“Now is the winter of our discontent,” wrote Shakespeare. It might have been 430 years ago, but it encapsulates the zeitgeist of the 2020s quite well – particularly the feeling of restless indignation that has come to define Gen Z.

Yet in the very next line, Shakespeare’s winter of discontent was “made glorious summer”, much like Dickens’ “worst of times” was intertwined with the “best of times”. History shows us that times of societal restlessness – whether that be anti-monarchical Elizabethan England or revolutionary France – are always temporary.

Students march in the School Strike for Palestine in Melbourne on November 23.Credit: Getty Images

This is difficult to remember in the 2020s, an era termed the “age of uncertainty”. It is even harder for my generation, who have never known anything else. The crises of our time – climate change, gender inequality and cost of living – are ongoing and do not seem as if they will be resolved within our lifetimes.

One of our rare constants is, somewhat paradoxically, a perpetual sense of impending doom. So it is surely a testament to our collective mental fortitude that this feeling has resulted in activism rather than ennui.

The biggest names of our generation – Malala Yousafzai, Greta Thunberg, Chanel Contos – aren’t influencers or gamers. They’re activists who have brought attention to their respective movements and influenced politics, but more importantly, they’ve taught Gen Z the power of protest. They’ve proven that individuals........

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