Ever wondered what the next generation thinks about the world they will inherit? We asked Guest Editor Amy Wortmann, ‘What does the future hold for Generation Z?’, here’s her thoughts.
Looking to the future can be challenging. As a teenager, I often puzzle over what lies in store for me. In a world wrought with terrorism, inequality and environmental turbulence, I often wonder what part of it my generation will inherit. Will we see flying cars and medical miracles, or a divided planet desperately in need of repair?
Every day, I find myself bombarded with horror stories on the news: terrorism, political debates and poverty fill my vision of the future with fear. The world I know today is ravaged with plights, which we must carry into the future. Global quandaries, from world hunger to the refugee crisis, will provoke a political sea change. While I am uncertain how we will resolve these issues, I can only hope that, in the future, we will have moved on from this period of inequality.
More pressingly, our planet is dying under our feet. The threat of climate change looms over our fragile ecosystem; as we sputter chemicals into the air and hack through hectares of habitat, species are disappearing all around. Ten years ago, I would never have suspected the animals I loved would be in danger. Now, I wonder if my children will ever get to see a rhinoceros. I am afraid that, without action, we will be forced to leave parts of our beloved natural world in the past. The environment desperately needs a healer; will my generation arrive too late?
However, in the midst of this panic, I see hope for the future ahead. Every day, new discoveries are being made, from scientific phenomena to groundbreaking technological advancements. Perhaps, in the future, we will have found the answers to the questions we’ve spent years cultivating: how can we cure cancer? What strange creatures lurk at the bottom of the sea? Will we ever find the exact value of pi?
Just as a farmer sows seeds, today’s painstaking work will manifest as successes in years to come. I believe that our future will be one of uncertainty, but also of advancement. Above all else, we are the pioneers of our own future. We may not choose the world we inherit, but we can choose what we do with it. I believe that the future holds both challenges and triumphs, and although I am only young, I am confident that, when it is time, my generation will rise to meet those issues.
By Amy Wortmann, Year 12 Matthew Flinders Anglican College
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