Who are you? Identity formation may be deeply personal, but it’s also a collective phenomenon. Consider South Africa’s own ongoing identity crisis. The country is pushed and pulled in every direction; our own anxieties seem to manifest, sometimes, in national headlines. We grapple with inequality. We try to reckon with a history of incredible cruelty. We reach back 26 years in search of the same hope that painted 1994 as a golden year. It hurts us. But no matter how uncomfortable the process, it also shapes us. So it is for young people’s collective identity crisis. They are hurt, and shaped, and enraged, and calmed and, ultimately, they become themselves – whatever that self may be.

In this third issue of the Human Factor we explore young people’s own stories – in their own words and through their own art. We delve into the secrets of their rapidly developing, ever-evolving brains. And we consider what might happen if, finally, we see young people as potent allies who are fully part of a society that’s as complex, changeable and profoundly beautiful as they all are.