A Journey: TheChange

This journey isn't only mine, somewhere in it.. yours might also be mixed in. When I used to look at the sun setting across that hill from my house, one question would repeatedly come into my mind: "Why does no one listen to me?"

I was small then, the matter wasn't interesting, so no one used to listen. But what I am talking about today, please read it with attention.

Growing Up: I started Seeing the Reality

The society I saw at that time, I used to see everything as fine, but now I observe many things, and I think that a lot of change is necessary. Today I ask questions, and if not answers, I hope for the support.

"The Silence of Youth: A Harmful Legacy" I am raising the issue of youth right at the beginning, please don't get bored, read on.

Youth, the backbone of the country, a vital part of society. There are many problems here.. Let me start with a basic thing.  The condition of youth in our country is complex. 99% of us pass exams by memorization, or here, evaluation is done based on exam marks rather than practical knowledge, and so we strive for those very marks because in our society, they ask "how many numbers came?" rather than "what did you learn?"  How can I even explain such a complex matter?

I will give one example of my own.  My studies are fine. My family members encourage me to go abroad because the future is good and there is a career there. But I am moving forward carrying the dream of doing something in Nepal itself. However, when I say I will do something in Nepal itself, society treats my struggle as if I haven't been able to achieve anything and treats my effort as insignificant. Here, respect increases only if you go abroad, clean toilets, and send money.   What I mean to say is, this kind of mindset of society is suppressing the potential and voice of so many youths like me.

And it is true, making progress in Nepal is definitely not easy, but that mindset of society...., the root of which is a bad aspect of our education system. The education system is not just the school and the government; it is a blend of society, youth, knowledge, the government... every home, every person, every behavior, every tradition, and the social environment. (If you feel bored, please do not read.)  Change starts from oneself. It starts with individuals who have the courage to do something different, something unique. How? For example, I am not afraid to raise your voice against any wrong thing.

I too had been remained silent, but I thought: If it doesn't happen through me, will it happen through someone else?

"I realized that silence isn't golden when there's injustice to address. Silence is just... silence. And silence doesn't change anything."

Critical

Maybe I stretched it so long but read below... and think about my words and the problem I analyzed.

• Civic Sense and Social Responsibility: The Missing Foundation

Another important thing I realized is—Civic Sense and Social Responsibility. This is not just a big theory; this is the foundation of society.

Example: Recently, I was in Kathmandu. I saw a young person throwing trash on the street. That youth was not a bad person. But, they did not have a sense of responsibility towards their community. They felt: "It's not my job, the government will clean it. What will happen if I throw one plastic?" And whoever sees that will follow the same pattern.

When we think like that, then Civic Sense disappears. We stop considering ourselves a part of the larger whole. But the reality is... if you keep your street clean, your neighborhood improves, and if your neighborhood improves, your city improves. Your small actions affect the community. Throwing trash or not speaking about any problem is passively standing on the side of the problem. This is just one example. What must a child who has heard at school that trash should not be thrown haphazardly have learned after seeing this? If you see good, you learn good, if you see bad, you learn bad, and knowing that something is wrong and not committing that mistake is the proof of being human.

"Civic sense is not just about following rules; it's about caring for the community we live in."

• There's the elephant in the room — social media trap

Instead of using these platforms to inspire change, we're drowning in them. Scrolling endlessly, comparing our lives, consuming content that doesn't serve us. The tools that could amplify our voices have become our prisons.

Example: Scrolling for 40 hours a week is equivalent to the time of your job. In this time, we could have developed skills, made deep connections, read books, or started new work for the community. Social media is a tool that should amplify our voice. But we are trapped in its net, which stops us from speaking, stops us from learning something, and by showing wrong things as normal, it makes them equal to right.

Instead of spending hours consuming content that doesn't serve us,.. FOCUS on

• Building skills that matter
• Connecting with people..
• Working on projects..
• Reading books that expand our thoughts
• Having conversations that challenge our thinking
• Creating things that could change our communities
• Living our own stories

This isn't me saying social media is evil. It's not. But the way we're using it is costing us our time, our attention, and our potential. And we can't afford that as a generation.

"Social media should be a tool to amplify your voice, not a trap that silences it."



• Discrimination and Injustice

Our dreams are often crushed by prejudice, not lack of effort. Discrimination based on caste, religion, and gender is a massive wrongdoing. When a talented person is denied opportunity due to their birth or gender, the nation loses that talent. This constant exclusion forces our best and brightest to look outward. Our society cannot heal until we actively oppose and dismantle every barrier built on prejudice. The base of opposing this injustice is simple: recognizing the shared humanity and equal potential in every single person.

"Discrimination is disease and injustice is poison. Both destroy the very fabric of society."

• Youth Silence & A Flawed Education

The youth, the backbone of the nation, are trapped. 99% of us pass exams by memorization, judged solely by marks, not practical knowledge. Society encourages us to chase grades, often pushing us abroad for career validation. When I say I want to work in Nepal, my struggle is often treated as failure. Respect, it seems, only comes with foreign money.

