“How dare you?” These words, spoken by Greta Thunberg during her speech last fall at the United Nations, shocked people of every generation.
For the first time, a young woman with a platform abandoned politics, courtesy, and flowery language to make a direct accusation to the adults in power. It’s solidified her role as a Generation Z icon.
SHE IS DISARMING
The reason our generation loves Greta is because she is honest. Our youth has (in a way that our parents and grandparents haven’t experienced, largely due to technological limitations) been tainted by fake news, extremist politics, and most importantly, the silencing of young people’s voices under the premise that we are uneducated.
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After the 2016 election, our generation has adjusted to lies being common in politics. But, with massive organized protests like the Women’s March, Gen Z has become a generation of activists. We’ve been reading and educating ourselves because we know that knowledge is power.
THE REASONS
We were doing all that we could; the problem was that nobody was listening. We were in the crowd but not on the podium. A generation that is primarily composed of minors couldn’t possibly have access to the political stage. Until Greta Thunberg.
a strong, powerful, intelligent woman… fully capable
Greta Thunberg is awesome for countless reasons, but the causes for her representation as a Gen Z role model are more focused. First off, she’s a sixteen-year-old girl with Asperger’s. Her very existence is a beautiful example of a strong, powerful, intelligent woman who is fully capable of making logical and sound arguments.
HER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
She’s on the spectrum – she’s young, and she’s a woman. She is representing oppressed and marginalized groups, even if unintentionally. She’s a role model for girls, people with disabilities, but most of all, young people. She’s showing the adults in charge that our generation will save the world, correct their mistakes, and take the stage. However, Greta’s global impact isn’t only holding people in power accountable and affecting positive environmental change.
Her youth is her defining trait. For a generation that doesn’t really have a voice, Greta Thunberg has made politics accessible. She’s engaged young people across the globe and made it so that our generation knows that you don’t need to be extraordinary to affect change. Greta goes beyond a role model: she’s proving to every adult that has tried to silence Gen Z‘s opinions, thoughts, and overall input in global issues that they’re wrong. She’s not only showing them that they are wrong to silence us, she is showing what a positive impact our contribution can bring. She has single-handedly changed the world. And on top of encouraging environmental change, such as the Green New Deal, Greta Thunberg has inspired everyone her age (and everyone else, honestly) to follow her footsteps.
RELATING TO OUR FUTURE
Greta Thunberg is one of many youth activists to create a global shift in the past few years, leading us and fighting for a cause that most of us hold dear. She represents a smart, determined young woman that our generation cannot only look up to but relate to. She is a guiding light that will enable this generation to secure a better future for itself.
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About the Article
A look at Greta Thunberg, 17 year-old environmentalist, activist and Gen Z icon.
