Why the youth should champion social justice

MENTAL health issues among young people are at an all-time high — and South Africa is no exception.

- ABIGAIL LARSEN

This should not be surprising, given that we live in a society obsessed with the self.

We constantly use social media to show our success and a polished façade. We are stuck in a rat race of comparison and judgment, which leaves us feeling fake, powerless, and inadequate.

This constant comparison, relentless drive for achievement, and desperate need to prove our worth has birthed an anxious generation a generation searching for purpose in self-fulfilment but finding only emptiness.

As we commemorate Youth Month, we must also confront the mental health crisis among young people and consider how we can begin to address it.

While this is a complex and multi-layered issue, maybe one of the answers lies in finding a sense of purpose a purpose rooted in serving others. To find this purpose, we will have to look outward and let go of the unrealistic expectations we've placed on ourselves.

In so doing, we will see others - and in seeing them, we start to see what really matters.

By serving and giving to others, we become champions of social justice. It’s a worthy cause, especially in a country facing so many deep-rooted challenges.