I was going to start writing something about some random thing that crossed my mind, but then a conversation with a friend just turned my thoughts to a diametrically opposite direction. When I think of the mental state that my generation is in, I feel a bit of panic…something I can’t put a name to it, but it isn’t a wholesome feeling. While most of us are worried about how many levels of Candy Crush we’ve finished and how to unlock the next level, there are news all over the internet of a cruel world where violence and poverty seems to be the norm. As we cry over our parents not letting us indulge in a dress that we would never wear more than a couple times, there are videos of children wailing in pain.
It makes me wonder where our priorities lie. I know I may be too young to give my opinions on the problems of the world, but what good is the future if we don’t care about our world? The basic point of my rant is – shouldn’t we care that the world is falling to pieces?… That there are people living around us whose families are unstable in their own homeland; that there are madmen in this world who kill and cause chaos; that the world is slowly becoming a dump for some people (read most of us, kids) who don’t really care about anything more than their wallets or Foursquare ranking, and those people who care so much about the wrong things, that they’re willing to lose their humanity over it.
I remember asking my dad as a kid when he was watching the news, ‘Papa, what are they fighting for?’ ‘Good question,’ my father replied. And to this day, I haven’t had that question answered. When people say education is needed to eradicate poverty, violence and all our world’s grave social issues, how far are they right? Do the episodes in History that show bloodshed and ruin, stop any war from being started? It isn’t just “education” that’s missing in this world – it’s humanity.
All I’m trying to say is go out of your comfort zone, stop tweeting about your neighbor’s dog pooping in your garden, and actually do something that might make a difference. Donate to charitable causes, talk to people about things that matter and most importantly, educate yourself and those around you on how to be a better human being. Let’s be the better generation that strives to make a more humane tomorrow.
If you don’t start caring now – then when?
By Mugdha Sunil Polimera
