After a decade of youth considering spirituality uncool, how & why has the youth of 2024 started to feel a sense of connectivity and belief in god and spirituality again?
You see, when I was growing up, spirituality was not something that was cool or trendy. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Most of my friends and peers were either atheists, agnostics, or indifferent to religion. They saw spirituality as something outdated, irrelevant, or even oppressive. They thought that being spiritual meant being dogmatic, judgmental, or superstitious. They valued science, reason, and logic over faith, intuition, and mystery.
But something has changed in the past few years. I’ve noticed that more and more young people are becoming interested in spirituality. They are exploring different paths and traditions, such as Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Paganism, Wicca, and more. They are practicing meditation, yoga, prayer, rituals, and other forms of spiritual expression. They are reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts, and joining online communities related to spirituality. They seek guidance from mentors, teachers, gurus, and coaches who can help them grow spiritually.
Why is this happening? What has caused this shift in attitude and behavior? Well, I have a few theories.
First of all, I think that the pandemic of 2020-2021 had a huge impact on the way young people view life and death. The pandemic exposed the fragility and uncertainty of human existence. It made us realize how vulnerable we are to disease, disaster, and death. It also made us question the meaning and purpose of our lives. Why are we here? What are we supposed to do? How can we make a difference? These are existential questions that require spiritual answers.
Secondly, I think that the social and political turmoil of the past few years has also influenced the way young people approach spirituality. The world has become more divided, polarized, and violent than ever before. We have witnessed wars, terrorism, racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, and other forms of hatred and oppression. We have also seen corruption, injustice, inequality, and environmental degradation. We have felt angry, frustrated, hopeless, and helpless. We have longed for peace, justice, harmony, and healing. These are moral issues that require spiritual solutions.
Thirdly, I think that the technological and scientific advancements of the past few years have also affected the way young people relate to spirituality. The world has become more connected and is seeking hope from its roots.
Well, all I would wish for is the expression of happiness and respect of belief amongst all, because humanity comes first.