Lucinda, 17, from England
Editorial Note
Young people growing up in global, cosmopolitan cities often find themselves connected to conflicts far beyond their borders. Not through politics, but through friendships — classmates with family in Ukraine or Russia, neighbours with ties to Israel or Palestine, WhatsApp calls from cousins abroad, or stories shared quietly at lunch.
In London, conflicts overseas don’t feel distant; they sit in classrooms, in conversations, in the way people carry themselves. Lucinda’s perspective reflects this reality: the experience of witnessing global crises through the people around her, and the empathy that grows from it.
Her story isn’t about taking sides.
It’s about what it feels like to come of age in a world where news travels instantly and pain travels through communities, no matter the distance.
Interview
Q: Could you introduce yourself?
My name’s Lucinda. I’m 17. I’m from England, but I’m Scottish by heritage.
Q: Has anything happening in the world recently changed the way you think about your future?
Yes. Learning about global politics — like the shifts in globalisation or trade tensions between major powers — has made me realise how connected everything is. I think these changes might reduce opportunities for our generation, which is something I’ve been thinking about more as I get older.
Q: When you hear the word “conflict,” what does it mean to you?
Violence, obviously, but also hatred — whether physical or verbal. Anything that removes someone’s dignity.
Q: Do young people understand conflict differently from adults?
I think young people understand it just as well. Adults often say teenagers don’t know what they’re talking about, but we see everything online, all the time. Yes, information can be overwhelming, but dismissing young people because of their age feels outdated.
Q: Do you feel connected to conflicts outside the UK?
Definitely. My school has a lot of international students — Israeli, Palestinian, Jewish, Russian, Ukrainian. Almost everyone I know from these backgrounds has experienced some kind of tension or bias over the past few years. Seeing the impact on people I care about makes these conflicts feel more personal.
Q: Was there a moment that made a distant conflict feel real to you?
Yes. I came across a news story about a young boy caught in a conflict zone, and it really affected me. I have a younger sister, and imagining anything happening to her made me feel sick. It reminded me that behind everything we see online, there are real families and real emotions.
Q: Do you ever feel torn between the media and real conversations?
Absolutely. The media is often very polarised. But when I talk to people in real life — especially those who have family directly involved — the discussions are so much more nuanced. People can disagree deeply but still listen to each other, which is something I wish we saw more online.
Q: Anything you’d like readers to take away?
Maybe just that empathy matters. Listening properly to people who are affected — instead of relying only on headlines — gives you a much clearer sense of what’s going on.