Why is this Generation Challenging the Status Quo, more than ever before?
To maintain the status quo is to keep things the way they presently are…and we don’t quite like that now, do we?
By definition, status quo stands for the existing set of affairs. Basically, the way things are and what people are accustomed to. To maintain the status quo is to keep things the way they presently are…and we don’t quite like that now, do we?
We challenge the status quo, because why not?
Just because something has worked until now, doesn’t mean that there’s no need for reassessment, or room for improvement. After all, sending messages by telegraph worked perfectly well until Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone. — Faye Bradshaw
This is exactly why this generation is hell-bent on challenging the norms. Having understood that questioning existing beliefs and putting forth suggestions for bettering the system will do more good than harm, is also one of the reasons why young people are fearlessly voicing their opinions and holding people accountable.
Be it in the space of ethical data handling practices in ML and AI, LGBTQ+ representation, calling out biased data, squashing hierarchy and even running campaigns, this generation is tied together by strong morals.
By 2030, approximately one in every five workers will be a member of this generational cohort. — Peter Wang
…meaning, we can leverage our growing influence in companies and organisations to bring change that will benefit all, be it through sustainable, ethical or digitally transformative practices.
Following up on the previous generation’s bold stance against conformity, we have an entire path laid out for us to explore and pursue the latter path of increased risk (a choice that can be highly rewarding) and shake up organisations to relook at their involvement with society and how they pursue innovation.
We must constantly question the limits of what is possible and should not compromise but instead look around the limits and redefine them! That's when there is an opportunity to create something remarkable, beyond expectations, pushing more people to think differently and shatter the “familiarity” of things.
Only when we get out of the “status quo” mindset will we make room for creativity to bloom (aha!). Having grown with the largest social platform and with innovative companies like Google in the mainstream, this generation is bound to carry a new lens, one that identifies the ordinary and jazzes it up.
In technical terms, we are attuned to rapid change and seek immediate gratification, meaning things that get us out of our creative or intellectual spaces are a big no and an even bigger no is associated with inequality, bias and unsustainable practices. Our connectedness brings a huge factor of empathy adding to our natural inclination towards community-centric initiatives.
The process of identifying a problem, building a team of like-minded, passionate students, and building a technological solution is second nature to this digital-first generation, in which accepting the status quo simply isn’t an interesting proposition. — Silicon Foundry
In all this, technology has played a huge role in shaping our personalities, both directly and indirectly. It’s now upon us to utilise these platforms and create new ones that can alter the course of history in a positive manner.
But how do we do this?
Systemic changes are difficult to build a product out of, and harder still to sell. A practical lesson is breaking away from the idealism we strive for in silver-bullet solutions, and making impactful products people will use. — www.planetforward.org
We are running short on experience as well as time, for which the only countermove is to literally gain as much experience as we can as quickly as we can, especially in business, technology, research and politics. We need to test our ideas as fast as we can and assess it’s feasibility early on so that we have enough to show for what we have to say!
Let us live up to the hype and continue to grow our political, social and economic influence. As we grow into bigger roles in organisations, there will be resistance, but that will also be something that will fire us up to bring about change, ultimately handing over a bigger baton to the next generation that follows…
Want to know more about what we do for the youth? Apart from training, mentoring and of course, writing articles every week, we also educate this generation on up and coming technologies through a community-centred approach with a focus on design thinking. Check us out here!
