As teenagers, we have become accustomed to a lack of consequence for our laziness or irresponsibility. For now, the messes we make will be cleaned up. But the older we grow, the less that will be so. Who will be there to bail us out when we’re too lazy to work to pay our rent? Who will keep the dishes from stacking up in the kitchen sink of our apartment?

It is wrong to continue to let others bail us out because it is inconvenient to do it ourselves. We must consider how taking the easy way out may come to the expense of others around us. We must learn to solve our problems ourselves, and we must begin now.

It is easy to fall prey to indifference. With statistics piling upon our backs that humanity has gone past the point of no return and we are running out of time to save it, it is easy for one to allow themselves to give up. If the world is already doomed, what can picking up a little piece of trash do? If the rest of the world falls prey to the temptation of self induced numbness, we will be the cause of our own undoing.

It is our duty to care, not to become indifferent bystanders like our predecessors who looked past the destruction of our fine earth, but to allow ourselves to feel all the pain that comes along with witnessing the bad side of humanity. Let us combat indifference with passion and refuse to let the little things slide.

There’s no time better than the present. While yes, we can always look to the future, we don’t know how much time we have left. Our generation is the generation that has started the revolution. Greta Thunberg has already begun to lead it. With her advocacy, world leaders are now waking up to the reality that our world is quickly changing for the worse. She has ensured that our voice is being heard, and that we can reach a reality where we can live on a clean planet.

As ordinary students, we can also do what Thunberg has done. We can start up our own movements. We can let others know that we are not okay with what is happening in our society. We can let our voices be heard and we can let the voiceless have their time to speak.

We are the next generation. In the next few years, we will be the doctors, lawyers, film directors, and fashion designers. Already, we have brought change to our country and to our planet. Our voices may have been drowned out by those who wish to stop us, but that’s never stopped us before. We will be in control of society. We must continue what’s starting now.

The movement is too strong to stop and we can’t allow it to lose momentum. As the next generation, we will be the ones to bring change.

The children are the future, after all. We may be teenagers now, but soon we are going to be the ones running the world. Our actions will be witnessed on the world stage. Textbooks will document what we do with this world during out limited time spent on it. Will we change it for worse or for better? Years from now, how will our generation be remembered–with our lack of care or our passion for change? It is up to us.