Latest news with #Gen-Zs
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kenyan president apologises to Tanzania over deportation row
Kenya's President William Ruto has publicly apologised to Tanzania following days of tension between the neighbouring countries. Some Kenyans on social media have been targeting Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the recent detention and deportation of prominent East African activists. Angry Tanzanian MPs on Monday accused Kenyans of cyberbullying and disrespecting Tanzanian sovereignty and "meddling in domestic affairs". Speaking at a national prayer breakfast on Wednesday, Ruto appeared to extend an olive branch to Tanzania. "To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us," he said. "If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologise," the president added. Ugandan activist alleges she was raped while in Tanzanian detention Why Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political anger 'They aimed to kill' - BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters Ruto also apologised to young Kenyans, popularly known as Gen-Zs, who have been critical of his administration since the deadly anti-tax protesters last June. The president made the remarks in response to a call by visiting American preacher Rickey Allen Bolden, who urged leaders to pursue reconciliation. The diplomatic row was triggered by the deportation of activists who had travelled to Tanzania to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Among them were Kenyan Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda. The two said they were held incommunicado for several days and tortured, before they were left at the border by Tanzanian security forces, sparking widespread condemnation across the region and from international rights groups. Tanzania is yet to comment on the torture claims but President Samia had earlier warned that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to "meddle" in her country's affairs and cause "chaos". Both Kenya and Ugandan had formally protested against the detention of the activists, accusing the Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access despite repeated requests. The alleged mistreatment of the activists triggered an online war, with social media users from Kenya and Tanzania clashing over the claims. In a heated debate on Monday, Tanzanian parliamentarians expressed outrage over the young Kenyans trolling President Samia. The MPs said Samia had every right to defend Tanzania's national interests. The legislators' comments angered some Kenyans who hit back by sharing lawmakers' contacts and flooding their phones with messages to express their disapproval. Tanzania's Iringa Town MP Jesca Msambatavangu said that most of the messages came via WhatsApp, forcing her to temporarily switch off her phone. Msambatavangu, however, welcomed the engagement, encouraging Kenyans on social media to "counter ideas with ideas". She asked young Kenyans to create a WhatsApp group for further engagement and promised to engage them in a live session on Saturday. "Kenyans are our neighbours, our brothers, and we cannot ignore each other," she added. El Chapo & Deputy Jesus - why Kenya's president has so many nicknames Could this be the end of the road for Tanzania's great survivor, Tundu Lissu? How Kenya's evangelical president has fallen out with churches X restricted in Tanzania after police targeted by hackers Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
Yahoo
3 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kenyan president apologies to Tanzania over deportation row
Kenya's President William Ruto has publicly apologised to Tanzania following days of tension between the neighbouring countries. Some Kenyans on social media have been targeting Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan following the recent detention and deportation of prominent East African activists. Angry Tanzanian MPs on Monday accused Kenyans of cyberbullying and disrespecting Tanzanian sovereignty and "meddling in domestic affairs". Speaking at a national prayer breakfast on Wednesday, Ruto appeared to extend an olive branch to Tanzania. "To our neighbours from Tanzania, if we have wronged you in any way, forgive us," he said. "If there is anything that Kenyans have done that is not right, we want to apologise," the president added. Ugandan activist alleges she was raped while in Tanzanian detention Why Samia's hesitant reforms are fuelling Tanzanian political anger Ruto also apologised to young Kenyans, popularly known as Gen-Zs, who have been critical of his administration since the deadly anti-tax protesters last June. The president made the remarks in response to a call by visiting American preacher Rickey Allen Bolden, who urged leaders to pursue reconciliation. The diplomatic row was triggered by the deportation of activists who had travelled to Tanzania to attend the trial of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Among them were Kenyan Boniface Mwangi and Agather Atuhaire from Uganda. The two said they were held incommunicado for several days and tortured, before they were left at the border by Tanzanian security forces, sparking widespread condemnation across the region and from international rights groups. Tanzania is yet to comment on the torture claims but President Samia had earlier warned that she would not allow activists from neighbouring countries to "meddle" in her country's affairs and cause "chaos". Both Kenya and Ugandan had formally protested against the detention of the activists, accusing the Tanzanian authorities of denying consular access despite repeated requests. The alleged mistreatment of the activists triggered an online war, with social media users from Kenya and Tanzania clashing over the claims. In a heated debate on Monday, Tanzanian parliamentarians expressed outrage over the young Kenyans trolling President Samia. The MPs said Samia had every right to defend Tanzania's national interests. The legislators' comments angered some Kenyans who hit back by sharing lawmakers' contacts and flooding their phones with messages to express their disapproval. Tanzania's Iringa Town MP Jesca Msambatavangu said that most of the messages came via WhatsApp, forcing her to temporarily switch off her phone. Msambatavangu, however, welcomed the engagement, encouraging Kenyans on social media to "counter ideas with ideas". She asked young Kenyans to create a WhatsApp group for further engagement and promised to engage them in a live session on Saturday. "Kenyans are our neighbours, our brothers, and we cannot ignore each other," she added. El Chapo & Deputy Jesus - why Kenya's president has so many nicknames Could this be the end of the road for Tanzania's great survivor, Tundu Lissu? How Kenya's evangelical president has fallen out with churches X restricted in Tanzania after police targeted by hackers Go to for more news from the African continent. Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica Africa Daily Focus on Africa
India.com
17-05-2025
- General
- India.com
Young generation moving from Religion to Spirituality? Study finds a new trend, it says...
