What a challenge for the young generation
As I remain — for the most part — “sheltered,” I realize us “old people” can look back on our adventures so we can deal with the future with no regret. So can our children. Then I look at my grandchildren (late teens, 20s, early 30s) and know they’re just beginning their lives and looking forward to their future. It looks like a different future in many ways.
Time Magazine noted this and devoted the majority of their June 1/June 8 issue to the “Generation Pandemic.” They said in the next headline: “A global crisis (the pandemic) changed their lives and how they respond will change the world.”
We’re already seeing that response from many young people through the protests reverberating not only in the U.S. but throughout the world. Whether they firmly believe in Black justice or have been “sheltered in place” for two months too long may be a question. Others have gone out in crowds — to the beach or mountains or bars and huge social gatherings. One thing is certain. Teens and young adults are hurt by what they missed in the past four months, frustrated by not seeing friends, and worried about how the pandemic is handled. And they’re unsure of their future.
My grandchildren are a varied group from their late teens to early 30s. Their beliefs have triggered their actions to a great extent. One entered the protest marches and very much believes in more social justice. Two others go on as before in jobs that help people — nursing and school counseling. They have a strong Christian background and put their faith in God for their future. The teens are trying to assimilate what has happened to them — finding themselves in a different type of senior year, taking on-line community college courses and wondering what college will bring.
Then there are my two grandsons in their early 30s. They readily admit when they left high school they were liberal — one joined the Green Party. Getting into the workforce quickly changed their attitudes. They’re not satisfied with either political party because they see too much hypocrisy with politicians watching out for themselves not citizens.
They aren’t protesting but see a troubling trend developing for the country as a whole.
When I approached some young people in their 20s I received mixed reactions about their futures. One professional man, who stopped his business during the shutdown, didn’t want to say anything about the future, evidently uneasy about voicing an opinion.
A woman in her early 30s said, “I’m concerned for the future and what my children will face.” She was relieved to learn her two young children would attend school five days a week. While her 10year-old son had survived with long-distance learning her 7-year-old daughter didn’t.
There is a gap in this generation between belief in government and suspicion of government. The more liberal group for the most part goes along with the government rules — wearing masks and keeping social distance. The more conservative group doesn’t think the masks are necessary nor do they believe the government or media. When things started to open they saw nothing wrong with gatherings — perhaps because they’d been told they were less likely to get COVID19.
Teens are completely shattered as demonstrated in the TIME article. Suddenly they find their comfortable existence is no longer comfortable. Yes, they did and will graduate but without the celebrations or the feeling of finality on another step to maturity. And they mentally aren’t as prepared as they should be. They’ve been coddled by an indulgent society but also experienced school shootings. They never imagined their entire world would change, yet it’s happening before their eyes.
This is a time of questions. Life has changed from the expected to the unexpected. That’s probably why so many took to the streets — one way to express oneself in this rapidly changing environment. They had a cause for a “downtrodden” people and saw one way to help. However, some decided if their history is about to change let’s also change the past. Do they understand the importance of history for the future?
Will books and films be banned? What about statues or building names of important personages? This happened in the ’70s but not to this extent. What history goes next?
Could George Orwell have been right? My 32year-old grandson sent me this text from Orwell’s 1984:
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered. And the process is continuing day by day and minute by minute. History has stopped. Nothing exists except an endless present in which the Party is always right.”
The grandson ended the text with these words: Sound familiar?