{
  "id": 825414,
  "title": "Young people want to create, contribute and be heard",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/young-people-want-to-create-contribute-and-be-heard",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-14T01:16:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/young-people-want-to-create-contribute-and-be-heard-1.500640036"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A recent survey reveals that half of Gen Z and millennial audiences feel a stronger bond with social media creators compared to traditional television personalities or actors. This generation thrives in environments where they can engage, participate, and create, rather than merely consuming content. Young people are actively reshaping idea-sharing, creativity expression, and community connections. Social media recognized this trend early, understanding that interaction fosters connections. Young people are not passive recipients of information; they seek to respond and contribute their own perspectives. This expectation extends beyond the screen, influencing their learning, cultural experiences, and engagement with the world. For cultural institutions, this shift is crucial. The first generation to grow up entirely in a digital world expects immediate, interactive, and choice-driven information. Nearly three-quarters already utilize AI tools in their daily work and learning. They seamlessly navigate between physical and digital spaces, seeking opportunities to experiment, create, and learn through hands-on experiences rather than passive instruction. This entrepreneurial mindset is becoming a key competitive advantage for young people. International Youth Day this year emphasizes 'Different Contexts, Common Aspirations,' highlighting a shared desire for a say in shaping the future. Young people don't want a future pre-determined for them; they want a role in its creation. Cultural institutions cannot afford to stay on the sidelines of this transformation. With information readily available everywhere, access alone no longer defines an institution's value. Libraries, museums, and other public spaces must offer more than knowledge access; they must foster questioning, testing, interpretation, and creation of new ideas. An institution's relevance lies in the opportunities it provides, not just what it holds. Stagnation poses a significant risk: young people may seek knowledge and culture elsewhere, in spaces that offer greater participation, creation, and voice. Institutions cannot assume relevance solely based on history, expertise, or authority. Preserving books, history, and traditional learning is important, but knowledge gains power when it invites response. A book can lead to experiments, history can inspire invention, and poetry can spark ongoing conversations beyond its pages. International Youth Day recognizes that the UAE's young generation is actively building its future. Sharjah has understood for years that investing in young people must go hand in hand with a commitment to knowledge and culture. Each generation has a responsibility to ensure that legacy remains relevant for the next. Institutions must evolve continuously, creating conditions for young people to not only access knowledge but also question it, contribute to it, and use it to shape the future. On International Youth Day, celebrating young people and their ambitions is essential, but our primary responsibility is building institutions that give them a meaningful role in shaping the future they will inherit. Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of House of Wisdom in Sharjah, underscores this necessity.",
  "summary": "A 2025 Deloitte survey found that around half of Gen Z and millennial audiences feel a stronger personal connection to the creators they follow on social media than to television personalities or actors. It reflects a generation drawn to spaces where they can respond, participate and create, rather than simply consume. Young people are already reshaping how ideas are shared, how creativity is…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}