grew up in an era when most dinner table conversations were the monopoly of male elders. The youth listened, or found other ways of socialising. At my own home, my mother, something of an exception, pitched in her thoughts as well. I would keenly listen to these conversations. This sometimes resulted in my initiating debates at my school to the amazement of some of our teachers. How could a child raise such questions?

Today, it is commonplace for women to have opinions on politics and hold their ground in an argument. The times are changing.

A recent Gallup survey has found that 48 percent of the Pakistani people believe that the youth are wiser/ more intelligent than their elders; 29 percent that they lack wisdom; around 17 percent that the young and the old are equally wise/ unwise. The remaining either did not answer the question or said they did not really have an opinion on this.

It is sometimes said that wisdom comes with age, although the environment has a role in shaping one’s mind. With the advent of social media the youth, who typically consume more of it, are better informed than their elders were at the same age. They are also more vocal about things like injustice in their surroundings the genocide taking place in Gaza.

An interesting phenomenon since 2011 has been the political mobilisation of the youth, particularly in support of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. While the trend was initially explained in terms of the cult of personality, these activists are becoming politically more astute by the week.

But can being wiser/ more intelligent be linked to affiliation with progressive politics and social movements?

A recent Gallup survey has found that 48 percent of the Pakistani people believe that the youth are wiser/more intelligent than their elders; 29 percent that they lack wisdom; around 17 percent that the young and the old are equally wise/unwise.

There has been a surge of support recently in parties such as Haqooq-i-Khalq Party and Awami Workers’ Party, possibly on account of their positions on the rights of the marginalised and the underprivileged and their proclivity towards secular, pro-women values.

There has been greater support by the youth in recent years for social movements like Aurat March and Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement.

Baloch Missing Persons movement is another example of activism in defence of human rights. More women and girls are raising the issue of enforced disappearances and demanding fair, transparent trials for those accused/ suspected of terrorism.

Recently, Mahrang Baloch, the Baloch Yakjehti Committee leader led a sit-in in Islamabad after a long march to the city to demand the return of the missing persons.

If being wiser also means having greater faith in democratic processes and values, it can only be a good news. According to Election Commission of Pakistan, 56.86 million voters were registered for 2024 elections as compared to 46.43 million in 2018 elections. It has been suggested that a larger proportion of the youth are voting than their elders who are accused of excessive scepticism towards the electoral process.

The youth apparently are more optimistic in their outlook and approach and more innovative in dealing with challenging situations.

One hopes that the dinner table conversations are more inclusive and that the youth can share their thoughts without being excessively judgmental. If the elderly see them as rational, it would benefit all sides and lead to more mature political analyses and healthier political engagement.

The writer is a journalist and Research Analyst at Gallup Pakistan