Hot topics face new editors
Meet some of the Generation Z panel who will edit The West Australian tomorrow.
If these thoughtful, articulate and opinionated youngsters are a good sample of their age group, the world will be in good hands when they take over from Generation Y.
From the thorny issue of managing asylum seekers to concerns about body image and teens' addiction to social media, they all had something to say.
Shenton College Year 9 Rachel Denham-White was concerned this generation could be the first to die off before their parents because of obesity.
"Teens in other generations didn't have to worry so much because junk food wasn't so cheap and easily available," she said.
Katy Zeng, in Year 9 at Applecross Senior High, said body image was a bigger concern for Gen Z because so many visual images were photoshopped.
"Some people spend too much time on social media," she said.
Ella Varga, a Year 12 student, said she felt strongly about helping homeless people because she often saw poverty on the streets near her city-based school, Mercedes College.
"I think a lot of people are too self-centred and only care about themselves," she said.
Year 7 student Nicholas Bong, from Beaconsfield Primary, was concerned about asylum seekers after watching news reports. "I think that right now we're not handling it the best way," he said.
"The United Nations and American forces should invest more in stopping conflicts where they're started, so then no one would flee their country and would have no need to move to Australia."
Scotch College Year 9 boarder Bayley Messina, from Geraldton, said he could not understand why so many people were opposed to asylum seekers.
But Tayla West, who is in Year 6 at Queen of Apostles Primary, said she could see both points of view. "I can see why the asylum seekers want to come to Australia and have a better life and why people here are against it because there are a lot of people already living in Australia and they need to be looked after, too," she said.
Tia Carter, in Year 6 at Beaumaris Primary, raised concerns about role models such as Miley Cyrus letting down their young fans by behaving badly.
Their parents said raising Gen Z was challenging because they knew how to use new technology almost from birth and they had such strong opinions.
