By Youth Perspective

WHAT do you do when you lightly bump into someone on a crowded street? You may perhaps be inclined to stop and apologise, or you may simply continue walking. The world is filled with billions of people who all have different stories. Every day, we briefly become a part of the stories of hundreds of strangers in the few instances that we cross them on the street or momentarily meet their eyes. After these few seconds, we lose the connection and continue on with our own lives. We learn from a very young age that human connections are critical. We learn to have conversations, and we learn how to be courteous as we interact with those around us. Parallely, we also learn to recognise situations when connections are not necessary and are generally avoided.

For instance, we may greet everyone we see in our workplace or classroom as we walk into it. On the other hand, we have learned not to greet or interact with everyone we see on the street while travelling to our workplace or school. This ability to distinguish between necessary and unnecessary connections not only aids in keeping us safe but also, in some way, helps us save time and energy. After all, could you imagine the chaos that would ensue if all eight billion people in the world deemed it necessary to thoroughly know everyone they encounter daily?
In some ways, we have evolved to be like lotus leaves in a pond. Because lotus leaves have a waxy outer covering, any water that lands on their surface will slide off. This quality is called the lotus effect, and it is useful for them as it allows them to remain clean and prevent diseases from infecting them. Similarly, although people surround us and are constantly made aware of the problems and suffering faced by others, we have learned not to let them affect us. While we may have initially adopted this habit of indifference to prevent the negativity from affecting us, it is slowly beginning to change the way in which we react to situations where our empathy is imperative.

In the case of Gen Z, the standard for connecting with people is quite different, as members of this generation do not only travel on the streets of the crowded real world but also on the extraordinarily populated pathways of the internet. On the internet, we can learn about the entire life of an individual without ever knowing their name. We can share stories, ask questions, and connect with millions of people without them ever having to know what we look like. While these facts definitely pose their own set of dangers and concerns, they also provide a crucial new ability—the ability to care about the stories of everyone we interact with. Empathy begins at a place of connection. So, the new generations who have access to the internet can develop empathy for the suffering of people that may take place all over the world, even if they may never directly meet those who are facing these problems.

In the previous generations, a lack of connection between people who lived in different parts of the world meant that some voices were never heard. If they were heard, they were only heard by a small group of people. Today, however, this is no longer true. Today, we can not only hear the voices that were previously stifled, but we can also take action and speak on behalf of them in order to ensure that their suffering and oppression are alleviated. The simple opportunity to hear someone’s story and connect with them through empathy is already quite powerful. However, if we act upon our empathy by taking the right actions and raising our voices where needed, then we can even change the world.

We, as a generation, face the crucial responsibility of finding a way to channel the knowledge, connection, and empathy that we have gained into creating solutions in the real world. We have already begun to take important strides in the areas of creativity and innovation. Yet, there are still many issues that plague our world today that are yet to be solved. Let us empower each other by making the changes that we truly can.