What Scares Me
I’m an America bull. I always have been. It’s the greatest country in the world. It’s not perfect, but life in America gets better over time.
I think of what it must’ve been like to live during the Industrial Revolution, come out of the other side of the Great Depression then World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, or see the computer invented. Hope about the future had to be off the charts.
I largely grew up in the Internet Era. There was definitely hope for the future, and it was well-placed. The American Dream.
It doesn’t seem like the youth of today feel that way. That scares me.
I get why they feel like the deck is stacked against them. I can argue the opposite side of all of these (and I do). But, they are sent into the world with a heavy bag of student loans, the foundational years of their careers interrupted by a government shutdown in response to a pandemic, jobs that are below their education level, delays in marriage and starting families.
First marriages are now at 30 years old for men and 28 for women. They used to be 22 and 20. Kids come at 28 versus 21. First time home buyers are now 40 instead of 27.
Big life milestones are being delayed. Financial insecurity is often cited as a primary reason.
That’s not good. Particularly if they don’t see a real path to having a meaningful and fulfilling life.
I still believe because I’ve seen the innovation. I’ve seen the progress. I believe that capitalism solves problems. But, it scares me that the young generations don’t feel that way and won’t participate.
We’ve got to give young people hope and belief in their future.
