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On June 29th, I had the honour of speaking with a group of five inspirational Canadians under the age of 20. Despite the pandemic causing massive disruption in their lives and exacerbating an already uncertain future, each one of them reflected the strong spirit of resilience, adaptability, and inclusiveness that are hallmarks of this generation.
But let's start with what we know about this generation.1 Almost all of them were born after the year 2000. Often referred to as "digital natives," they are first generation to grow up with the Internet as a more ubiquitous information medium than the newspaper or telephone ever was. Although most are too young to remember it, the first event that marked this generation was 9/11. Other significant geopolitical markers include the rise of global terrorism, the economic collapse of 2008, and one of greatest preoccupation to this generation - the global climate crisis. They are the first generation to believe that in their lifetime, they will be worse off than their parents were.2 Given the significant amount of economic and political instability they witnessed throughout their childhood, it is not surprising that this generation is also characterized as being more anxious, more stressed, and more susceptible to mental health challenges.
The pandemic will most certainly be the hallmark of their generation, although most youth view the current health emergency as simply exacerbating pre-existing economic uncertainties and dispar1 ities rather than adding to them, according to recent surveys.3 The pandemic may be doing the most damage in curtailing social connections, particularly among younger youth who are just developing their social skills, which are critical to mental health and wellness.4
While youth in this cohort are very concerned about future job prospects and the rising costs of living, they tend to have a broader world view and avoid prioritizing individual needs and concerns. This is likely due to their connectedness through social media, which heavily influences their perspectives about diversity, inclusion, and equality. They live more frugally for environmental as well as economic reasons and are more actively engaged in social justice causes such as the Black Lives Matter movement both at home and around the globe. They are more inclined to trust activist movements and community organization rather than governments...