The birth of a new generation does not just refer to the formation of a young population. Instead, it refers to the creation of a novel set of beliefs and values stemming from the characteristics and exposure unique to that new generation. This means that all generations are distinguishable from each other by both their ages as well the manner in which they behave.
Each generation from each period of time is much like a river that flows on its own strange journey. These rivers may meet or meander around each other, but they will never converge.
A common phenomenon that young people battle each day is the generational gap. Although we seek independence as part of our process of growth, we all require the guidance of those who are more experienced. Oftentimes, this guidance comes from our parents, older relatives and teachers.
One of the major issues that arise through this process of moulding is that the qualities that our older generations value and may wish to see in the future generations may not always be useful or necessary for life as they are today. On the other hand, our generation also has the tendency of overlooking important lessons and ideas that can improve our quality of life simply because they are deemed old-fashioned.
Recently, I discovered an extremely interesting process termed speciation. Speciation can be defined as the phenomenon whereby a specific part of a group of animals develops distinct characteristics through natural selection and evolution. These unique features eventually result in that part of the group splitting into its own group or species.
For example, millions of years ago, there was a species of Finch that populated the Galapagos Islands, called the Galapagos Finch. Over the course of several million years, as different groups of the birds settled in different parts of the Islands, they each began to develop unique beak shapes in order to adapt to the main food sources available in their location. For example, some finches evolved to have long, thin beaks to feed from flowers while some finches acquired short, blunt beaks to crack seeds and nuts. Changes like these eventually caused the creation of whole new sets of species.
Mankind as a whole is a species that is constantly changing and evolving. However, there is a pattern to this process of evolution. Every time a new generation is brought forth, there are different parts of life that this generation leaves behind. On the other hand, it also expresses new features and qualities as a way of adapting to the changes in our world. For instance, we are evolving from a species that pollutes and destroys, to a species that actively works towards the protection of its planet.
The generational gap is one of the most evident portrayals of the new features that each generation displays. Although we may see changes in our generation that can sometimes make humanity unfamiliar to us, we must remember that these very changes are what ensure that we thrive and survive. Similarly, we must also remember the path that we have taken in order to reach our present.
Sonali Bendre once said: “To bridge the generation gap, one needs to adapt to the new while retaining the goodness of the old.”
In this manner, we can live in a future that has been created not by a single person or organisation, but instead by the hands of all the generations that have lived on our planet.
