Shirley Xiao, Rachel Foxman

This summer at the Paris 2024 Olympics, Huang Yaqiong happily accepted her badminton player boyfriend’s marriage proposal after she won the mixed doubles badminton competition.

Millions of American teenagers gushed over that moment on social media, saying that they were indeed the perfect match.

Though wholesome and silly, this online reaction symbolizes something much deeper: a worldwide cultural shift. In the last 50 years, swaths of new technology and cultural initiatives have enabled Chinese and American citizens to engage directly with each other. As two 17-year-olds from America and China, we believe international education and social media will foster interconnectedness between our generations, so that mutual understanding may overcome the rivalry between our nations.

We first met at YIRLI (Yale International Relations Leadership Institute), a summer program for teenagers around the world to strengthen their public speaking, diplomacy and problem-solving skills.

We both were anxious, worried that misunderstandings might stem from cultural differences. However, friendship happened naturally as we walked around the campus together. We grew closer as roommates. We talked about our unique traditions, our political stances, and our different education systems. Our differences did not hinder our friendship, but rather we appreciated each other’s unique qualities.

It is no secret that China and America have rocky relations, and this tension has penetrated into all aspects. The fierce competition ranges from the space race of building permanent lunar outposts, to the medal counts for the Olympics. However, our generation’s access to social media will help us learn more about each others’ countries through the lens of influencers, facilitating greater cross-cultural exchange and understanding.

This shift is evidenced by our friendship. Even before we met, we had a shared generational knowledge of pop culture from the internet. Then, on an international education program, we became close friends. Now, we follow each other on Instagram and facetime every week on WhatsApp. Thanks to these newfound programs and technology, we were able to form a long-lasting friendship that transcends borders.

Additionally, in decades to come, the United States and China will have to work together to solve complicated international issues. Global warming, pandemics, and potential nuclear warfare pose threats to the humankind. In 50 years, all of America’s and China’s politicians will be from our generation. Every citizen and politician will share this new mindset that we are interconnected as humans, not defined by our nationalities.

Some may argue that misinformation and biased contents spread by social media would only intensify cultural stereotypes. However, we believe that the popularizing of social media will give voices to diverse groups of people, minimizing the harm of information cocoons. As a larger proportion from our generation begins to travel or study abroad, we will be able to create mutual understanding from our authentic experiences and bring our critical mindsets into analyzing national conflicts and stereotypes.

We envision a future when prejudice is replaced by perception, when contempt is replaced by cooperation, when the focus of being a superpower that rules the world gives way to openly collaborating in the face of severe global challenges. With our generation’s cross-cultural environment and mindset, this future will arrive.