I’ve written about Daniel Kraft’s bar-setting TED speech, and about how my three (to date) TEDx speaking clients prepared in totally different ways. But there’s something else happening at TEDx, the independently-produced TED spin-offs taking place around the world:
Kids are getting into the act.
Take this performance by then-12-year-old Adora Svitak, who’s been writing since she was 7. Adora’s confidence, charm, and lack of pretense are as much fun as the ideas she puts forth. (I would change the George Bush comment, but she got away with it.)
The Future, Brought to You by YouTube
It used to take people decades to garner Adora’s poise — or level of exposure.
Now there are more prodigies, more personalities, more young people ready for prime time than there have ever been before.
We’re also more ready to listen to them, as became clear when MoveOn.org posted this video of then-19-year-old Zach Wahls‘ speech about marriage equality (it’s now been viewed by more than 16 million people):
When I was growing up, the common wisdom was that elders set the standard for younger people. My generation tried to overturn that rule, and may have done more harm than good.
But here comes a new generation to set a public speaking standard that us older folks would do well to emulate.
Adults, get your speaking hats on! Let’s give the kids a run for their money.
