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Time has announced their list of today’s 30 most influential teens, including actors, celebrities, Olympic athletes, musicians and even political activists. Somewhat literal in their line-up, the list went from ages 13 to 19. We’ve compiled our list of our top choices among these teens. And they say that millennials these days don’t do much!
Take a look at some of our top picks!
Millie Bobby Brown
At the age of 13, Brown is one of the younger people on the list, but the point of the list is to honor those who’ve made their mark on the world in their short amount of time on this earth. Dedicated to her craft, it’s probably safe to say that most girls her age would not be happy getting buzzcut, even if it meant an acting role (especially for an acting role, since that’s what people will mark you as for the rest of your life.) Regardless, Stranger Things just wouldn’t be the same without Eleven.
Mikalia Ulmer
Normally, most people would be happy to live in a world without bees. Of course, they should just be happy for people and bees to live separately, since without pollination, our ecosystem is in trouble. When 13-year-old Ulmer learned about this, she decided to take action even after being stung twice by the little buggers! Using a family recipe, she started selling lemonade, specifically flavored with honey, to raise funds for honeybee advocate groups. By 2014, she already developed her own business: Me & the Bees Lemonade. She’s even finishing up her first children’s book, meant to inspire children how to start up their own businesses.
Shibby de Guzman
When I said political activists, I meant political activists. de Guzman, among other Catholic schoolchildren, had joined protests against Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte. de Guzman has also called for other children in the Philippines to speak out against the government, notably after a photo of her was captured at a protest. Even after critics likened the use of her image to child abuse and exploitation, she spoke out, saying, “We completely know and understand the injustice we are protesting against.”
Auli’i Cravalho
Cravalho, at a young age, joined the ranks of Disney’s classic line of heroines, playing the titular heroine of Moana. Of mixed Puerto Rican and Polynesian ancestry, she is hoping to help promote awareness of her cultures throughout American media. “Accurate representation matters,” as she explained in a statement, “I’m proud to be involved in projects that reflect the modern melting pot that is America.” She is also set to appear in the upcoming NBC drama, Rise.
Han Hyun Min
Growing up half-Nigerian and half-Korean in South Korea, this model-to-be face a lot of discrimination growing up. As he once described, as a child, his classmates’ mothers would often forbid them from playing with him out of fears that their skin would become as dark as his. However, after he was discovered by a photo posted on Instagram, he soon became one of the country’s top sought-after models. While he reportedly still faces discrimination, being denied roles over the color of his skin, he hopes his role as a model can teach South Koreans to become more inclusive in their beauty standards.
Ethan and Grayson Dolan
After all, they say that two heads are better than one, so why not have a pair of twins on the list. These two twins started out taking on dares and tongue challenges on camera, with their stunts helping them become viral stars. A YouTube clip of Ethan getting a tongue piercing in their home state of New Jersey garnered two million views and counting. They’ve even had a nationwide variety show that sold out in several cities.
Chloe Kim
The list didn’t forget to mention athletes, especially record-breaking ones! When Kim first tried snowboarding as a little girl, she wasn’t much interested, but she eventually grew up to become the first woman to ever land three full revolutions in the air during competition! Right now, she is a favorite to win gold at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
Shawn Mendes
This Canadian popstar has broke out with hit after hit, known for his albums, Handwritten and Illuminate. Similar to a certain other famous Canadian, he first rose to fame on social media, notably through the now-defunct Vine. Still, he had proven his worth, with around 26 million followers on Instagram alone!
Yara Shahidi
The daughter of an Iranian father and an African-American mother, Shahidi stars in the ABC sitcom, Black-ish as the family’s eldest daughter. Proving popular, she is also set to star in a spin-off show centering around her character going off to college.
Sydney McLaughlin
New Jersey girls certainly show that they mean business! McLaughlin is the first repeat winner of the Gatorade National High School Athlete of the Year Award through her powerful running. She will even race for the University of Kentucky as an upcoming freshman!
Isaac Hempstead Wright
Game of Thrones, whether you prefer the show or the original books, has proven its staying power. That said, bringing Bran Stark to life for eight years, currently remaining one of the show’s few remaining players, Wright can make headlines with just a few words about what might happen on the show!
Elle Fanning
Whether she’s an incarnation of Mary Shelley or Sleeping Beauty, this Fanning sister has also become a figure in today’s fashion world, recently getting to be on the cover of Vouge and leading a second Miu Miu campaign.
Muzoon Almellehan
After learning firsthand the life of a child in a refugee camp after fleeing Syria to Jordan in 2013, Almellehan used her experience to become UNICEF’s youngest ever goodwill ambassador, traveling throughout the world to teach the importance of education to children throughout the world.
Steve Lacy
At the young age of 19, Lacy has already proven himself to be a musical powerhouse. Turning his iPhone into a portable studio, he even co-produced his own band, eventually winning a Grammy nomination for Best Urban Contemporary Album with the 2015 release, Ego Death. Now he’s producing tracks for artists like Big Sean and Kendrick Lamar!
Christian Pulisic
We didn’t forget athletes on the list and with soccer taking over the world in the past few decades, we have one star on the list! Pulisic plays for both the U.S. national team and in Germany’s top pro league, having broken multiple records. Despite being a prodigy, he spoke out on the importance of kids playing the sport just being kids. As he said in a statement, “I think that makes it worse because they don’t realize their kid isn’t enjoying it at all. Let kids be kids.”
Bretman Rock
This Hawaii-based Filipino beauty vlogger used his makeup brushes like a magic wand to rise up to Internet stardom, with nearly 9 million Instagram followers. With a national tour under his belt, he even got to host the Miss Universe red-carpet preshow this year! As he said, “I think the universe is taking quite good care of [me].”
Salvador Gómez Colón
With his San Juan neighborhood harmed by Hurricane Maria, Colón started a campaign to help those in need of solar lamps, hand-operated washing machines and other supplies for his neighbors in need: the Light and Hope for Puerto Rico. As he said in a statement, “One day should not go by that we don’t remind ourselves of how we can make other people’s lives better.”
Jaden & Willow Smith
Will Smith’s two children have appeared in music, television and all kinds of media together and individually. They were listed on the list individually, but who would want to split up a brother and sister? It helps to be the son and daughter of the Fresh Prince himself!
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