Teen Voices provides first-person insight into the thoughts and lives of local teenagers.

The iGeneration.

I’ve heard this nickname for my generation come up over the last few years. Perhaps it’s not undeserved. Even now as I write this — using a computer instead of a pen and paper — I have my iPod playing and my phone is buzzing away. My peers and I find ourselves surrounded by technology constantly, whether it be media in the classroom or our “social networking.” I struggle to think of someone I know who doesn’t have some recently popularized technology in his or her life.

Yet another reason for our nickname has become a common view. The iGeneration cares about one thing: themselves. I hear this idea frequently. Even one of my textbooks mentions a growing apathy in today’s youth, a statement that was fiercely debated in class the next day. And I think this preconception of my generation is largely untrue.

I see so much involvement in my peer group. From student clubs like Green Club, which coordinates recycling efforts at school; Sparrow Club, a group that “adopts” and raises funds for ill children; and Club Hope, which aims to aid the homeless; to personal volunteer efforts, my generation is spending a lot of time and effort focusing out instead of in.

A friend of mine is involved in an organization called Education for Chinese Orphans, or EChO, which focuses on establishing and maintaining schools in China. Another organized and ran the clothing section at this year’s Project Connect, which extends a helping hand to the homeless and needy in Central Oregon.

Other friends work with Habitat for Humanity, with the Human Dignity Coalition, with the Humane Society, the Red Cross and many other service organizations.

In recent weeks, after the horrific earthquake in Haiti, my peers have reached out even further. Several organized a fashion show to raise funds for aid, and a coin drive was set up for the same end. A friend of mine can be relied upon for regular news updates regarding the situation and progress in Haiti. Everywhere I look I see caring and involvement, and I am certain that there is even more just out of sight.

While my generation is indeed very plugged in to technology, the iGeneration is not as caught up in itself as it is widely declared. We reach out to help those who need it, to help reduce the strain on others and on the planet. We reach out to give to others, and to give of ourselves.

We may be a generation of iPods, but we are also a generation of iCare and iHelp.