THE NOSTALGIA GENERATION [wattys 2018]

INTRO

do you know what i hate?

when adults say that teenagers today are vapid, shallow, unobservant, entitled and detached about things that go on in this world. i hate that condescending look my aunts and uncles give me when they discuss about wars and ISIS and i would want to join in and they're like:

'you won't understand'

it's like a generalization that all teenagers are stupid people and you fault us for being unable to solve the problems that your generation caused in the first place. you look at us like you don't think we have the empathy to understand war and heartbreak because you think we're self-absorbed, self-indulgent into our pop culture and our social media but i don't think you're aware of the fact that we are more liberal and more accepting than you will ever be. we progressed further than you ever will- socially and technologically.

maybe we are self-indulgent and maybe we are a materialistic generation but i don't think you give us enough credit for what our generation promotes.

i think we are a fearless generation- a more fearless generation than you'll ever be because we are more outspoken than ever before and we are less afraid of breaching out of society's expectations and we are less afraid to call out on what we know is wrong and we are less afraid to say what we think is right, regardless of consequences.

maybe we are the hooligans, the rebellious teenagers that you mock at and jab at but at least we aren't afraid to let our fires burn.

let the fires burn.