In school we are taught to express ourselves, make a change in the world, and stand up for what we believe in; but at other times, we are pushed down and told the opposite simply because we are not adults yet. So in the middle of these conflicting messages, how do we still voice our opinions?

First off, there is no age requirement where everyone immediately listens and lets you voice your own opinion. We are the future leaders of the U.S. and our voices do matter. With many advances in technology and a strong history of successful student activism, a standard has been set for us to follow. A ripple in the water only takes a single drop, therefore it only takes one individual to take a stand and others will join.The Loudoun Times Mirror reported that in Loudoun County, more than 3,000 kids walked out to remember the lives that were lost in Parkland and to protest gun control.

At Seneca Ridge, a local middle school, students also walked out to protest gun control. Two 13 year-olds took a stand and worked with their principal to join the walkout. Their age did not define their voice, and they were able to lead the walkout at their school with an estimated total of 200 kids.

Social media has become another platform for our generation to voice our opinions, but when will our tweets make a difference? Being on the trending page for Twitter does not solve a problem. This creates a movement, or a group of like-minded individuals to connect with, but there are other steps that need to be taken in order to make a change. Once a group has been made, create solutions. If you are protesting a problem, be the one to make solutions for the problem. Another action that can be taken is that if you are of eligible age, go out and vote. Vote out the men and women who do not have the same views as you and vote in someone you agree with. Lastly, peaceful protest is a great way to show how much you care about a topic. Last year, the Women’s March had the whole world walking for what they believe in. Their website (womensmarch.com) stated that roughly 2.6 million men, women, and children walked in support of the Women’s March.

When walking into any situation, you should not show hate, but instead provide solutions for the problem. While social media helps to voice this generations’ opinions and increase awareness of our views, other actions need to be taken. Opinions differ from person to person, but age does not matter. Anyone can make a change, they just have to know where to start. Whether it be social media, voting, or peaceful protesting, all of these tools can help lead to changes you may wish to seek in the community and world.