#93: Age is Just a Number

When we grow up, we are plagued with our parents and other elders telling us “You’ll understand when you’re older” and not believing/understanding/hearing out what we have to say. So when we do get older, we are ecstatic to reach an age where we feel like we will start to be heard. I think the age when I started feeling that way was probably 18, when I became a legal adult. Although, it might have come when I was a little bit older and in college. I know that, by my current age, 24, I am long past the point of feeling free to voice my own opinions. I view myself as a fully grown adult. I have a college degree, have a legitimate corporate job that is decent pay, and am in a serious relationship. The only thing that makes me feel like I’m not 100% an adult is that I currently live in an apartment with my mom. (I pay rent, as we are roommates, so don’t think I’m that mooching adult living in her parents’ basement! My mom is single, and it helps us both to have a roommate.) But I feel like, even though I don’t have my own place, since the economy is in the tubes, and affording a place on your own seems to be a huge feat these days, I’m still grown up. I’m educated. I’m intelligent. I’m up to date on current events. I know the law (for the most part.) I know my rights as a U.S. citizen. I am up to date on the problems that my country is currently facing. I’m up to date on the issues being discussed amongst political parties in my country. I’m up to date on the concerns of my country’s citizens today. I am familiar with the changes being made in my country today. If you are like me, then you have done everything in your power to become knowledgeable enough to have your own opinion on topics such as universal healthcare, closing of the borders, gay rights, women’s rights, “Black Lives Matter,” police brutality, etc. – any and all of the “hot topics” you see on the news in the U.S. today. Well, guess what. If you’re 20-something, even though you’re an adult and highly educated, you will STILL face much scrutiny with people who look down on you based on your age. I hate to burst your bubble, but my bubble was burst recently, and that’s why I’m writing this.

I’d like to throw out there that I understand looking at a child or a teenager and, based on their actions and what they say, thinking “Wow, that girl is a little immature. She’ll grow up and become more mature as she gets older, and her views will likely change along with that maturity level. She will understand better when her brain is fully developed, as brains are still developing throughout the course of childhood. Her views will progress as she becomes older and wiser, as that happens for everyone.” I get that. But, as a fully grown adult at the age 24, I have a hard time believing that my views are still subject to much change. My brain is fully developed. I am educated and intelligent. I’ve held a lot of my views my entire life, although some minor views have changed. I realize that, for the course of my entire life, my perspective will grow, widen, and progress. I realize that, as I grow older, as is the same for everyone, I will become wiser and more knowledgeable. I will grow with the times, and my perspective will grow as well. I will start to understand concepts more fully and become more realistic with my expectations. I will realize the more important things in life and be able to brush off the things that don’t really matter as much. However, my core values will NOT change. If they did, I would be a flip-flop. People would view me as hypocritical. People would learn to not trust me. I would not be dependable, and no one would want me on their side of any issues, for fear that I would switch sides again and abandon them. My core values will not change. I will never believe it’s ok to deny someone his/her civil rights due to his/her sexual preference. I will never believe it’s ok to torture animals in a factory farm. I will never believe it is ok to abandon pets on the streets when you get tired of them. Or to engage in any kind of violent acts when it is not absolutely necessary. Or to treat any person as less than human. These are just a few of my core values. I will never back down from these, including many others. My perspective on these concepts may grow and widen, and I may become more knowledgeable about them, but my values will not change. And if I voice my opinion about them, I will most likely have done my due research on the topics before speaking. If I haven’t, I will mention that as a disclaimer, so as to let everyone know to take that opinion with a grain of salt, as I need to know more about the subject before expressing a true, full opinion on the matter. I don’t know about anyone else, but that goes for me, and I’m sure it probably goes for a lot of other 20-somethings.

The reason I’m writing this isn’t to rant about someone who rubbed me the wrong way by tossing aside my opinions due to my age. It’s to explain several reasons why 20-somethings, as a whole, are credible sources for knowledge and opinions. There are quite a few things that older folks need to realize and accept about 20-somethings. Here’s why I think 20-somethings deserve to be heard:

1. We grew up in the age of technology and current events. We have lived through some huge historical events already, even at such a young age: The September 11 attacks, Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq/Afghanistan War, to name the big ones. Due to technological advances in recent years, we have been up to date on all of these events the minute they have happened. We have literally lived through it, even if we weren’t there ourselves. I wasn’t in New York on 9/11/01. I wasn’t in Louisiana during Katrina. I definitely have never been to Iraq or Afghanistan. But we all have gotten a huge, up-close look at the events surrounding these catastrophes, simply because we grew up in the technological era. Our grandparents have never even learned how to use computers. (Well, mine have, but they are very young grandparents. However, most elderly folks don’t even touch computers.) Some parents aren’t even very computer savvy. I remember having to teach my mom how to text when I was just a teenager. (She caught on well, by the way.) We grew up with tvs, computers, smart phones, etc. We got access to all the national and local news the fastest out of anyone before us. We grew up in schools that were able to teach us all about current events, get us involved in them, and get our opinions on them, simply because we had access to all of that information, because again, we have lived through the age of advanced technology! That’s not to say that the people who were born before us haven’t had access to all of this information as well. But I bet you that, when they were 20-somethings, they didn’t have access to as much information on current events as we have had growing up, and not as quickly. And 20-somethings these days have been so involved in current events. We all have opinions on everything, and maybe that’s because we are so knowledgeable about them. I think it’s a brilliant, amazing thing to have an opinion on something. I also think that, in most situations, it’s a good thing for there to be several different opinions on a single subject. If everyone agreed on everything, life would be boring, and progression wouldn’t even be possible.

