An Open letter from a Boomer to Gen X, Millennials, Z’s, and Alphas

Dear Millennials, and Gen X, Z and Alpha,

Things are not good. I don’t mean global warming, racism, etc. Of course, these are very bad, but I believe you’ve already built the foundations for real progress with these problems.

What is not good is the state of the human mind. As you know we are more depressed and anxious than ever. Our suicide rates are high and climbing. Rates of alcohol and opioid abuse continue to mount.

School shootings and overdoses rob the young of their futures. People are more lonely, agitated, and burnt-out, finding relief in their screens of their devices.

This is the face of life in a modern, technological society.

There are many places to lay some blame. Screen time and social media get the most attention. But we can broaden our gaze to envision a wider span of modern life.

There are two underlying forces within modern life that light the fire beneath our various pathologies. The first, is how technology infiltrates our minds directly through devices and indirectly through how devices change our lives. Second, is how the pace and direction life takes us has shattered our communities, and with it, the web of connections that support us.