Gay !

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Haley Gay
Norton
English III Blended
16 November 2015- 9 May 2016
Youth as Catalysts for Change
Youths are growing up in a world completely different from what their parents and
grandparents grew up in. Today's youth favor change and progress versus tradition. This
generation has pushed forward for equality amongst race, gender, and relationships, breaking
away from what was considered the "norm". When it comes to social issues, majority of youths
tend to agree with the more liberal opinion. Due to multiple factors such as technology, and
education, youths have been able to speak their opinions more. Social media has completely
changed the game when it comes to issue in politics. Examples of the most influential social
media is Twitter. By youths using Twitter they are able to bring awareness to an issue. Youths are
growing up watching mothers and fathers taking on equal responsibilities and branching out
from the tradition family roles. Gay marriage is now legal in all states. These are the effects and
causes of why today's generation are changing the social stance on many issues. I believe youths
are a catalyst for social change because of their access to technology and their passion on
equality.
Youths in this generation have grown up with access to the world. "Young people have
grown up exposed to internet, global popular culture, and easier communications and travel,
which has made the world smaller, more connected, and more accessible." (Anani) The Internet
provides information for all matters. Not only does the Internet provide information but it

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provides opinions. Generations before us didn't have the resources to search all aspects of issues
and completely educate themselves. If I were to want to understand any social issue, I could
simply research it and articles, websites, videos, etc., would appear. An example of youths
making a social change is gay marriage. Young people were using their voice by sharing their
opinions on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. They took a stand in person and used the power of
social media to attract attention to an issue they thought was important. I would say youths are a
leading factor to the legalization of gay marriage.
Even with all this access to technology and the ability to share their opinions, youths are
only catalysts for social change to a certain extent. Voter turnout has been at a low for young
people and has been decreasing, especially with local elections. "Americans age 18 to 29 made
up just about 13 percent of those who voted in this year's elections, down from 19 percent in
2012." (Ariel) Voting used to be seen as a duty and has become more of a choice this generation.
Many youths believe that if you are not well-informed then you should not vote while older
generations believe you should always vote. Matthew Ogbeifun, 20 year old, states "I view
voting as more of a choice, more of a privilege, and that we should use it wisely." Turning 18 and
being able to vote is not seen as a huge privilege of becoming an adult nowadays. I believe that
some youths believe their single vote doesn't matter in the overall look. If you live in a
republican state and vote democratically, how effective would your vote be? While youths have
access to social media and the ability to educate themselves, they don't always use their sources
to the fullest extent. However, I believe this generation supports progression for social change.

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Works Cited
Anani, Ghida. "What Role Do the Youth Play in Effecting Nonviolent Social Change and Why?"
Newtactics. Center for Victims, 27 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Edwards-Levy, Ariel. "Millennials Really Don't Think Everybody Should Vote." Huffington Post.
Thehuffingtonpost, 21 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Wallace, Kelly. "The Upside of Selfies: Social Media Isn't All Bad for Kids." CNN. Turner
Broadcasting System, Inc., 7 Oct. 2014. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.