[Today’s Theme] Rediscovering Connection: Why We Gladly Give Our Time to Others in the Digital Age

[2025 Global Report] Rediscovering Connection: Why We Gladly Give Our Time to Others in the Digital Age

We live in the most connected era in human history—yet paradoxically, also the most isolated. Our social feeds overflow with “likes,” but we often don’t even know who lives next door. Algorithms keep showing us only what we already like, trapping us on islands of our own preferences.

But on December 5th, International Volunteer Day, we revisit one of humanity’s oldest and most powerful instincts—an instinct strong enough to break this isolation. It is the act of giving our time and energy to others without expecting anything in return: volunteering. Why do people sacrifice precious weekends and sweat for strangers? Is it simply a “good person complex”? Absolutely not. In 2025, volunteering has become a new lifestyle—and one of the most authentic ways to grow as a human being.

1. December 5: A Global Day of Action

International Volunteer Day was established by the UN General Assembly in 1985. It is not merely a day to applaud volunteers. Rather, it is a global checkpoint—a moment when NGOs, governments, and citizens evaluate what we are *doing* to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

This year’s theme leans toward “The Power of Collective Action.” It is a rallying call to address issues like climate change, poverty, and inequality—problems no individual can solve alone—through the vast human network of volunteerism. From New York’s Central Park to small villages in Africa, and the alleyways of Seoul, today is a day when global solidarity flows across borders.

2. Volunteering Is Not a “Spec”—It’s a Story: How Gen MZ & Gen Alpha Volunteer

For previous generations, volunteering was often seen as “sacrifice,” “duty,” or a way to earn extra credit. But for today’s MZ and Alpha generations, volunteering is a way to express identity—a personal story.

• From value consumption to value-driven action: Instead of merely drinking fair-trade coffee, they go out and pick up trash through plogging and share the photos on Instagram. It’s not performance—it’s a declaration: “I am someone who cares about the environment.”
• No interest in “boring” volunteering: They prefer activities that align with their skills and hobbies. A photographer taking profile photos for abandoned dogs so they can be adopted. A developer teaching coding to underprivileged children. A young writer helping seniors create memoirs. Skill-based volunteering has become the norm.

For them, volunteering is both an act of helping others and a way to express themselves while building communities of shared values.

3. The Digital Nomad’s New Citizenship: Online Volunteering

The pandemic broke the borders of volunteering. You no longer need a plane ticket to join a humanitarian project in Africa. UNV’s online volunteering platform receives thousands of applications every day.

Your translation work in a café in Korea may help an NGO in South America secure international funding. A logo you design could become the emblem for a women’s rights group in Southeast Asia.

In the digital age, volunteering is “solidarity through the screen.” It transcends physical limitations and becomes a massive collective intelligence project uniting people tackling global challenges together. With just a laptop, you can become part of a movement that changes the world.

4. A “Selfish” Choice? The Gifts Volunteering Gives Back

Let’s be honest—volunteering is for others, yes, but also very much for ourselves. Psychologists might call this “altruistic selfishness.” And the gifts it returns to us are surprisingly profound.

• A cure for burnout: Workplace exhaustion often stems from not knowing whether our work truly matters. But in volunteer settings, you see immediate impact: cleaner streets, smiling children, a heartfelt “thank you.” These restore our lost sense of agency.
• New perspective and humility: When trapped in our own world, our problems seem enormous. But in volunteer spaces, meeting diverse lives often reveals how small our worries are—and how much we already have. It shifts our attitude toward life itself.
• Unexpected networking: Volunteers gather not through obligation but through good intentions. These pure relationships, free from professional politics, often become invaluable assets in life.

5. Start Small—Start Now

On this International Volunteer Day, you don’t need grand gestures. No one is asking you to fly to Africa or donate your savings. The key to volunteering is sustainability.

• Help organize books at your local library.
• Join a braille transcription project for visually impaired readers.
• Pick up trash at a neighborhood park this weekend.
• Offer mentoring in the field you work in—someone needs your expertise.

What matters is opening your heart toward others.

In Closing: We Are Miracles to One Another

Helen Keller once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

Even in a world where AI replaces intelligence and robots replace labor, what cannot be replaced is human warmth—our ability to empathize with others and extend a helping hand. Volunteering is the vessel through which humanity flows in a cold digital age.

Look around you today. Someone nearby might be waiting for your help. And when you reach out, you just might realize: you didn’t save the world—the world saved you. Believe in your power to make a positive impact.