Generation Z and the 'Age' Commissariat

We are dependent on imports. Our situation is not much different when it comes to concepts. But perhaps for the first time, an imported good fits us perfectly. As a result of social media usage crushing localism, globalization, and the collapse of the modern cultural hegemony of the 'elites,' we are dealing with a universal phenomenon this time: Turkey's youth have become contemporaries with Western youth.

A mistake is being made based on this premise. In the past, generations in Turkey were not contemporaries with their peers in the West. There is very little commonality between the generations known as 'boomers' or 'baby boomers' in the West and their peers in Turkey. Neither the consumer frenzy, nor the economy of abundance, nor the welfare state... There is no common ground. Oh, pardon me. Cold War lies are what they have in common. Although, nothing has changed in that regard. Those lies unite all generations today. Anyway, let's return to our topic.

Based on the fact that Generation Z has certain global common characteristics, a mentality has emerged that puts 'old' people in Turkey in the same category as their peers in the West. If Turkey has true 'boomers,' they are likely those born in 1970. I want to address a mindset that is more harmful than this: 'Ageism' (hostility toward the elderly).

I observe an attitude of hostility toward everything old among 'the youth.' It was also present in Sedat Peker's videos: he was addressing his brothers under the age of 40.

As a result of ageism or the glorification of youth, a new cliché has been born: 'Young is good, old is bad.' According to this understanding, everything bad is the work of 'the elderly' and 'the youth' are sinless. It is not as if there are no facts supporting this. However, with the same logic, hostility toward the youth would be just as reasonable. After all, 'fascist' rhetoric had not been given any credit for at least 50 years. Is it the same now? In Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Austria, Ukraine, and France, fascists are either in power or on the rise.

Is Biden bad, but was Trump that good? Is the issue age? Kamala Harris is young, for example. But does that make the situation any better? Is Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu 'old' and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 'young'? Has biological age become the problem? A similar mindset once showered Tansu Çiller with 'modern' praise simply because she was a woman.

Neither old age nor youth... That is not the point. It is meaningless to try to discredit Yılmaz Büyükerşen just because he is 'old' or to give credit to Murat Kurum just because he is 'young.' One must look at performance, qualifications, and facts.

There are elderly people who do their work with passion, and there are young people who are too lazy to do the simplest task. Don't you think we need to get rid of these superficial distinctions?