Growing up, I was always told that being in college would be one of the most rewarding and challenging times of my life. “You’re going to love it,” my mom would repeat to me anytime she recounted her time at Purdue University. Here I am a decade later, at the University of California, Irvine, sitting at a random table at the edge of the campus. I do love it. She was right. Meeting the demands of living on my own, balancing schoolwork, and meeting new people has been difficult, yet incredibly satisfying. It’s just what I always imagined it to be, except for one thing: the world seems to be crumbling around us.
As I was scrolling through media outlets, these are some of the article I’ve seen in a single day:
“Russian Takes Aim At Urban Areas; Biden Vows Putin Will ‘Pay’” (Associated Press)
“Pfizer Covid Vaccine Was Just 12% Effective Against Omicron In Kids 5 to 11, Study Finds” (CNBC)
“Impacts of Climate Change Now Severe and Widespread, U.N. Panel Says” (The Wall Street Journal)
In the age of social media, it is nearly impossible to distance ourselves from a constant stream of news. It seems as though there is almost always a new global threat presenting itself. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the discussion of urgent social, geopolitical, economic, and environmental issues have become the new normal. As students attempt to maintain a work-life balance, they’re also faced with the knowledge that, as a generation, we will soon be responsible for the world built by our predecessors. We must juggle this while also meeting the demands of the society that we live in—one that shuns you if you don’t have a college degree. But how can we prepare for a future that is so uncertain?
Many people from Generation Z have answered this question by voicing their concerns about crises facing the planet. Greta Thunberg became known worldwide in 2018 for her protest outside of the Swedish Parliament and for beginning the School Strike For Climate movement. Following the murder of George Floyd, calls for police reform and racial justice grew exponentially. Members of our generation, across the world, are becoming involved in the fight against injustices.
But, where does that leave the people like you and me? With so much content endlessly bombarding us, it’s nearly impossible not to grow anxious.
University of California, Irvine freshman Carlie Graham shared some of her fears with me:
I don’t know how an 18-year-old undergraduate student can do anything about it. It doesn’t feel like any action I take against climate change has any significance at all…It’s the people at the top—big corporations—their pollution compared to mine is insane.
Graham’s fears are shared by many, especially young people. Eco-anxiety, worry about future environmental doom from human activity and climate change, are some of the most prevalent of these fears. With new news about climate disasters popping up every day, an increasing number of people grow nervous about our future. Sitting with these feelings of hopelessness has never been easy. What eco-anxiety became for me, though? When I felt the most helpless, I realized that I could turn my fears into something better—a reminder that it’s my turn to act.
Some people claim that their efforts will make no difference in the long run. We may not have the same platform as those at the forefront of popular movements, but that doesn’t mean we’re powerless. Even if the world doesn’t have your attention, the people around you do. In an age of information overload, it’s easy to feel like the action of a single person won’t mean anything. In reality, one person’s decision to start recycling may not keep landfills from filling up, but it’s about so much more than that.
Whether you realize it or not, dear reader, your influence spans far beyond what you might think. Lead by example, and I promise you, others will follow. So, talk about it! Let this article be your inspiration to do a Google search, reach out to a friend, and keep asking questions. Once you’ve found a project you’re passionate about, introduce it to your community, whether it be your sports team, choir, or church. You never know who your message might inspire. From there, the wealth of knowledge can only continue to grow.
One thing remains, though. You may ask, how can we focus on our education when there’s still so much to think about? Doing things that are important to us and getting educated are not mutually exclusive. In fact, they are often the same. Weekly exams, 10-page papers, and a load of scheduling conflicts make it easy to forget that we go to school for reasons beyond gaining employable skills. Our time in college equips us with the tools to tackle challenges in the grander scheme of things. Use your privilege to your advantage. Take what you’ve gained within the walls of the classroom and find where it fits in your life. No amount of good is too little.
With this in mind, it’s also a good idea to take a step back and remove yourself when you need to. Uninstall social media, read a good book, and take some time to reset. After all, you can’t be a trailblazer without a good night’s sleep.