"I really don't know a young person who doesn't care right now, especially in this moment that we're living in," Yara Shahidi said in conversation with Karamo Brown during the Citizen Verizon Assembly, a virtual event that took place on July 28 to discuss business and social change. "I don't think we're dealing with an apathetic generation." A youth activist herself, Yara offered important advice for fellow young people trying to enact change in the current climate while taking care of their mental health [1].
"What are those action steps we can give young people to feel as though they have agency?"
The Grown-ish actress [2] stressed the importance of staying informed without feeling too overwhelmed, whatever your preferred tools and resources might be. For Yara, it's as simple as keeping the NPR One app playing in the background to keep herself up to date. "We've been inundated with information about how chaotic our world is," she said. "We've been inundated with information about how flawed our world is, and it can feel very overwhelming. So what are those action steps we can give young people to feel as though they have agency?"
Activist burnout [3] is very real, and as the actress explained, youth activists have to practice self-care and reduce stress to be in this "for the long run." "It's not about burnout right now, and there is a need for self-care and not going too far too fast." Watch the full clip above for Yara's inspiring advice.