Empowering Voices: Redefining Youth Identity in a Meritocratic Society

Introduction: The 98% That Wasn’t Enough

When I was 14, I stayed up every night trying to be "the perfect student." I believed that if I got top grades, everyone would see me as valuable. One day, I got a 98 on a test. My teacher smiled and said, "Good job! But what happened to the other 2 points?" I laughed. But inside, something shifted. I began to wonder—am I more than my grades?

That moment made me question something deeper: Are we being measured by who we are, or by how well we perform?

We live in what’s called a meritocracy. That’s a system where people are judged by their achievements. It sounds fair—like everyone running in a race, and the fastest wins. But what if some people have better shoes, or others are carrying heavy backpacks? The race isn’t as equal as it seems. And in this race, our self-worth often gets tied to our results.

Today, I want to challenge the label of the "lost generation" by asking: Are we truly lost, or are we just tired of running a race we never chose?

Part 1: The Mask We Wear — Jung’s Persona and Foucault’s Panopticon

Psychologist Carl Jung said we all wear a Persona — a social mask we put on to fit in. In a meritocratic society, that mask might look like "straight-A student," "Ivy League admit," or "perfect Instagram life."

But French philosopher Michel Foucault introduced another idea: disciplinary power. It’s not just about rules or punishments. It’s about how systems shape our behavior. Every time we’re ranked by test scores, judged by likes on a post, or told to sit still in a classroom, we are being trained to monitor ourselves. Foucault compared this to a Panopticon — a prison where the prisoner never knows if they're being watched. Eventually, they start watching themselves.

Sound familiar? Social media is our modern Panopticon. We post, edit, refresh. We’re both the prisoner and the guard, performing for an invisible audience.

Jung adds another layer: Beneath the mask is the Shadow — the parts of us we hide. Failure. Fear. Even our weirdest, wildest dreams.

But the mask isn’t evil. It helps us survive. The danger is when we forget we’re wearing it. When we say, "I am my GPA," or "I am my follower count," we shrink ourselves into something less than human.

In South Korea, some students call themselves "exam zombies" — alive only to study. In Finland, teens embrace sisu, a way of living that values inner strength more than perfect scores. No matter where we live, the pressure is real. But so is the desire to tear off the mask.

Part 2: Embracing the Shadow — Finding Our Real Selves

Jung said growth isn’t about destroying the Shadow. It’s about accepting it. The perfect student who writes poems in secret. The athlete who loves coding but hides it from their team. These aren’t contradictions. They’re clues.

French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre believed that we aren’t born with a fixed identity. We become who we are through our choices. But he warned about bad faith — when we live by other people’s expectations instead of our own.

Meritocracy pushes us toward bad faith. It says:

· "You’re only as good as your GPA."

· "You must choose a career that sounds impressive."

· "Don’t take risks. What if you fail?"

But what if we say something different?

· "I didn’t get a perfect GPA, but I made time for things that gave me joy."

· "I don’t care if my job looks fancy. I care if it feels meaningful."

· "I’m not 'just a teenager.' I’m someone who is still becoming."

The real rebellion isn’t loud. It’s quiet. It’s choosing to live as your whole self.

Part 3: Individuation — Becoming Citizens of Ourselves

Jung called the journey of becoming our true selves individuation. It means becoming whole — not perfect, but real. And that’s powerful.

Because when we accept our masks and our shadows, we stop competing and start connecting.

Foucault showed us how systems divide us through rankings, grades, likes. But when we embrace who we really are, we find something deeper than competition: shared humanity.

Think about it:

· A teen in Tokyo who loves both K-pop and traditional tea ceremonies.

· A refugee in Germany coding apps to preserve their native language.

· You, me, all of us — refusing to let a number, a test, or a title define who we are.

The more we understand ourselves, the more we can understand each other.

Conclusion: From Lost to Found

They call us the "lost generation."

We say: We’re not lost. We’re searching.

Every time we question the mask, every time we embrace the Shadow, we find something real.

Let’s stop asking, "What will you achieve?" and start asking, "Who are you becoming?"

Let’s trade the exhaustion of perfection for the adventure of authenticity.

Because the world doesn’t need more successful robots. It needs more humans — messy, curious, and gloriously unfinished.

That’s us.