Empowering young people to be changemakers | Becca Head | TEDxAberystwyth

Quick Overview

Becca Head delivers a TEDx talk arguing that society fundamentally fails to empower young people by undermining their agency, experience, and inherent worth, proposing that change requires adults to actively hand over power, trust youth voices, and commit to being the supportive figures they needed when they were younger.

Key Points: The speaker, Becca Head, argues that young people (under 25) feel disempowered because society treats them as having insufficient experience to make decisions about their own lives or well-being. She highlights the common societal phrase "You kids don't know what you want" as a source of cognitive dissonance and disenfranchisement for youth. Statistics presented show that individuals aged 23, 18, 16, and 10 are legally granted rights (like teaching positions, voting, marriage, criminal responsibility) that contradict the underlying societal assumption that they lack knowledge or capacity. The speaker advocates for three actions to empower youth: starting over by challenging adult assumptions, making a genuine commitment to believing in young people, and actively handing over power and trust. She states that many youth organizations treat engagement as a mere 'tick box exercise' rather than genuine consultation, leading to young people feeling unheard. The presentation concludes with the maxim: "Be who you needed when you were younger." The speaker's talk occurred at TEDxAberystwyth, focusing on empowering young people to become changemakers.

Context: The speaker, Becca Head, presents her argument at a TEDxAberystwyth event, focusing on the systemic ways society disempowers young people by dismissing their agency and experience. She contrasts this dismissal with the various ages at which society grants young people significant legal responsibilities, illustrating the hypocrisy that leads to feelings of disenfranchisement and powerlessness among youth.

Detailed Analysis

Becca Head delivers a passionate talk arguing that society actively disempowers young people, creating a situation where their voices are ignored and their potential for change is stifled, which she terms disenfranchisement. She notes that growing up in rural areas like Ceredigion often meant facing a lack of opportunities and feeling like the community's youth were irrelevant. She illustrates the widespread societal belief that youth lack knowledge with specific examples: at 23, one can hold a teaching position; at 18, one can vote or marry; and at 10, one is held criminally responsible, yet these same people are told they "don't know what they want." This creates cognitive dissonance, leading young people to feel powerless, as if they are screaming into the void. She critiques organizations that use surveys merely as a tick-box exercise rather than genuine consultation. To counteract this, Head proposes three steps for adults: 1) Start again by challenging the assumption that adults inherently know what is best for young people; 2) Make a genuine commitment to young people and tell them you believe in them; and 3) Hand over the power, trusting youth with the skills and inspiration to create the changes they desire. The core message is for adults to 'Be who you needed when you were younger.'