Generational conflict – Gen X accusing youth of entitlement, while younger generations accuse us of neglect – is more than just miscommunication. It’s a smokescreen, a distraction that keeps us from seeing who really profits from our division: corporate and government elites.

I was born in the late ’70s, when we were still sold the same lie our parents believed: work yourself sick, give everything to the company, pledge blind patriotism, and the American Dream will be yours. But it wasn’t. Wages have barely budged. Since 1979, middle-wage workers in the U.S. saw just a 6% increase in real hourly wages, while low-wage workers actually saw a 5% decline. High earners? They enjoyed a 41% gain. (Economic Policy Institute) Meanwhile, average real wages today have about the same purchasing power as they did 40 years ago. (Pew Research Center)

These aren’t random shifts – they reflect deliberate policy choices and market manipulation. At the same time, wealth has been sucked upward. The top 10% of corporations control 95% of al corporate profits, with the wealthiest 0.1% owning over 88% of corporate assets. (Oxfam America) The richest American – 10% – hold over 93% of all publicly traded stock, with the top 1% owning more than half. Then the politicians who are owned by the wealthy make laws and tax incentives that solely benefit the wealthy. This is the system today’s youth see.

Now include that too many parents wanted to keep living like they had no kids to raise, and children were left in the care of TV screens, iPads, and smartphones.The result? An entire generation handed the keys to infinite information without the guidance to process it. Adults now spend less than 16 minutes a day reading for pleasure, while the average social media use is over 2 hours daily. Kids and teens take it even further: U.S. teenagers (and still plenty of adults) spend an average of 4.8 hours a day on social media and more than 7 hours total on screens – nearly half their waking hours. Meanwhile, fewer than 20% of teens read a book daily, compared to over 80% who log into social media every day. What’s the results of this? Anxiety, depression, and loneliness. (Brookings.edu)

Instead of being guided step-by-step, they were thrown into adulthood in a microwave-warp speed, no foundation. Many were told, “You’re the man of the house,” “You’re the woman now.” They were allowed to cuss out their buddy-parents, invite partners to stay overnight, or sit in on adult conversations that exposed them too early to lies and hypocrisy of our system.

So what did they see? Brutal police officers walking free after murder caught on camera. Greedy politicians fundraising themselves out of accountability while passing laws they don’t intend to follow themselves. They see many woman sexualizing themselves and calling it exerting power. They watched America elect a convicted felon elected president – not once, but twice – a man who bragged about wanting to sleep with his daughter. They saw their parents give everything to a system that rewarded them with nothing but debt and broken dreams.

So, why the confusion? There is none. This generation isn’t blind. They see the hypocrisy more clearly than we ever did. What they lack is mentorship – adults willing to guide them, instead of blaming them for living in a world we created.

The Way Forward: Mentorship, Not Blame

This isn’t about blaming younger generations or sacrificing nuance. It’s about recognizing that the system thrives, not on ambition, but on our division and distraction. The only way forward is through mentorship, shared struggle, and rebuilding the bridges between generations.

• We must teach discernment – how to consume media, how to read critically, and how to resist the allure of distraction.
• We must model civic engagement – exposing corruption, demanding accountability, and investing in community.
• We must dismantle the system that concentrate wealth and power – from tax policy to corporate regulation.

Some of us can die just for waking up. Instead of criticizing certain groups for spending the little they have on shiny things, or why are they angry, ask why they feel today might be the only day they get to live. Our youth needs to see us fight for ours and their future. They’re looking through a lens that many of us provided and it’s murky. Let’s not give them more distractions. Let’s give them actual guidance – and rebuild a future worth believing in. We together have more power than this greedy system wants us to believe. There’s enough for all of us to live comfortably when working together.

Do you believe you’ve received back what you put into the system?

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