19th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
From the series “I'm 18”

My daughter is 18 years old and like all parents I think about her future, what awaits our children. How can they find their purpose in life, how to realize their potential? Human self-identification has always been one of the main ideological and philosophical issues in the history of humanity. But in the modern world, the topic of self-determination of a person in the world and his understanding of his role in it is especially acute: the surrounding reality itself and the role and place of a person in it are changing more and more rapidly. What will our future be like? What will become the territory of technology and computers and what will remain for a person? The ability to understand oneself is becoming more important than ever in order to adapt, anticipate, transform along with reality. The new generation can no longer rely on the decisions of parents, social order, traditions. They need to feel the response of their own soul, to find a living contact and interaction with reality, life. You need to make all the important decisions yourself. Who am I? What am I like? Where am I going? What do I want and what can I do for this? And even when all these decisions are made, they need to be reviewed – whether they have lost their relevance, whether they also respond in the soul, whether they remain the same guiding star that will help to go further, illuminating the road, helping to replenish strength and not lose your way. Grow, develop, realize dreams, breathe deeply and live your desired life.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2021
Date Uploaded: 11.2021
Photo Location: Russia
Camera: ILCE-5000
Copyright: © Polina Kuzovleva