Generational Advice: Hardships Youth Shouldn't Face
Every generation grows up facing certain challenges that are unique to how society and the world at large are evolving during that time.
The baby boomer generation became adults in the midst of conflicts like the Vietnam War and revolutions like the Civil Rights Movement.
Gen X grew up facing the impact of multiple economic recessions while at the same time, being the first generation to really have widespread access to technological advancements like computers and the internet.
And millennials (also known as Generation Y) are often called unlucky due to high numbers of unemployment, student loan debt, and mental health struggles.
If you're a part of a generation that is considered to be "older," what's something you wish younger generations, such as Generation Z and Generation Alpha, didn't have to deal with?
Is it the rising worries about climate change and the environment?
White smoke is pouring out of the chimneys of the power plant.
Are you concerned about how artificial intelligence (AI) might impact them?
Do you feel it's harder for younger generations to find work and afford homes, especially with inflation and rent eating up most of their earnings?
Whatever it is, we want to hear it. Use our anonymous form or comment below!
What's something you wish the younger generations didn't have to deal with, and why?
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Generational Advice: Hardships Youth Shouldn't Face
Every generation grows up facing certain challenges that are unique to how society and the world at large are evolving during that time. The baby boomer generation became adults in the midst of conflicts like the Vietnam War and revolutions like the Civil Rights Movement. Gen X grew up facing the impact of multiple economic recessions while at the same time, being the first generation to really have widespread access to technological advancements like computers and the internet. And millennials (also known as Generation Y) are often called unlucky due to high numbers of unemployment, student loan debt, and mental health struggles. If you're a part of a generation that is considered to be "older," what's something you wish younger generations, such as Generation Z and Generation Alpha, didn't have to deal with? Is it the rising worries about climate change and the environment? White smoke is pouring out of the chimneys of the power plant. Are you concerned about how artificial intelligence (AI) might impact them? Do you feel it's harder for younger generations to find work and afford homes, especially with inflation and rent eating up most of their earnings? Whatever it is, we want to hear it. Use our anonymous form or comment below! What's something you wish the younger generations didn't have to deal with, and why?
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When older generations refuse to pass the baton—or the property—everyone else gets stuck renting or moving away. Housing hoarding isn't just inconvenient; it's economically disruptive. Boomers often say, 'You'll get your help when I'm gone,' as if delayed inheritance is a meaningful solution. But many adult kids are drowning in debt or raising families now, when financial relief would actually matter. It's a mindset rooted in legacy, not reality. This withholding often comes with control—help is dangled but rarely given freely. And by the time it arrives, it's often too late to shift life trajectories. The gesture lands as symbolic rather than life-changing. Despite benefiting from robust public programs, many Boomers vote for politicians who cut them for future generations. They got affordable education and accessible healthcare, but resist taxes that would extend those rights forward. It's political short-sightedness disguised as fiscal responsibility. The result? Their children face higher tuition, thinner healthcare coverage, and a retirement landscape stripped of stability. The ladder got pulled up the moment they made it to the roof. As noted by Newsweek, Boomers often carry the belief that mental health struggles are a private failure, not a legitimate issue. That stigma gets passed down, making it harder for their kids to seek help, name their trauma, or set emotional boundaries. It turns vulnerability into something shameful. This avoidance leads to generational silence, repressed emotions, and unresolved family wounds. Emotional neglect can be just as damaging as any overt abuse—and it gets replicated until someone breaks the cycle. Many Boomers never taught their kids about credit scores, debt, or how to negotiate a salary. Instead, they kept money hush-hush, treating it like a taboo or source of shame. That silence left their kids unprepared for a wildly different economy. According to Investopedia, Millennials and Gen Z cite financial illiteracy as a major hurdle—and many trace it back to their upbringing. A lack of guidance doesn't teach independence—it breeds anxiety. Financial secrecy isn't protection; it's a disservice. Boomers often view nonstop work as a virtue and equate exhaustion with success. But that mindset pushes their kids into cycles of overwork without rest, recognition, or fulfillment. The message is: if you're tired, you're doing it right. This leads to chronic burnout, disconnection, and health consequences younger generations now face en masse. Hustle isn't inherently noble—especially when it masks emotional avoidance or status anxiety. Boomers handed down the grind, but not the safety net. Many Boomers stayed in unhappy marriages 'for the kids,' but that choice often created emotionally chaotic childhoods. Or they divorced and refused to talk about it, leaving their kids confused and unsupported. Either way, silence bred shame. According to Psychology Today, unresolved divorce trauma in childhood can lead to trust issues and intimacy struggles in adulthood. When parents pretend everything's fine, their children absorb the dysfunction instead of learning how to name it. Emotional honesty was not their strong suit. They don't want to learn how Venmo works, but they'll criticize younger people for 'being on their phones too much.' This refusal to engage with modern tools becomes a burden their adult kids have to carry—handling everything from tech setup to online medical forms. It's digital learned helplessness. Tech illiteracy today doesn't just mean inconvenience—it means dependence. It also reinforces harmful stereotypes about generational superiority. You can't reject the future while demanding full respect from it. Many Boomer households were built on strict gender dynamics that were rarely questioned. 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The roles reverse, and adult kids become therapists. Healing can't happen when accountability is always outsourced. 'Because I said so' was their favorite mantra—and it still echoes today. Boomers often expect unconditional respect based solely on age, not behavior. But younger generations value authenticity and emotional intelligence over hierarchy. This clash creates communication breakdowns that are often framed as 'entitlement.' But questioning power isn't rebellion—it's evolution. And real respect comes from mutual understanding, not fear. They pine for a golden age of simplicity, hard work, and patriotism—but often forget the systemic privileges that made it possible. This nostalgia becomes weaponized when they dismiss today's struggles as 'whining.' It creates a wall of emotional invalidation. By denying how much the world has changed, Boomers lose empathy for their own children's realities. Generational connection starts with truth—not selective memory. Romanticizing the past is easy when you benefited from it.
