Dear Generation-Z: Please Don't Use Us As An Example, But Rather, Learn From Our Mistakes

On behalf of Generation-Y, I would like to address our succeeding generation.

Gen-Z, we have made a few mistakes here and there that we think you should learn from and a few highlights we'd like you to carry forward. I never thought I'd say such a thing at age 25, but listen to your elders:

Communication Sensation

Generation-Y is the original Internet generation.

You guys may have had smartphones since you could crawl, but the communication technology boom only really kicked off when we were teenagers. We discovered instant messaging and MySpace at the same time we were supposed to be discovering ourselves. Can you imagine?

I started liking boys at roughly the same time that MSN Messenger went viral. That was a dangerous combination, let me tell you.

You guys had a head start, so I hope you'll be used to the communication sensation by the time you reach your 20s. I hope that you remember to speak to others face-to-face more than you text and that people still write to each other.

You might need to be reminded of something that my generation never really forgot: A love letter beats an emotional email, hands down.

Technology Tantrum

Speaking of technology, the advancements that took place when we were young were unprecedented and I'm sorry to say that we kind of took them for granted.

Within five years, our phones went from being bulky bricks to petite pebbles and we started to think that access to the latest technology was a human right, not a privilege. In the 21st century, we can get ahold of any information that our hearts desire within two seconds of typing something into Google. That's the kind of gift only science fiction writers could have imagined 50 years ago.

We can read news stories moments after they break, thoroughly research any topic within minutes and social media sites document our entire lives through photos and messages.

Never forget that the world is your oyster and being able to learn more about it whenever you want is a blessing that our parents and grandparents could have never foreseen.

Have Your Say

Partially as a result of the communication and technology phenomena (but also due to the global economic crisis), Generation-Y has formed strong opinions about everything from current affairs to currant buns. We are the generation that knows what it thinks; we have the information to sculpt informed opinions and the means to communicate them.

We write articles, create memes and even use selfies to raise money for cancer research. Get involved in the world, vote, have debates, read manifestos and find the answers to your questions.

Never let apathy take hold. You will help to form the future; you need to know what you think about it and more importantly, what you're going to do about it.

Reality Check

Reality television really kicked off when we were young and it rapidly took over a lot of the media at the time. Whether the participants were famous, crazy or just enjoying a dinner party, our generation could not stop itself from watching (and judging).

I hope that you guys move past this craze and you are more concerned with your own lives than the lives of people you don't know. If you're into celebrity culture, that's fine, but don't forget that reality television and reality are two incredibly different things.

We aren't perfect, Generation-Z, but we did our best. I hope you can learn from our mistakes and make the most of the precedents we set.

Photo via Tumblr