A welcome to Rob, an old friend of Bobby and Jamie’s, who has set up an exciting new enterprise, Escape the City, and writes a guest post for OxFizz.

The news is filled with dire warnings about climate change, overpopulation, deforestation, economic collapse, war and terrorism. However, for every challenge there is a potential solution.

The 21st century’s challenges (which are sizeable) are mainly going to be faced by people born after 1980. Leadership guru Warren Bennis is calling this generation the next ‘Greatest Generation’.

Here are 4 reasons why young people today have the potential to change the world in a positive way (there are many more):

• There is a growing feeling of social responsibility amongst the university-age generation. Young people today are less motivated by money and more motivated by having an impact and making a difference.

• It has never been easier to start a business, a social enterprise, or a charity with no money. The new tools and technologies that we all have at our fingertips mean that anyone with a good idea and the drive to make it happen can succeed (see The Bootstrapper’s Bible).

• Being young doesn’t have to count against you. In fact, many of the most exciting tech and social entrepreneurship innovations of the last decade have come from people in their 20s (Facebook, TribeWanted, u8, OneYoungWorld). Being unrestrained by the limitations of experience can actually be a competitive advantage.

• The future of business is social, transparent and connected. Growing up in a world where the Internet and mobile technology are ubiquitous means that the generation currently entering the workplace has a strong understanding of the tools that will define the way the world works over the coming decades (see Here Comes Everybody).

To have a further think about what this might mean I would strongly recommend reading the following books:

• The Meaning of the 21st Century: a Vital Blueprint for Ensuring Our Future
• Upstarts!: How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking the World of Business and 8 Ways You Can Profit from Their Success
• Tribes

And if you’re leaving university and not sure what direction to head in, come and check us out at Escape the City - we’re about to launch our new platform which provides exciting options for young professionals who want to ‘do something different’.