Welcome to the Daily Dad podcast, where we provide one lesson every single day to help you with your most important job, being a parent.

I'm Ryan Holiday, and I draw these lessons from ancient philosophy, modern psychology, practical wisdom,

and insights from parents just like you all over the world. Thank you for listening,

and we hope this helps.

It's yourself you should be worried about.

There seems to be this concern, particularly on the right and from older generations,

that kids are just way too soft these days.

Everyone is sensitive.

Everyone is easily triggered.

Everyone seems to have some sort of mental illness or trauma.

And yes, there does seem to be some data that supports this generalization.

Compared to the baby boomers and gen Xers who think their mental health is in good shape,

less than half of millennials felt the same way. Of the 10 biggest health conditions facing

millennials, incidences of major depression have made by far the biggest jump.

Antidepressant and anti-anxiety medication is up across the board over the last couple decades,

and it is particularly spiked with millennials and Gen Ziers, in particular with young women.

But it's strange that we're so glib in dismissing or judging kids for this.

First off, the last 25 years have been traumatic, and this is no one's fault but the adults, whether we're talking about bad wars or

bad loans or bad pandemic policies. But second, the sneering condescension from those very same

adults ignores the more likely conclusion. No one is any more sensitive

or susceptible to difficult times or traumatic events. It's just that the culture has shifted

towards openness and acceptance. Young people are no longer stuffing down their emotions and

...