We are the world!

 Thank you for all the love I received on my last blog. You all inspire me to keep following my passion and I am so thankful for that. 

In this blog, I want to talk about the Teens . I am 16 years old and I have a lot of faith in the current generation of teens. While a lot of people will argue that they don’t, I see teenagers around me and on the internet too. I am always amazed by them. I want to talk about 4 famous teenagers who I am inspired by. While there are more, these 4 make the blog because of the diversity in the things they do.

I had to start with Greta Thunberg. She is a 17 year old Swedish environmental activist who is internationally known for challenging world leaders to take immediate action for climate change mitigation. If you have read my blog on how the Idea of Tynkrr came to being you would know that she had a big effect in inspiring me to start Tynkrr. She openly criticises world leaders for their failure to take what she considers sufficient action to address the climate crisis. Her speech at the UN made her mark as a strong willed girl who is a force of nature. Her voice is very powerful and she is a great role model for young activists.

Second is Robert Irwin. I have been a huge fan of him for a few years.  He is the son of Steve Irwin, a wildlife expert. He is a zookeeper and runs Australia Zoo with his mother and sister. I came across Robert Irwin through his interview with Jimmy Fallon when he was just 13 year old. Not only does he have a very genuine love for  animals, he has a wonderful and driven personality. He calls pythons and tarantulas friendly creatures. Crikey isn't that crazy! He is a brilliant Photographer too. He uses his love for photography to help raise awareness about wildlife conservation. He has also raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Irwins' non-profit organization Wildlife Warriors by auctioning canvas prints of his work at events around the world. He is a true embodiment of passion and also legacy. He was exposed to the world as soon as he was born. He was an internet person even before he could understand it. He also had a very big legacy to fill up after he died. People have constantly compared them. However he has while living up to his father’s legacy, made it his own. It is truly admiral.

Billie Eilish is the next teen on the list. While I don’t listen to her music much, I adore her as a person. Her music has been a big hit and has a huge following. She wrote her first song when she was just 12 years old! When I first came across her, I perceived her as a very matured and aware person. She has openly talked about her depression. This makes me happy because it shows that teenagers have started accepting mental illnesses and accepting is usually the hardest thing to do. She is known for her eccentric Fashion style and she says that that is because of her body issues.She recently broke the internet with her vogue shoot where she was seen wearing corsets. She was trolled by big news companies. She didn't hold back and gave a fitting reply. A teenager stood against a company who tried to troll her for a magazine photoshoot! This generation is more bold and has been exposed to the harsh world very soon. It might not be ideal for us but it surely has prepared us for the true world.

Finally, Anne Frank. We all know her through her famous diary “The Diary of a young girl”. She was one of the unfortunate victims of the holocast by the German Nazis on the Jews. Her diary was a record of her thoughts and everyday life when her family went into hiding for 2 years. Just imagining hiding to save your life and you can’t contact anyone at all. Very similar to us sitting at homes in isolation with no physical contact. However we are blessed with the internet and social media. Back to Anne, she wrote about her time in hiding in a diary which she was gifted on her 13th Birthday. Diary of a Young girl is an amazing book especially for teenagers to read. While we might not relate to her situation entirely, the way she expresses her feelings with her relation to family and friends, the feeling of loneliness and isolation is incredible. The depth of her thoughts and feelings really tugs at your heartstrings. She also says a line that resonates with me-

” We aren’t allowed to have any opinions. People can tell you to keep your mouth shut, but it doesn’t stop you having your own opinion. Even if people are still very young, they shouldn’t be prevented from saying what they think.”

I started Tynkrr on the very same idea. Young people need to have a voice.

So did India’s top 20 under 20. It is a Brainfeed Magazine Initiative with collaboration with White Canvas India.

I2U2 is a platform for youngsters to present their achievement and cultivate it under the guidance of experienced mentors. This platform focuses on providing youngsters within 20 years of age an opportunity of creating an impact and getting recognized for the same.

I applied at the end of December last year and I have been shortlisted for the Top 100. Yaay! 

These types of Initiatives are extremely important to bring the youth to a larger platform to show their talent and give them a chance to try to bring change.

I very strongly believe teenagers have the power to bring change.If you are a teenager , don’t ever think what you do doesn’t matter. It matters more than you ever imagine. The world needs you more than they know. 

Teens have already started changing the world. 

My dad’s favourite poet, Kahlil Gibran said it well-

“Your children are not your children.

They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.

They come through you but not from you,

And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.

You may give them your love but not your thoughts,

For they have their own thoughts.

You may house their bodies but not their souls,

For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow,

Which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.”

Youth can look beyond most people. Our stakes in the future are much higher, so we must be the ones influencing it the most!

Stay safe and Stay happy.