fUntil October 1, boys and girls between 15 and 18 years old they can apply to participate in the second edition of Solve for Tomorrow – THE VOICE of your generationThe Samsung project dedicated to Generation Z that will allow 12 teenagers to create and develop three new episodes of the podcast which was launched in January 2023 on the Samsung website and on Spotify.
The boys and girls who participated in the first edition of the Samsung podcast The voice of your generation.
«The idea is to give free space, without filters, to a generation that is more accustomed to expressing itself with images than with the voice», says the psychologist and counselor Loretta Redaelli, who has already followed the training of the boys during the first edition. “We would like to ensure that they can exploit this tool of expression, and help them untie the knots”. They will be the ones to focus on the three themes of the new episodes and to implement them, as they did in the first edition, for which they were candidates in 2000.
Overwhelming passions
In the first three episodes that have already been available for a few months, they have come to the surface very interesting themes: «The first was that of passions, a strong storm that overwhelms them», explains Redaelli. «The risk is that these passions become finalized, however, that the kids want to win the Olympics, or become great photographers. First, in short. Instead, passions should simply be a boost to life and a way to get to know yourself and build your identity. They are important in their own right, regardless of the results obtained».
But why is there in adolescents this great desire to emerge through passions? Maybe because adults don’t help them understand its gratuitous, non-finalized value? “Certainly not all adults have the tools or the time to help their children defuse and understand the value of certain activities,” replies Redaelli. “But we also have to think about that these guys live in the dimension of social media, where everything counts based on the followers achieved. Passion serves to be more popular, and this is a narrative that should be debunked».
Fragile and bold teenagers
The second episode of the first edition was dedicated to insecuritytypical of the age and even more of generation Z “so fragile and bold”, according to a successful definition by Gustavo Pietropolli Charmet. A fragility exacerbated by the years of Covid, which have exploded a youth unease of which we see the consequences, such as the boom in access to child neuropsychiatry services and psychological counters. «The discomfort is accentuated by the fact that teenagers are used to having immediate answers to their messages on cell phones. They are not used to being in pain, they demand quick solutions to problems. It would be up to the adults – parents and teachers – to make them understand that it is not possible».
The third theme that emerged is the relationship with others and the uncertainty of the future, on which today the boys are unable to make predictions. They know they won’t have the same careers as their parents, that they will be precarious. And long-term plans have not come. It’s hard to imagine what will happen in this second edition of the podcast. To apply, by 1 October, you must present yourself in teams of 3-5 with a short trailer on the chosen theme. This will allow Samsung organizers to get a first idea of the topics to be explored in the podcasts.
Afterwards, the selection will be made and the finalists, aged between 12 and 20, will begin an online training course which will end with a bootcamp in Milan between late November and early December. Then they’ll move on to making podcasts. For the kids it will be an important opportunity for growth in the soft skills that they will be able to get accredited as PCTO hours.
Improving the dialogue is necessary
In parallel to the podcast, Samsung already organizes and will continue to carry on cycles of meetings in high schools, both for teachers and for children. The goal is to nurture a dialogue between generations who are struggling to talk to each other. «Students have a great need to be listened to, they feel they have no space. Furthermore, they are asking for innovative teaching, they are asking professors to step down from the chair. Teachers, for their part, have to find a new code that helps them bring out the best in students. There’s a lot to do.’
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