Inspirational and Informational Pieces

Generation Y: ~We Are NOT Bystanders~

Do you know who you are? Or rather, do you know what you're a part of? Because I do. And it might surprise you, maybe anger you, too. So, let me fill you in.

You're part of Generation Y, which can also be known as the Millennial Generation. Generally, if you were born between the early 1980’s to the early 2000’s, you’re part of this generation. There’s also other names, too, like Generation We, Generation Next, Global Generation, and the Net Generation. None of those sound too bad, right? Just wait until you hear what some people think about us.

Surveys show that our age group has a lot of narcissism amongst us. I’m not going to lie; I had to look up that word. That trait is NOT something to be proud of. Narcissism is used to describe someone with vanity, pride, selfishness, and egotism. The only good thing in that definition is pride, but it’s hardly good when it’s used on the way they’re talking about. Looking around and doing some research, I discovered our generation really only has one good thing about it. We rule social media and any other thing that technologically connects us.

But guess what? We’re wasting the one thing we’re good at! If we rule social media, we could draw attention to anything that’d make the world better. Yet, we don’t.

Quick poll right here. Who has a Facebook? A Twitter? A tumblr? A cell phone?  An Instagram? Anything like it. Guess what? I’m willing to bet you’ve witnessed cyber bullying. And I’m also willing to bet you seen it more than once or twice. Continuing on that, I’m willing to bet that you didn’t do a whole lot about it. Maybe you commented saying “Stop being so mean,” or something like that. But, it wasn’t a huge impact. You tried to help, but it didn’t do much. So, welcome to the world of bystanders. That’s what a lot of people see Generation Y as. A bunch of bystanders. They expect nothing of us, no great act of anything. They expect us to jump from job to job, making nothing of ourselves.

You want to know what I think? I think we need to change that assumption. That we need to prove them wrong. Now, be honest here, how good does it feel when you prove someone wrong, or even better, when you prove that you were right?

Now, do me a quick favor. Try to picture your future. What would you rather tell your kids, maybe even your grandchildren? Do you want to say “You wouldn’t believe what I saw when I was young,” or do you want to say “You wouldn’t believe what I did, what I was a part of,”? Let that sink in. Now what’s your answer?

So I say, we prove those assumptions wrong. We do that great act of something. We make something of ourselves. And we prove to them that we are NOT just bystanders.

Now, you’re first question is probably “how?” since all I said before is “why?”, but anyways, here’s some ideas for how to do something worthwhile. That $100 from your birthday, donate half or even ¼ of it to the ASPCA, the Humane Society, Feeding America, the American Cancer Society, anything that means something to you, that you support. Or that new shirt you just bought, put it in your closet and donate an old one to the Salvation Army. You could help out at a food pantry, a soup kitchen, a nursing home, or a pet shelter. If you have any books you don’t read any more, donate them to your local or school library. Help a neighbor or relative with some chores.

Or, you can do something even bigger. Start a non-profit to help victims of natural disasters or tragedies. Join national and international campaigns, like [delete], an anti-cyber bullying movement supported by Seventeen magazine and celebrities, or Invisible Children, popularly known as KONY 2012. Help clean up a park, or plant a community garden. Make. A. Difference. Let your voice be heard by some, but your actions seen by all.

I’m not advocating one campaign; I’m advocating us. I’m letting the world know that I’m not a bystander, and you have the option to do the same. Lend your voice and yourself to something that moves you. Show the world that we’re all not attached to our cell phones or a bunch of Facebook addicts. Let them know that their assumptions are wrong. Change the idea that Generation Y is filled with narcissistic people. So, are you ready?

You’ve got the “why?”, you’ve got the “how?” and obviously we are all the “who?”. The “what?” is whatever you want it to be, whatever you want to help with. The “where?” is wherever you can make a difference. And the “when?” is NOW! So once again, I’ll ask, are you ready?

I don’t know about you, But I’m so sick of seeing all those terrible things on the front of the newspaper or hearing it on the news. We need change, and we can be that change! We can be the key part of it if we try hard enough. And it doesn’t just have to be me and you. Make a difference with friends, family, your church members, your sports team, with anyone. Unite together. Let the world know that Generation Y aren’t just a bunch of bystanders. Let them know we’re ready for a change. And let them know, that we are the ones bringing that change!