Author: Dr Swami Gyanananddas
Gen Z has grown up in a world unlike any previous generation. A smartphone places the world at their fingertips, artificial intelligence answers questions within seconds, and social media can turn an ordinary moment into a global spectacle. This generation is ambitious, informed, expressive and technologically confident. Yet, amid these extraordinary opportunities, one question becomes increasingly important: What will guide young people in deciding what is right, meaningful and worth pursuing? The answer lies in values.
Values are the principles that guide our choices when no one is watching, shape our behaviour when we have power, and help us distinguish right from wrong when honesty becomes inconvenient. Knowledge tells us what is possible, technology shows us how to achieve it, and ambition determines where we wish to go. Values ensure that we move in the right direction.
For Gen Z, this distinction is especially important. In a culture where likes, followers, views and comments often measure success, the temptation is to create an impressive image rather than cultivate inner character. An online identity can be carefully edited, but our character is revealed through our actions. What matters is not merely how we appear before the world, but who we become when the audience disappears.
Values and virtues are not developed through grand declarations. They take shape through everyday decisions. A student who refuses to cheat in an examination, a professional who gives credit to a colleague, and a person who admits a mistake rather than making excuses are all putting values into practice. Keeping promises, respecting parents and teachers, controlling anger, helping others without expecting recognition and returning what does not belong to us may seem like small acts, but together they build a life of integrity.
One of the greatest challenges facing Gen Z is the culture of instant gratification. Technology encourages us to expect immediate responses, entertainment and results. Values, however, require patience and discipline. Just as a tree needs deep roots to withstand strong winds, a person needs firm principles to remain steady amid changing circumstances. Unfortunately, saying no to dishonesty, unhealthy comparisons, impulsive anger and harmful distractions is becoming increasingly difficult for the younger generation.
However, we must not assume that the entire Gen Z or young generation is moving in the wrong direction. Most importantly, even when some young people seem to be drifting away from values, we must not hate, condemn or curse them. They, too, are children of God. Rather than rejecting them, we must understand their struggles, accept them with love and help them rediscover the right path. To instil values in others, we must first practise them ourselves.
An inspiring example of this approach is found in the life of Mahant Swami Maharaj. In 2001, a group of children from North America visited India. During their stay in Bochasan (Gujarat), he delivered a discourse on “Bhagwan and Guru - Our Best Friend.” He had prepared extensively, even drawing 30-40 illustrations and creating a PowerPoint presentation. However, the children, exhausted by their journey, remained uninterested and fell asleep during the discourse.
Afterwards, Swamiji wrote them a heartfelt letter of apology. He acknowledged their discomfort, accepted responsibility for the lengthy talk and sincerely sought their forgiveness, even though he had prepared this talk with great care and hard work.
Years later, when these children had grown into young adults, they met Mahant Swami Maharaj at a satsang programme and asked him why he, a senior sadguru, had apologised to them despite not being at fault. Swamiji replied, “It is not about being big or small. In Satsang, we must become das na das — a servant of a servant.”
This incident offers a profound lesson in value-based education. Swamiji did not merely teach humility; he demonstrated it. He did not demand understanding from the children; he first tried to understand them. His example reminds us that young people are more likely to embrace values when they experience them through the conduct of those who guide them.
Parents, teachers, elders and spiritual leaders therefore have a responsibility to lead by example. Scolding may silence a young person, and punishment may create temporary obedience, but neither necessarily transforms the heart. Love, patience, understanding and personal example create an atmosphere in which values can take root.
Gen Z has immense potential to shape the future. It needs freedom to explore, opportunities to grow and the wisdom to use both responsibly. Values are not barriers to progress; they are the foundation that makes progress meaningful. When young people are guided with love rather than condemned for their shortcomings, we do more than correct their direction; we help them discover their own inner compass. Ultimately, the greatest gift we can offer the next generation is not simply advice on how to succeed, but an example of how to live well.
Dr Swami Gyanananddas is a dedicated follower of the Swaminarayan tradition and has earned a PhD from MS University; Views presented are personal.