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Jaden Smith, like many post-pubescent youngsters including Malala Yousafzai, Kylie Jenner, Kendall Jenner, Lorde, Austin Mahone, is listed among Time’s top 25 influential teenagers of the year.
While the phenomenon is often called the “Terrible Teens” many of these teen bags of beans have quite a following in today’s media-connected world. They have fans that run into the millions on Facebook and Twitter and begin charitable organizations and support important causes.
The level of influence runs the gamut from a small coterie of followers all the way to winning the Nobel Prize. Among these youthful minds and hearts /4/be included such figures as Jaden Smith and Malala Yousafzai.
Smith was given a launching pad by none other than his father, the famous actor Will Smith. Jaden Smith is more well-known though for his philosophical quotes on Twitter.
And while some of them are meaningful others are so downright preposterous that only an intellectual can believe in them. He has been given the title of a Confucius for the Age of the Information Superhighway.
As for Malala, she also made it into the ranks of the list. Exactly two years and 24 hours after being shot brutally by the Taliban in Pakistan, Malala Yousafzai has not only survived the attack but gone ahead and won the Nobel Peace Prize.
The educational sponsor and fighter for the rights of women, who were suppressed by the Taliban in the name of a twisted version of religion, gained worldwide fame and respect for standing up to the forces of backwardness and obscurantism.
With a pen, paper and book in her hand, she singlehandedly proved that change is possible and that there is hope beyond darkness and despair. She also set up the Malala Fund which lends succor to women everywhere who want to get educated and engage in meaningful work in the economy of their nation.
Malala is proof that the most repressive regime is powerless before a person who is willing to speak her mind and struggle for women’s rights. Deep down inside we are all Malala and would like to continue learning from the treasure-house of information, knowledge and wisdom that is found in books and the human experience.
There should never be a girl in this world who has to fear getting educated. #DayOfTheGirl pic.twitter.com/H3A72Kg0ZP— The First Lady (@FLOTUS) October 11, 2014
The complete list of Time’s top 25 influential teens of 2014 is given below.
- Mo’ne Davis, 13
- Sasha Obama, 13, and Malia Obama, 16
- Kiernan Shipka, 14
- Jazz Jennings, 14
- Flynn McGarry, 15
- Erik Finman, 15
- Nash Grier, 16
- Rico Rodriguez, 16
- Ciara Judge, 16, Émer Hickey, 17, and Sophie Healy-Thow, 17
- Shawn Mendes, 16
- Jaden Smith, 16
- Becky G, 17
- Salma Kakar, 17
- Lorde, 17
- Lydia Ko, 17
- Chloë Grace Moretz, 17
- Kylie Jenner, 17, and Kendall Jenner, 18
- Malala Yousafzai, 17
- Rachel Fox, 18
- Bethany Mota, 18
- Joshua Wong, 18
- Austin Mahone, 18
- Tavi Gevinson, 18
- Megan Grassell, 19
- Troye Sivan, 19