2. We are increasingly progressive. We are all for change, acceptance, open-mindedness, & education. We want to make a change. It’s not that generations past haven’t wanted to make a change, but these days, young people are all about moving foward.

3. We are the most open-minded generation yet. First it was an issue of race. In generations past, people discriminated against the Native Americans, the Irish, and African Americas. Then it was an issue of gender. Women had to fight for their right to vote and to be treated as equals to men. Then it was an issue of rights for folks with disabilities. Now it’s an issue of LGBTQ+ rights. As time has progressed, people have become more open-minded and pushed for equal rights for all. Now it seems we’re toward the end game, and the only problem we seem to really have left (when it comes to the law at least,) is LGBTQ+ rights. Other than that, we’ve seemed to knock all the other ones out. Native Americans are not being slaughtered anymore. The Irish are allowed to work anywhere they would like. African Americans are no longer allowed to be forced into slavery. Women are allowed to vote. Disabled folks are allowed to work. Now, there’s only one thing left, it seems. (That's not to see there's not more room for equality to grow, but at least we are being proactive here.) As the times go on, we become more and more open-minded and accepting of change. This generation seems to encompass that open-mindedness and, not only acceptance for change, but the push for change. That open-mindedness is what makes things happen in this world.

4. According to US News, in the past 3 decades, the percentage of people aged 18-24 attending college have increased dramatically - from 26% to 41%. That means more young people are educated today than they were in the past. In addition, politics, government issues, and global issues have become very popular amongst young people. A lot of young people care, and that should be something that older folks are proud of.

5. We are very hardworking. We grew up poor - in the worst economy since the Great Depression. We grew up in a time when gas cost almost $4/gallon (up until recently.) We grew up in a time when college costs $20,000/semester, yet we were only making $7.25/hour! We had to work our way through college on slave wages, while the cost of living was way higher than those wages. We have powered through the mistakes of our elders. Remember that the older folks are the ones who ruined the economy that young people are now having to live through, and soon we'll be having to fix it as well.

6. We are human beings, and human beings deserve to be heard. If you don’t think we have done enough research on the matter we are expressing concern about, then I understand not buying into our opinions, as well as being annoyed that we spoke without knowing enough about a concept before speaking about it. I get that. I don’t like it when ignorant people express their opinions, but everyone deserves to be heard. Judge the people who haven’t done their research on just that – their ignorance. Don’t just a 20-something based on age. That’s simply not fair if that person is intelligent and knowledgeable about the topic he/she is expressing concerns about.

Also, I'd like to point out that silencing another human being is just generally a bad idea. Do you really want young people to stop caring about this country? I thought that was a good thing. There are so many efforts out there to get young people involved in their communities, country, politics, and government. Do you want us to stop caring about our government and economy? If you silence us based on something so shallow as age, then don't be surprised if we stop getting involved in politics. Don't be surprised if we give up in trying to make a difference in the world or push for better days. I don't ever think it's ok to give up, and it's not my personality to do that, but I fear what happens to other people when they are silenced. This generation comprises future doctors, lawyers, and presidents of this country! We are going to be in control of everything soon, so build us up! If you ignore us now and make us feel like our voice doesn't count, then we won't care when it really DOES count. Not to mention, not listening to another person is highly offensive, especially when the only reason you're not listening is based on something that person can't even control. Saying that young people don't know what they are talking about or that they are full of crap is an unfair, judgmental blank statement. Our opinions are our opinions, and they are valid. They might not be the same as yours, and they might not be the wisest of opinions at times, but they are certainly valid, and we deserve to be heard, even if you disagree.

If you still don’t believe 20-somethings have a lot to offer this world, even at such a young age, then I don’t know what else to say. The only thing I’d really like to mention is that it seems like folks that are older than 20-somethings only seem to pick at 20-somethings when their stances differ. Other than that, everyone is fine with our opinions. So just keep in mind that, just because someone who is younger than you doesn’t share the same opinion as you, it doesn’t mean that is not a valid opinion, or that that person doesn’t have a right to that opinion. Afterall, if I voice an opinion, it is likely that that opinion started somewhere else – especially if it’s from an article I found online or an official holding political office. It is highly likely that the author of that article or that official in office is older than 20-something. If that person is allowed to hold that opinion, and it is looked at as a legitimate opinion when he/she holds it, then why can’t 20-somethings also hold that opinion? At what age do our opinions become legitimate? I have realized that, if by the age of 24, my opinions are still not considered by many to be legitimate opinions, then I’ll likely never be old enough. I’ll be 80 years old, and the one person I’ll find left in this world who is older than I am will always have something to say, like “I hate it when 80-somethings think they know everything.” And I’ll face-palm myself and write another blog entry about how offensive it is to dismiss someone’s opinion based on something that person can not control, particularly when it really has no bearing on whether the opinion is genuine or not. So I think I can speak for 20-somethings everywhere when I say, you should listen to us. We have a lot to say, and we have some great points sometimes. We might not always be right, and we might need some guidance sometimes, but we are a truly amazing generation. Don’t judge based on anything but merit. Because in cases like these, age truly is just a number.