What Does Writing Mean to the Next Generation?

Seven high-school students reflect on the power of words in our cultural and political moment.

Nowadays, it can feel impossible to navigate the rapidly changing highs and despairing lows that have come to define our cultural and political moment. I’ve already witnessed two financial collapses, decades of war, the resurgence of fascism, the loss of civil rights, climate change, and a global pandemic before turning thirty.

But what about the generation that is coming into adulthood through this same global upheaval? This is something I think about often, and face daily, as a high school teacher.

While my generation, and those that preceded us, had more evidence to believe in the adage that the future can only be better, teenagers today do not have the same luxury. But they are not afraid to write for the future they want.

I asked my Brooklyn-based ninth graders what writing means to them in 2022. Below are the responses of seven students. As you read, consider what your own relationship to writing looked like when you were at a similar stage and how these responses may offer an echo or departure from it.

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Writing means taking action. Writing means changing the world. Writing means ensuring others’ safety. Our First Amendment right as Americans is the freedom of expression, signifying that we have the ability to speak freely about our opinions. Gen Z is realizing previous decades’ mistakes regarding how the earth and its inhabitants have been treated. Through writing, we can communicate our solutions to global problems. We can write letters to legislators in Congress. Writing isn’t something you learn in school for no reason—although it can seem that way.

Teenagers today do not have the same luxury. But they are not afraid to write for the future they want.

This year, I wrote a speech about the insecurity of gun access in America, a problem that just keeps growing in intensity and fatality. This project led me to research many different opinions, statistics, and laws on the topic. I was able to construct a way to share the research I found, along with sharing my opinion on the topic. Writing doesn’t need to be just factual. In fact, people tend to be more captivated by writing when there are more emotional aspects present in the piece.

Ultimately, the act of writing will always be able to effect change in society. The power is at your fingertips.

—Malia Rodriguez

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We all write for different reasons. Writing serves us in a multitude of ways and imparts information of all kinds. But no matter why or what one writes, there is one thing that writing provides everyone: interconnectedness. And in a period of time in which people can feel unsafe connecting in person due to issues such as Covid-19 and gun violence, writing may hold more importance than ever.

Writing benefits us by allowing us to stay connected to our loved ones. Whether in the form of letters, emails, or texts, writing is one of the few ways that we can reach out to our families and friends with security and safety. This is a great comfort in an increasingly chaotic world.

These connections extend further than the people we hold dear. We live in a political time period in which the truth has incredible value, and through writing, the truth can be spread quickly throughout our communities, enriching our knowledge and awareness.

Writing also connects us emotionally, as a means of self-expression. Personally, I sometimes feel overwhelmed by the challenges I face socially and academically as a high school student, and writing is a way that I can release my stress and worries and creatively share my feelings with others.

Writing holds immeasurable value because it connects the world, gives us a means to express ourselves, and gives us the ability to seek out and learn the truth.

—Arlo Schwartzer

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In today’s world, writing has tremendous power because of the diversity of information and how rapidly it can travel. We are able to share our opinions and educate people about unique perspectives while also providing information we believe is important. With complete freedom and no rules that keep a writer shackled to a specific topic or form of writing, the options are infinite. During a speech project my class was assigned this past year, we were able to create our own research paper based on the topics that interested us the most. This gave us creative freedom to pursue what we felt was relevant and pertinent, which made the project much more satisfying to complete. Through this project, I was able to understand and learn more about my classmates and what matters to them. Words are extremely powerful because they have the opportunity to impact the listener and inspire them to create change. Being able to have a voice in our society is incredibly important, and words are essential in teaching and informing people.

—Alexa Rodriguez

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My relationship with words, both written and spoken, has evolved as I have become more aware of their value as tools of expression in a world that continues to change. At a recent protest for abortion rights, I joined hundreds of protestors who marched for a woman’s right to choose. The signs we carried were empowering and told stories of pain, fear, and hope. Oftentimes, the words of a poster can shout louder than chants. They stand high above the protestors and can be seen and read even when the chanting is drowned out by the traffic and car horns. Their messages can be photographed and reposted long after the march has ended.

This is the incredible power of writing. It doesn’t matter what language or even the intent of the author; the tone and circumstance of the world and the individual can transform the writing into something necessary. Writing is a way of bringing normalcy to chaos or misunderstanding and a way to introduce new ideas and express old emotions. Writing shares ideas and brings people together among differences. As the world continues to evolve, that is something we deeply need.

—Mackenzie Lynton

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In school we are often given assignments that often have little relevance to today’s issues. However, the students in my English class were lucky to be given the opportunity to write a speech about a current cultural or political moment that we felt was important and something that we cared deeply about.

Like so many women in this country, the possibility of Roe v. Wade being overturned leaves me terrified and angry. Writing about this life-changing movement allowed me to not only educate people on this topic but personalize it. Presenting my speech in front of my peers made me feel like I have a voice that can be used and heard by others. It made me feel like I could influence the way people think. I believe that writing about a topical subject gives purpose to my writing and makes it enjoyable. I was able to not only express myself but also communicate with others what I am passionate about.

Because of the events unfolding in the world, my writing has become deeper and has more purpose behind it.

When writing about this subject matter, I made a discovery. There is a correlation between the choice to have autonomy over our own bodies and the freedom of expression when choosing words and ideas in our writing. I hope that this experience of self-expression continues to empower me and future generations to make a change.

—Greta Fagin

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Writing in this significant cultural and political moment is different from previous times because it requires more caution and care. You are no longer writing for school or some rubric given to you by the teacher; you are writing for yourself. I felt this personally when writing an essay on global warming. My entire writing process was completely different than it was a year or two ago. While some may say that the difference is likely just because I am maturing and learning more about literature, it’s not so much the quality of writing that has changed but the purpose behind it. I used to write to answer a simple question, but now I write to uncover more, and I learn more from the journey of writing than the end product. The reason I bring this up is because I have only changed how I write because of the historical moment we are witnessing now, with Covid-19 and near-daily protests. When writing today, you need to make sure your purpose is clear. I don’t think it would be an exaggeration to say that I reread my work more than three times when I write something to make sure that it can’t be interpreted in a way I did not intend. I also feel that I try to give multiple meanings so that if the reader wanted to they could analyze my writing further and learn more from it. Because of the events unfolding in the world, my writing has become deeper and has more purpose behind it because I am more cautious and I pay more attention to small details. This care, in turn, gives it more meaning to me.

—Noel Cleary

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To me, writing is a way to express yourself, your concerns, and your values. Writing is notably important right now since there are so many different overlooked issues that society should be shining more light on. Writing can also build community and connect people in society with similar passions and interests, giving a sense of community that can really help them feel less lost when facing adversity. This is especially important because there are so many different political and cultural issues both in the United States and the world that make it hard to feel settled and supported in life.

Right now, in the United States, there are countless issues, including police brutality, unfair immigration laws, climate change, and more, that need to be addressed and changed. By spreading awareness through writing, we’re able to make an impact on issues that are important to our lives and allow us to inform and educate others.

Because as much as some don’t like to admit it, the world can only get by with help from other people. Through writing, society can demand change when needed and educate others on pressing issues that impact people and communities worldwide.

–—Scarlett Chajet