We live in a time when we have more opportunities, information, and comfort than ever before. Yet, more and more people feel tired, dissatisfied, or powerless. We have access to technology, travel, education, and entertainment, but at the same time, we face problems that affect our everyday lives, from mental health and social isolation to poor-quality food, consumerism, and the constant pressure of social media.

Of course, every era has had its problems. The difference may be that today we are surrounded by them constantly. We only need to open our phones and, within seconds, we are flooded with news about wars, political conflicts, the climate crisis, corruption, and economic problems. It is therefore not a surprise that many young people are beginning to feel that the future they will be left with may not be better than the present.

How has the system failed us?

Many people express dissatisfaction with the system, but at the same time do not know where to look for solutions. Distrust often comes from a lack of opportunities, corruption, or the feeling that an individual has no real influence over how the country is managed.

Young people know that political decisions affect their education, housing, employment opportunities, environment, and ability to start a family. Yet these issues are often discussed with them only to a limited extent.

No one asked them for their opinion.

A lot of young adults feel deep distrust in governments, parliaments, and other public institutions. They do not feel that they have an influence on how the state functions, while at the same time feeling excluded from society. How can we expect them to be interested in public policy when they feel that public policy is not interested in them?

Escape or giving up are not the only options

When people stop believing that they can change anything, leaving often becomes a natural reaction. Many young people therefore look for their future abroad, while others completely lose interest in politics. Some find an answer in extremism and simple solutions to difficult problems.

Moving abroad can be a great experience. It allows people to study, work, discover other cultures, and gain a new perspective on the world. The problem comes up when leaving is not a free choice, but the only way to escape a feeling of powerlessness.

If a large part of the younger generation no longer feels connected to their country, this is not only a problem for young people. It is a problem for society as a whole.

What can we do about it?

Change can begin at the local level. We can support youth committees and school councils, programmes that allow young people to travel, learn, and gain new experiences, and create spaces for regular discussions between young people and representatives of local government.

Young people should not only be invited to events where they are expected to present something. They should have a seat at the table when decisions are being made about issues that will affect their future.

The most important thing is also the simplest: listen to young people, respect their opinions, and give them a genuine opportunity to participate in decision-making.

Change does not have to start in government

We often feel that if we want to change society, we have to become politicians. We do not. Change can begin with small steps. Use your right to vote. Learn about candidates and their programmes, not only political parties. Ask what they actually want to change and how they plan to achieve it.

Get involved in volunteering, even if it is only for one hour a week. Pay attention to your surroundings. If there is an illegal dumping site in your town, pothole, a broken bench or street lighting that does not work, report it. We can also monitor public finances and contracts through publicly available platforms.

These things may seem like small actions. But they are exactly what civil society is built on.

We also need to rethink our way of life

Fighting the system sometimes means reconsidering what we support through our everyday behaviour.

We can waste less food, buy clothes more responsibly, and think more carefully about what we actually need and what creates another desire to consume. It is not about one person saving the planet by doing small actions. It is about changing the way we think.

Many of us grew up with greater access to goods, technology, and convenience than previous generations. We can buy almost anything, whenever we want. We are constantly being told that we need another product, another experience, another dose of dopamine. Perhaps that is exactly why we need to rediscover the value of things that cannot be bought: community, friendship, nature, creativity, volunteering, genuine conversation, and the feeling that we belong somewhere and that our actions matter.

We should not wait for someone to save us

It is easy to say that the system is broken. It is easy to say that politicians are corrupt, young people have no future, and society is going nowhere. It is much harder to ask ourselves: What am I doing?

We do not have to change the entire system at once. We can start where we actually have influence: at our school, workplace, within our community, in our town, or in our electoral district.

We need to stop seeing young people only as future citizens. They are citizens already. They have the right to speak about their future because they are the ones who will live in it the longest. If we want a stronger society, we need to rebuild trust between people and institutions.

It is not enough to point fingers. Democracy is not something that happens somewhere far away between politicians: democracy is also what we do today when we notice a problem in our community and decide not to ignore it.

Laura Lőwingerová