This societal mindset is crushing young potential. The education system is not just the school; it's a mix of home, government, and societal attitude. Change starts with individuals who dare to raise their voice against wrong things.

"Our voices are the seeds of change."

• If I continue listing problems like this, my day and night will pass; I will talk more in the coming days.

My Awakening: My Role

There was a moment, I can't pinpoint exactly when, but somewhere between my teenage years and now, I realized something crucial: I have a voice. And if I have a voice, I have a responsibility to use it.

Not for fame. Not for attention. But for purpose because silence makes me complicit in the problems I see. And I couldn't accept that.

I started asking myself different questions:

• What if I used my voice to help?
• What if I shared stories that could bring some change?
• What if I spoke about the things we're afraid to speak about?
• What if I showed that change doesn't require permission, it requires courage?

The Power of One: How Individual Voices Change Mindsets

Here's what I've learned: Change doesn't start with institutions. It starts with individuals who dare to be different.

When a young person sees another young person speaking up, refusing to be silenced, and sharing their stories that can make something shifts. That's the power of one. It says: "You can be yourself. You can speak. You matter."

But this isn't about me. It's about understanding that every single youth in Nepal has this power. Every one of you has the ability to inspire, to question, to challenge, and to change.

The problem is... we've been taught to wait. To wait for someone else to do. To wait for the "right time." But change doesn't happen that way. Change is what happens when you stop waiting and start doing.

"Your voice doesn't need validation from others. It needs courage from you."

Small Actions, Big Impact

Think about it:

• When you keep your street clean, your neighborhood improves. When your neighborhood improves, your city improves.
• When you vote responsibly (when you can), you're choosing the leaders who will shape your country's future.
• When you speak up against corruption, discrimination, and other problems — big or small — you're standing for integrity.
• When you help someone without expecting something in return, you're building the society you want to live in.

These aren't small things. These are the building blocks of positive societal change.

Wake up Call

So here's what I believe youth in Nepal need to do — and I'm including myself in this:

1. Reclaim Your Time and Attention

Be intentional about how you spend your hours. Delete apps that drain you. Set time limits. Use social media to create and inspire, not just consume. Your attention is your most valuable resource.

2. Find Your Voice and Use It

You don't need millions of followers to matter. Start small. Talk to your friends about what you believe in. Write that blog post. Create that video. Start that conversation. Your voice matters, even if it starts with just one person listening.

3. Develop Civic Sense and Social Responsibility

Understand that you're part of a community, a country, a world. Act like it. Pick up that trash. Speak up when you see injustice. Help someone who needs it. Vote with your conscience. These actions create the foundation for larger change.

4. Question Everything — Respectfully

Don't accept things just because "that's how it's always been." Ask why. Ask how. Ask better. But do it with respect and a genuine desire to understand. Critical thinking is the superpower of our generation.

5. Build Instead of Just Consume

Learn a skill. Start a project. Create something — whether it's art, business, community service, or something entirely new. Building is how we change things. Building is how we grow.

6. Connect with Your Peers Deeply

Don't just scroll through your friends' lives. Have real conversations. Share real struggles. Build real communities. The connections we make are the strength we'll use to create change.

The Path Forward: A Society That Leads Positively

I dream of a Nepal where:

• Young people feel seen, heard, and valued for their potential
• Education teaches thinking and creativity, not just memorization
• Speaking up is encouraged, not punished
• Civic sense is so ingrained that we naturally look out for each other
• Youth are recognized as the leaders and change-makers they actually are
• Our social media platforms are filled with inspiring stories, not toxic comparisons

This future isn't something that will be handed to us. It's something we have to build. And it starts with you deciding that your voice matters. That your actions matter. That you're ready to be part of something larger than yourself.

"Change doesn't happen to us. It happens through us. And it starts with one person deciding that staying silent is no longer an option."

To You, Reading This

If you're young and you feel lost, unheard, or like your dreams are too big for this country — I see you. I feel that too sometimes.

If you're young and you want to create change but don't know where to start — start with your voice. Start by believing that you matter. Start by speaking about what you believe in, even if your voice trembles.

If you're young and you feel the weight of the world, like everything is too broken to fix — I understand. But you're not alone. There are thousands of us who feel the same way. And when we connect, when we speak together, when we act together — that's when magic happens.

Nepal doesn't need superhero youth. It needs real, authentic, imperfect youth who are willing to show up and try. It needs you.

So here's my question for you: What's the one thing you're going to do differently after reading this? What voice will you find? What conversation will you start? What change will you create?

Because the future of Nepal isn't something we're waiting for. It's something we're building. Right now. Together.

And it starts with you.

— Rabin Pandey
Thank you if you found value in these words and are inspired to take action. And remember, your voice matters.. It's long but if you completed reading then thank you.. And yes.. these all are rewritten by ChatGPT but all thoughts and ideas and words are mine.