This piece captures what it feels like to grow up in a world where every headline becomes a weight on your shoulders. The wings, made entirely of newspapers, symbolize the constant stream of global problems teens are exposed to: conflict, climate disasters, political chaos, violence, and uncertainty are all the things the world expects young people to understand, process, and somehow rise above. But in the image, those wings are burning. The flames represent the emotional overload that comes from carrying so much information without having the power to change it, the way today’s teens absorb crisis after crisis until it all becomes too heavy to hold. As the paper wings fall apart, they reflect how overwhelming and exhausting it is to grow up in a generation that is always plugged in, always aware, always expected to care. Yet the figure stands still, not running from the fire, showing the quiet resilience of young people who continue moving forward even while the world seems to crumble around them. The burning wings reveal both destruction and truth: they show how the pressure of global issues can feel unbearable, but also how these experiences shape teens into people who see the world clearly and refuse to look away. In the end, the image is about carrying the weight of a burning world and still choosing to stand, to endure, and to become something stronger in the process.
