Assuming that you do indeed fit within our intended age demographic, you are currently growing up in an era and a world full of contradictions. Today, the global literacy rate is the highest it has ever been in history, yet, as of 2023, fewer than 15% of teenagers read recreationally. In the 2024 U.S. presidential election, voter turnout among young people was about 10% lower than in 2020. Despite the internet and social media becoming inextricable parts of our daily lives, offering more means of communication than ever before, young people are becoming increasingly disconnected—from each other and the world. 

Amid global crises, climate catastrophes, and human atrocities, many teenagers today are threatened by passive existence. We educate ourselves less, engage with art less, and listen to each other less. Gen Z is poised to become the next dominant generation of the world, and now is not the time to allow disillusionment to drive us to passivity. 

What would a generation of artists and thinkers, acutely aware of the world and striving for understanding, look like today? In what ways would our society change if our youth could speak and truly be heard? How will we reach a reclamation of our agency and awareness as young creatives, a culmination of expression and collaboration, an awakening? 

We pose these questions, dear reader, and hope you consider them as you read and view the work of our very first issue.  Founded in the summer of 2024, Rag Bag Magazine is only just beginning to awaken. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of our staff members and contributors for making this inaugural issue possible. We cannot wait to see what you create in the future, and we hope to see you in our next issue, coming this April!