Image for representational purposes New Delhi: Gen Z's Movement from Religion to Spirituality The article explores the transition of the new generation to searching for a higher purpose by doing inner work, yoga, and meditation. Despite the fact that the present time is full of sudden changes, unpredictability, and overuse of digital technology; however, numerous people born from 1995 until the beginning of 2010 are discovering their own way to spiritual happiness. A number of the traditional institutions that were originally fully integrated in the life of families and communities have noted a very clear decrease in participation and affiliation among young adults. Nevertheless, it is important to note that Gen-Z are the ones who go the extra mile, exploring personal growth, mindfulness, Eastern philosophy, and yoga to get themselves to the place of wisdom they are looking for. New studies have found that Gen-Z has been changing to a great degree in terms of faith and spirituality. In the case of the United States, a report by the Pew Research Centre in 2021 found that as many as 48% of the youth of Gen-Z have spiritual beliefs though they do not attribute themselves to the religious institutions. This data has pointed to a spike in youth who refer to themselves as 'spiritual but not religious'. Psychologist and writer Dr. Jean Twenge, who researches generational differences, said 'Being in touch with the spiritual side is the key to connection and meaning which is less likely to be found in material pursuits for the Gen-Z generation.' Another argument that can be made here is that the more profound orientation toward the meaning of life that distinguishes the approach of Gen-Zs is vulgar through a significant part of Gen-Zs. to existence and personal development.' A lot of Gen-Z youngsters have grown up in families which were religiously agnostic at best or who were religious naysayers. Furthermore, thanks to global internet expansion and online communication, these people have become globally aware and have also had a chance to learn about other ways of living which naturally led them to develop a pluralistic and questioning personality. Gen Z's most cherished values of inclusivity, authenticity, mental health, and individual freedom are in constant contention with the strictness of religion and its hierarchical institutions. This causes them to feel disconnected and disenchanted from traditional worship and authority-led spiritual structures. People have seemed to have lost faith in second-hand belief or inherited family traditions, and they are currently in the quest for direct experiences of the truth. The fact that the psychologist Dr. Jean Twenge is a psychologist who is also a generational researcher is pointed out in the article, noting that spirituality has become a tool for the new generation of religious people, the so-called Gen-Z. Spirituality gives them a sense of connection and a purpose which is in the present moment rather than in fear or guilt. In the Gen-Z, meditation and yoga are the first choice for inexperienced (sometimes joined by a group of friends) people who want to start their spiritual quest. It is not uncommon for people to have first adopted these practices as stress relief and a way of staying healthy, but with time, these very practices became something sacred to them. Consequently, young people perceive that stillness is achievable in the tumult of the world; they feel the presence of a supernatural power that they can develop a close relationship with there. Not only that, the Science of Identity Foundation founder , Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda Paramahamsa who explains that the ultimate purpose of yoga moves beyond physical activity and in actuality, it is the practice of yoga that makes the connection possible, says of yoga. It implies that yoga is uniting two entities, a man and God together, playing out a loving relationship. Gen-Z is, therefore, to this one version of the divine, entirely natural, purely an internal matter and cannot be identified as only one way. The mental health of Gen-Zs is seen as the central issue for the generation of the 21st century. We witness the escalating levels of anxiety, stress, depressive states, and burnout in mental cases whereby traditional coping mechanisms are no longer effective among the majority. A large number of young persons are now doing things like breathwork, mindfulness, and mantra meditation not only to heal the symptoms but also to elevate their spirit. To give additional information, Jagad Guru points out that meditation is a way of reaching yoga, the oneness with the Divine. 'When the individual spirit soul contacts the Supreme Soul, the person becomes God-conscious, and the soul is in the real situation of meditation', he says. He also added meditation is much more involved than a mere mental break. It is an approach to self-realization. In this way, one can deliberately disconnect from their ego and reconnect with their spiritual core. Many people usually criticize social media for being superficial. However, it has become a totally unexpected source of a spiritual journey in Gen-Z. Social media platforms are full of influencers who smoothly merge olden wisdom and contemporary self-help, and they are giving nuggets of spiritual advice which are attractive and approachable. The Apps like Insight Timer, Calm, and Headspace have achieved that the guided meditation is offering to millions. Apart from that, various hashtags such as #spiritualawakening, #manifestation and #yogatok are getting millions of views, pointing to the fact that the desire for spiritual development is increasing. Still, a true increase in consciousness is derived from some action that can be beyond just thinkable contents. The Science of Identity Foundation organization, for example, uses scientific research to explain and relate spirituality and biology and utilizes its teachings to further its cause of one attaining spiritual enlightenment. One can also find a most relevant framework for spiritual development in the Bhagavad Gita, the verses of which not only provide a never-ending source of wisdom but also teach how to make devotion the most powerful force, how to lead a virtuous life and how to perform only kind acts to others. It is very interesting to see that when the numerosity of practices and wisdom from the diverse traditions comes into play, Gen-Z is slowly becoming a community yet to be formed in the religious sphere. To say that the shift of the new generation from organized religion to personal spirituality is tantamount to its renunciation is quite a harmful generalization and a far cry from the reality of its genuine interests and pursuits that it is doing.
