The TikTok Generation

The Nameless One jokingly mentioned an issue with bureaucracy in the early days of the war, before he got his orders within the Army Reserve, and I had the feeling that he truly wanted to serve. The following article in many ways encapsulates that feeling amongst an entire country.

The TikTok Generation That Surprised Us All By Natan'el Elinson – originally published in Yedioth Ahronoth

IDF recruitment statistics from the August enlistment cycle for combat roles, showing percentages above 100% — meaning more recruits volunteered than the target; divided into men (on the left) and women (on the right), listing different units with their respective emblems and recruitment rates.

On October 7th, we were not only shocked by the horrific massacre but also by the hundreds of acts of heroism shown by young people – acts that seemed straight out of the days of Israel’s War of Independence or even the time of the Maccabees.

This young generation – the one so often dismissed as pampered, obsessed with TikTok and selfies – revealed itself to be made of much stronger stuff than anyone had imagined. And now, nearly two years later, it’s becoming clear that what we saw wasn’t a fleeting moment. A generation of lionhearted young men and women has emerged – almost without us noticing.

The newly published IDF enlistment data for combat units is nearly unbelievable. At a time when the burden on soldiers is perhaps greater than it has ever been since the founding of the state, the desire to serve in combat roles is skyrocketing.

We often and rightfully speak of the great sacrifice made by reservists. But alongside them, we must not forget that regular soldiers are now operating under intense conditions far beyond what most of us experienced in our own service. I remember when this realization hit me – during the fighting in Khan Younis. Our reserve battalion was going through a high level of operational pressure, and we hadn’t been home for close to a month. That felt like an eternity.

Then we replaced a regular infantry force stationed in one of the houses. It was a powerful encounter – forty-year-old reserve soldiers meeting nineteen-year-old combat troops. After we treated them to some of our improvised cooking, I asked one of them when he’d last been home. His answer left me stunned: “I haven’t been home in more than two and a half months.”

I remember how hard it felt to go three weeks without leave during my own service, but these young soldiers are in a completely different league.

Thankfully, things have improved a bit since then, and today regular soldiers are getting home more often. But the intensity of their operations remains extreme. And yet – despite the hardships, the grueling schedules, the danger, the sweat and the dust – so many young people are fighting to join combat units. Some who were granted exemptions are pleading to enlist anyway. Others are pushing to have their medical profiles raised just so they can qualify.

And the truth is, these remarkable enlistment numbers are not in spite of the war – they are because of the war.

This generation used to be called “the selfie generation,” with the implication that they were self-centered, lacking in sacrifice or deeper values. But they’re proving the exact opposite: they are showing a deep desire and readiness to be in the toughest places – for the sake of us all.

That’s why I’m optimistic.

Because beyond the battlefield, I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of teens in various settings in recent years. I’ve seen them wake at 4:00 AM to work the fields in the Arava. I’ve seen them volunteer in absorption centers during their service years. I’ve seen them build surprising bridges between diverse communities – in ways we adults can only dream of. I’ve seen them dream about founding pioneering communities in the most challenging regions. And I’ve seen them rush in droves to help in the bomb shelters of cities under fire, while many others hesitate to even go near the conflict zones.

There will always be reasons to feel pessimistic. But when you look at this generation – and remember that in ten or twenty years, they will be the ones leading this country, carrying with them everything they’ve lived through – there’s every reason to be hopeful.