Youngsters today, more than Generation-X and baby boomers, are inspiring people and changing the world for the better. Einstein once said: “We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them.” With this powerful message from one of the world’s genius minds, it is understood that it is crucial for millennials to impact on other lives and bring about change, whether it be in their local community, or internationally. According to the 2017 Deloitte Millennial Survey, 77% of millennials have involved themselves in charity or a “good cause”. I have gathered the story of three youth, all from different countries, to show how they affect their world.

The first one is a girl from England who volunteers at a local nursing home. She admits that the home is not a “fun” place to visit, but this has taught her many things from interacting with the residents. Old people are often the greatest sources of knowledge from our history, and they have much to share from their personal experiences during the Second World War, to the way people of color were seen back then. Even if she is an introvert, she went out of her way to mingle with people two generations older than herself to improve the lives of those people and bring them some comfort from their daily routines. Old people often feel lonely, and she is able to change their state of mind only by her presence and her assistance.

Volunteering at animal shelters is another way the youth contribute to their society in a positive way. A 19 year-old boy narrated the situations in which the animals are in his country, India. He told me about how the state of the cats are in deplorable conditions, and how dogs can eat the newborn kittens as well. Working at this animal shelter has taught him that there is indeed a soul in every animal, and that each should be treated with respect. Animals are often left to roam around the streets and are denied of love, but with the help of some people taking care of them, their condition can be salvaged. He says that “help is always needed”, and anyone can work with animals during their free time or even try to save animal lives when they are seen straying with a broken leg or a fractured spine. If someone does not know what to do, they can bring the animals to the nearest shelters, or to a veterinary if they need immediate attention.

Another millennial, from my country, Mauritius, shares his joy of working with kids. His experience has changed him in many ways, but mostly it has made him become an inspiration for these children. Whatever he does, he tries to think of ways in which this could inspire them even more, and to teach them his passions; one of which is football. By looking up to him, the children see this sport as a passion too, and they have a smile up on their faces while they are playing on the field, even if most of them come from broken families. The downside to this though, is that he has become so close to the kids that he can see their reality for what they are, which is a lot of times, “atrocious”, and this can affect him to a great extent. However, this also encourages him to help them even more and to encourage others to support his cause and to aid in charity.

Millennials then, are not as bad as how the news portray them to be. There are a thousand more stories of youth out there doing positive things to help their society for the better. Some of these stories are acknowledged, and others remain unknown. The most important thing to take away from this is that we can all help others in our own little ways. We just need the motivation to do it. If companies could support those youth who are trying to aid the world around them, much more could improve in our society too.