I wish I were a punk rock singer with bright colored hair and combat boots, a microphone broadcasting my voice like a wave over the crowd.
Rebel girl! Loud girl! Strong girl! Revolution!
Punk rock was a radical movement, not afraid to defy conventions and give voice to what was unsaid. I may not be onstage or touring across the country, but I’m passionate and driven to make the world better – common traits in my fellow millennials.
Every choice I’ve made to get to where I am was because I saw a challenge I wanted to learn from or a problem to solve; I wanted to do things my own way and couldn’t picture myself committing to a career path I didn’t love.
We millennials want our voices to be heard by our parents, teachers, peers and bosses, and we want to see change happen in real time. You could say we’re a bit impatient. This mentality isn’t all that different from the punk rock generation that came before, but there is a new, powerful tool in our arsenal and a new microphone to broadcast what matters to us.
The Internet revolution is real, and young people all over the world are using it to cry out “Revolution!” to a global audience. From Libya protests to Wikileaks, we are taking part in online petitions, joining boycotts, expressing views in online forums, getting involved in advocacy social networks, and participating in demonstrations and protest movements.
We feel the same desire to take advantage of career opportunities. We are not afraid to take on challenges that scare us (and probably scare our parents, too). We’ve discovered that in this new, digital age conventional methods don’t work, which makes us hungry for ways to hack the system. That’s pretty punk rock.
This is why I contribute to YSN, because I believe in their mission to help young people achieve their dreams and do extraordinary things with their lives. YSN is listening to young people on a global scale and are committed to helping them succeed. They are also working with companies, organizations and governments to change the conversation around youth initiatives and employment.
We are punk rockers, even if we don’t have bright pink hair.
