from around the world, and they are able to cooperate as a community to help solve these problems.
About Christian
Christian is your typical teenager. He is very interested in what’s next in pop culture, from TV series to movies. He is an avid reader and loves to write. In school, Christian has always strived to be at the top of his class and is very active in his school community and activities. He is a part of his school’s Model United Nations and Model Congress debate teams, which has helped him pursue his curiosity and strive for knowledge of foreign affairs and current events. He also loves being on stage performing in his school’s theatre productions and musicals. In addition to his love for music and theatre, he also has a passion for science, which he plans to pursue for his future career. But after all the hard school work and tests, Christian always enjoys hanging out and having a great time with his friends.
