{"id":177793,"date":"2021-02-13T21:41:30","date_gmt":"2021-02-13T18:41:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/gen-z-needs-to-start-thinking-critically-about-politics\/"},"modified":"2021-02-13T21:41:30","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T18:41:30","slug":"gen-z-needs-to-start-thinking-critically-about-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/gen-z-needs-to-start-thinking-critically-about-politics\/","title":{"rendered":"#Gen Z needs to start thinking critically about politics"},"content":{"rendered":"

“#Gen Z needs to start thinking critically about politics<\/strong>”<\/p>\n

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In our increasingly digitized, secular, and ideologically polarized era, my generation \u2014 Gen Z \u2014 has overwhelmingly turned to political activism in their search for meaning. The rise of BLM protests, climate change rallies, and LGBTQ pride parades over the last half-decade have given young people a religious sense of community and a kind of spiritual mission: that of fighting for \u201cequality\u201d and \u201cjustice.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

On the surface, young people involved in political activism have good intentions \u2014 to fight the evils of racism, misogyny, and homophobia \u2014 and feel genuine compassion for the historically underserved. However, in the quest for \u201cjustice,\u201d a brewing ideological radicalism and prevailing orthodoxy has swept Gen Z.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Capitalism and all its manifestations are now considered dangerous, while advocating for \u201csocial<\/a>ism\u201d \u2014 the new requisite philosophy for entering the cool kid\u2019s club \u2014 is viewed positively by 61 percent<\/a> of Gen Z. A third of young adults<\/a> polled last year supported abolishing the police \u2014 more than any other age group. Blinded by myopic visions of cultural revolution, some young people even justify violence. One poll showed 64 percent<\/a> of college students agreed that last year\u2019s anti-police \u201crioting and looting is justified to some degree.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n

This rise of orthodoxy comes with a growing intolerance. Alternate perspectives that deviate from the mainstream aren\u2019t just discomforting to young people, they\u2019re treated as a mortal threat. Just over 50 percent<\/a> of Gen Z college students believe \u201cshouting down speakers or trying to prevent them from talking\u201d is sometimes or always acceptable.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"In
In one poll, a majority of college students agreed that last year\u2019s anti-police \u201crioting and looting is justified to some degree.\u201d<\/figcaption>
Christopher Sadowski<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the same time, more than two-thirds (68 percent)<\/a> of college students say the campus climate prevents them from expressing their true opinions for fear of offending their classmates. Despite the dogma of culturally emboldened young progressives, many Gen Z thinkers actually crave greater diversity of thought.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Though I just turned 20, I have taken the path less travel<\/a>ed throughout my formative years and now as an opinion writer, consistently seeking out ideas that challenge me. Here are my five tips for how my fellow \u201cZoomers\u201d can do the same:\u00a0<\/p>\n

1) Be skeptical of conventional wisdom\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

What\u2019s popular and culturally dominant isn\u2019t always right. Oftentimes, trendy ideas turn out to be the exact opposite of what they purport. For example, the popular trend of racial bias training tends to reinforce<\/a> rather than reduce racial stereotypes. Black Lives Matter leaders advocate for solutions \u2014 namely reducing police presence \u2014 that put more black lives in marginalized communities at risk. Never blindly \u201ctrust the experts\u201d or mindlessly do what is advertised as \u201canti-racist\u201d or \u201cpro-LGBTQ.\u201d Skepticism is essential to temper the radical currents underlying the popular social movements of our time.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Half
Half of Gen Z college students believe \u201cshouting down speakers or trying to prevent them from talking\u201d is sometimes or always acceptable, as was evidenced in the case of Nicholas Christakis at Yale (right).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

2) Identity is not destiny\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The pervasion of identity politics has many young people making it their spiritual mission to either vigorously surrender their privilege (of being white, male, heterosexual) or engage in \u201cvictimology poker\u201d<\/a> (\u201cI\u2019m more oppressed than you because I\u2019m both black and gay\u201d). This is toxic. Immutable attributes \u2014 your race, gender, sexual orientation \u2014 don\u2019t define human experience. They limit it. Clinging to your identity promotes a kind of solipsism that hinders your personal development and self-growth. Build your personality and invest your time around your cultural interests, intellectual curiosities, and creative musings, all of which are fluid and forever open to change, refinement, and evolution. Ideas are boundless and so is your human potential.\u00a0<\/p>\n

3) Stay open-minded\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Standing up for what you believe in is important but don\u2019t marry yourself to your current opinions. Your views are bound to evolve, stretch, and grow as you get older. In practice, this means don\u2019t isolate yourself in ideological echo chambers \u2014 left or right. Come out of your comfort zone and give the other side a fair hearing. Just because you disagree with someone doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re your enemy. In fact, your perceived political differences are probably not as irreconcilable as you think. Most people are a mixed bag of ideas, with various leanings one way or the other. Be open to changing your mind and shifting your perspective as you become exposed to new strands of interpreting the world.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Young
Young people should follow more diverse voices like Joe Rogan, Bari Weiss and Glenn Greenwald.<\/figcaption>
Getty Images (2); AP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

4) Watch your news<\/a> diet\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

The key to being open-minded is watching your news diet. Striking a balance between intelligent voices on the left and right is essential to thoroughly grasp an issue. Ask yourself: Are you only listening to Shaun King and AOC talk about how racist our society is on Instagram Live? Are you solely watching Ben Shapiro \u201cDESTROYS Leftists\u201d videos<\/a>? If so, your image of the other side might be a caricature: Most liberals are not feelings-centered, anti-factual snowflakes and most conservatives are not uncompassionate, callous bigots. Young people are much better suited listening to \u201cThe Joe Rogan Experience\u201d \u2014 which offers a diverse range of perspectives \u2014 than they are just Fox News or CNN. Also, read independent writers, such as Bari Weiss, Alex Berenson, Glenn Greenwald, and Matt Taibbi, who defy more boxes than they check and have little incentive to follow party lines.\u00a0<\/p>\n

5) Spend less time on social media\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

More than half of Gen Z gets their news from social media<\/a>, particularly Instagram. The left-leaning algorithms<\/a> of social media drive young people to an increasingly radical direction and distort their perception of reality. Spending all of our free time on Instagram posts, Netflix binges, and Twitter wars is also a waste of precious time. Young people should be investing in themselves before spending a lifetime worrying about taxes, kids and other adult responsibilities. Water your creative spirit and be wildly ambitious. Start sketching, make a YouTube channel, or try slam poetry. Don\u2019t be afraid of what others think. When I first started blogging about funny anecdotes<\/a> from my life and the latest trends in hip-hop music in 11th grade, I was widely mocked and ridiculed by my peers. But I brushed it off and kept honing my craft. Now I have the privilege to share my opinions with you.<\/p>\n

\"Social
Social media algorithms drive young people toward increasingly radical views and distort their perception of reality.<\/figcaption>
Getty Images<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Establishing your own footing and individual agency in these times has unfortunately become a costly endeavour. Any dissent is met with scorn and derision. As the great American philosopher Kanye West bluntly put it in his recent podcast<\/a> with Joe Rogan, \u201cTelling the truth is crazy in a world full of lies.\u201d But as long as you\u2019re not engaging in conspiracy theories or provoking just to get reactions, having a contrarian edge is usually a sign of critical thinking. Mindlessly following the social justice trend du jour<\/em> may earn you social credit in the short-term, but it comes at an ultimate cost: selling your soul to the mob.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Rav Arora is a writer based in Vancouver, Canada, who specializes in topics of race, criminal justice and culture. Twitter: @Ravarora1<\/a><\/em>\n <\/div>\n