Telegraph
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
We need to ban social media access for teenagers
We know the terrible toll smartphones and social media take on children and teenagers. We know that screen time makes them inattentive, impulsive and aggressive. We know that it gives them low self-esteem and body-image issues. That it risks exposing them to bullying, violent pornography and sexual exploitation. Yet we continue to sleepwalk through this strange social experiment. 97 percent of 12-year-olds have a smartphone, and on average they spend 29 hours a week on it. Even though most schools ban phone use during the day, teachers and school leaders still have to deal with the consequences of unlimited access outside the school gates. A recent survey by the Association of College and School Leaders (ACSL) shows that teachers are reporting increased cyber-bullying, abuse and the malicious use of deepfakes. Almost 1 in 5 primary school teachers are aware of pupils using social media to watch pornography or violent content. As a teacher, I have seen first-hand how pervasive this toxic cycle of addiction and anxiety is. My colleagues in the primary sector tell me that pupils are behind in social skills, language development and toilet-training not because of the pandemic but because iPads have replaced physical play and face-to-face interaction. What is even more maddening is how students actually want to be released from the relentless dopamine stimulation of digital life. A Deloitte survey found that 91 percent of Gen-Zs agree that there should be stronger restrictions on children's access to social media. A New York Times report found that almost half of young people wished TikTok and Snapchat had never been invented. Conversations with my students reveal the sense of relief they feel when they are no longer hyper-aware of what their friends are doing all of the time. Young people want freedom from as well as freedom to. Despite some gains from the bloated and bureaucratic Online Safety Bill, the Government seems unwilling to properly commit to a digital duty of care. Politicians are too quick to disingenuously claim that the Big Tech genie is out of the bottle. They instead put the onus on schools to educate pupils on how to use these platforms safely and in moderation (which, by the apps' very design, is almost impossible). Alternatively, they insist that accountability must lie with the platforms themselves. But we know that fining them is as effective as swatting flies. Profiteering will always come before safeguarding. Grassroots organisations like Smartphone Free Childhood are doing admirable work to try to challenge this new norm, but Manny Bowe, the president of the ASCL, is right: 'enough is enough. As a society, we have the right to demand the protection of our children.' It is time for the Government to intervene, and follow the lead of other countries such as Australia, France and Norway in enforcing age bans for social media. After all, it is only the health and happiness of our children at stake.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
We need to ban social media access for teenagers
We know the terrible toll smartphones and social media take on children and teenagers. We know that screen time makes them inattentive, impulsive and aggressive. We know that it gives them low self-esteem and body-image issues. That it risks exposing them to bullying, violent pornography and sexual exploitation. Yet we continue to sleepwalk through this strange social experiment. 97 percent of 12-year-olds have a smartphone, and on average they spend 29 hours a week on it. Even though most schools ban phone use during the day, teachers and school leaders still have to deal with the consequences of unlimited access outside the school gates. A recent survey by the Association of College and School Leaders (ACSL) shows that teachers are reporting increased cyber-bullying, abuse and the malicious use of deepfakes. Almost 1 in 5 primary school teachers are aware of pupils using social media to watch pornography or violent content. As a teacher, I have seen first-hand how pervasive this toxic cycle of addiction and anxiety is. My colleagues in the primary sector tell me that pupils are behind in social skills, language development and toilet-training not because of the pandemic but because iPads have replaced physical play and face-to-face interaction. What is even more maddening is how students actually want to be released from the relentless dopamine stimulation of digital life. A Deloitte survey found that 91 percent of Gen-Zs agree that there should be stronger restrictions on children's access to social media. A New York Times report found that almost half of young people wished TikTok and Snapchat had never been invented. Conversations with my students reveal the sense of relief they feel when they are no longer hyper-aware of what their friends are doing all of the time. Young people want freedom from as well as freedom to. Despite some gains from the bloated and bureaucratic Online Safety Bill, the Government seems unwilling to properly commit to a digital duty of care. Politicians are too quick to disingenuously claim that the Big Tech genie is out of the bottle. They instead put the onus on schools to educate pupils on how to use these platforms safely and in moderation (which, by the apps' very design, is almost impossible). Alternatively, they insist that accountability must lie with the platforms themselves. But we know that fining them is as effective as swatting flies. Profiteering will always come before safeguarding. Grassroots organisations like Smartphone Free Childhood are doing admirable work to try to challenge this new norm, but Manny Bowe, the president of the ASCL, is right: 'enough is enough. As a society, we have the right to demand the protection of our children.' It is time for the Government to intervene, and follow the lead of other countries such as Australia, France and Norway in enforcing age bans for social media. After all, it is only the health and happiness of our children at stake. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
