Carla DiBello On Gen Z’s Enduring Optimism and Her Faith in The Future | A Very Modern Role Model
At the start of a new year, the entrepreneur and celebrity style insider muses over her excitement – and fear – over what the future can bring
As much as I try to remain in the present, it’s nearly impossible not to think about the future. It’s simply a part of the human condition that we are ingrained to fear what might come, all the while hoping for better outcomes and trying to plan for the unexpected. Navigating the final days of 2023 led to a special fascination with the future. I found my mind oscillating between the possibilities that lie ahead as well as the inherent unpredictability that shrouds the future.
While we really are capable of intentionally changing our lives and the world around us for the better, one constant I know to be true is that there is no way for us to truly predict or control the future. Writer Margaret Heffernan states, “History doesn’t repeat itself because we keep changing, and it keeps changing with us,” and she’s completely right. A small change for the better could be the start of a chain reaction of events we could never have expected.
While it sometimes may not feel like it, today’s world is immensely better than it has ever been. Our present society is more developed, diverse, and inclusive. Our lives are longer, and health has improved immeasurably. We are more able to move about this world with a freedom that would have been unfathomable to past societies.
Yet while the world may be objectively better in many ways, there is a growing shadow
that looms over all our advancements. We find ourselves grappling with a psyche that, despite material progress, is burdened with new complexities and uncertainties. It prompts me to question: How has the evolution of our external circumstances affected the wellbeing of our inner worlds?
While we are able to converse more quickly and easily with others these days, our growing capabilities for communication have created a profound shift as to how and when we consume information.
I am old enough to recall the days when news intake was limited to daily headlines in the morning and the 7 o’clock news at night. But today, we no longer learn about news after the fact; but rather, we are exposed to every and all happenings right as they unfold. Wars, conflicts, and other tragedies move from distant and filtered sources to a more immediate, immersive, and often involuntary experience.
In this era of instant and unfiltered exposure to harsh realities, the responsibility to comprehend, navigate, and address its implications falls squarely on our own shoulders – but even more so, the shoulders of tomorrow’s generations. I can’t help but ponder what an enormous task this will be for them. But at the same time, I think future generations are up to the challenge.
Despite the onslaught of the world’s hardships, multiple surveys and studies have found that Gen Z possesses an ‘enduring optimism,’ born from higher levels of pragmatism that lends itself to adaptability, self-awareness, abilities to learn independently, appreciation for diversity, an entrepreneurial spirit, and an increased understanding of global community. I have nothing but admiration for how self-possessed our youth are in comparison to my own and other past generations. And I have full faith that their collective efforts of resilience, empathy, as well as human-centric ingenuity will cultivate a global consciousness capable of fostering compassion and understanding in the face of change and uncertainty.
Unlike past generations, when things feel hard, I’ve seen our youth reject despondency and indifference in favour of community. The future is unpredictable, and that may be the one constant we can rely on, but from what I’ve seen so far, I have more faith than fear that future generations will be ready for whatever comes their way.
Photography: Efraim Evidor. Styling: Imogene Legrand. Carla Wears: Jumpsuit, Dhs2,610, SERRB. Shoes, Carla’s Own. Hair: Sisters Beauty Lounge. Make-Up: Tilly Newman. With Thanks To Jumeirah Al Qasr.
From Harper’s Bazaar Arabia’s January 2024 issue