Ever since I was little, I wanted to be a grown up. I looked up to the adults around me. I was in awe of their ability to juggle their perfectly messy lives. I remember sitting at the kids table at every family gathering, secretly eavesdropping on the intense conversations, filling the room with palpable tension. I watched my mom put on her lipstick, my dad drive his truck, my sister listen to explicit music. I thought to myself, when will I get to do all of this? As the years passed, and I finally earned my spot at the grown up’s table; I still felt like a naive child whenever I attempted to tag along in these discussions. I had opinions, strong ones too, but I was still just a kid in their eyes.

There’s something about being a teenager, no matter the generation, that confuses and discourages you. You’re at an age where the world around you begins to matter. You’re driving, working, and pretty soon you’ll be able to vote. Sometimes it feels as though life moves too fast, and yet you still long for that day you turn eighteen so you can officially become an adult. While the stigma around turning this age creates a vision of instant responsibility and maturity, in reality, you’re still the same person you were twenty-four hours prior to reaching adulthood. You have the same beliefs, the same standards, the same youthfulness you had when you were considered a child. However, now you and your opinions matter. Now, you can create your legacy.

But why is it that we, as teenagers, cannot impact our society with the same magnitude as those who may be only a year or two older? Adults may hear us, but do they listen? Our generation is looking for change. Our generation is creating a legacy. The thing is, we don’t know enough about the world to really be apart of it yet, right? We don’t watch the snapchat videos of gun violence. We don’t read our president’s tweets. We don’t see images of starving children on Instagram, or the photos of endangered wildlife on Facebook, right?

Except we do.

Our generation is constantly bombarded by the world surrounding us. We also have the ability to lead enormous movements across the world at the gentle touch of our fingertips. We may just be kids, but we are also capable human beings with power many pretend not to see.

With social media, our legacies are documented for the entire world to see. It has become a platform for many to create their own legacies. The age of the Iphone has brought along with it endless opportunities for individuals. We see Kayla Hruby singing on YouTube, Riley Judd advocating on Instagram, and countless other classmates who have gained a following by expressing themselves online. It is a new era for legacies, one that is unique to us teenagers, and one that has an impact that reaches virtually every part of the globe.

Our significance is growing every minute. Our generation has quickly become apart of the adult world, and we now have the ability to shape it into what we want. We can no longer depend on those older than us to make the change. We are the change, so let’s make it happen.