'Dear parents, this is what I want you to know about being a teenager in 2022.'

Dear parents,

Growing up in this day and age is hard.

We know you’re trying your best... but there are some things that we're going through that you just don’t get. They weren’t around when you were younger. 

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We understand you like to relive your glory days and tell us about your youth. And I'm sure when you won your netball finals in high school and didn’t get invited to the after party, it was tough. 

But did you have to go through the pain of having to see it painted everywhere you turned on social media when you were stuck at home crying?

Just graduating high school last year, I can tell you, growing up in a fast moving world surrounded by technology and in an erratic time of COVID, can feel unstable for a teenager.

Teenagers are growing up in a time where Vegemite sandwiches and a side of vaping is the new 'cool' school lunch. It's a time where you can stalk your high school ex-boyfriend or your former friend having a good time at a party on social media. Or a time when your friends are dieting and drinking green juices at 17 years old in an attempt to look like an Instagram model because duh... formal is coming up.

It is traumatising seeing all of your so called 'friends' at a party on Snapchat Maps, or seeing photos of the party on Instagram Stories. 

As a teenager, when you see these things, you start to analyse yourself, the person you are at school, and how you behave. You feel isolated and alone. 

This isn’t the only scenario where a Gen Z teenager can feel excluded. In fact, there are many experiences that we are currently going through that teenagers two decades ago would’ve never understood. 

From figuring out your sexuality, to sexting, to online life, this is all unknown territory.

I understand my grandparents had to walk what sounded like 10 kilometres through the Sahara Desert to get to school. But would they be able to survive the technological, entirely unachievable Instagram world that teenagers live in today?

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Of course, there is a positive side to the online world. 

In fact, society is beginning to discuss topics such as consent, gender fluidity, and more. All new topics that wouldn’t have been discussed if it wasn’t for our generation seeing these issues and wanting change.

Amongst all the obvious dooming negativities teenagers have to go through nowadays, such as social media platforms that intensify body image issues, teenagers have had to adapt and overcome.

We are a resilient generation that has overcome battles during the pandemic, missing the important milestones of a young person’s life, including graduating high school and starting university. And through the use of social media, we will learn that life isn’t all butterflies and daisies sooner rather than later, only making us stronger and more nurturing.

I wonder what we will be like as adults. I wonder what we will be like as leaders. Will we be more nurturing and understanding to those being oppressed?

Older generations may be sh*tting on our approach to the future, saying we don’t have full-time, stable jobs, or we aren’t taking the traditional, linear pathway to success. But with the rise of automation and new jobs being created every day, the "selfish, phone obsessed generation" doesn't need to commit to these older ideals.

We get it. You’re concerned for us; we are your babies. But I don’t think we are precious as you think we are. 

I personally don’t think the future is f**ked by having Gen Z as the world's future leaders, considering how we have been brought up.

I mean, only time will tell, but there are definitely important lessons and hurdles that teenagers have overcome in the last few years that I think will benefit everyone in the future.

Love from,

Gen Z x

Ruby Randall may only be 18 years old, but she has well over 18 topics that she is passionate enough to write about. By sharing her experiences as the eyes of a new generation, she aims to connect with women of all ages who may have similar experiences so they can feel comfortable about themselves or maybe even gain some new insights. You can follow her Instagram @rubyrrandall.

Feature Image: Instagram / @rubyrrandall.