WHAT'S ON YOUR MIND
By Scott Hennen
Host of “What’s On Your Mind?” Radio Show
heard on the Flag Family Network including KTGO 1090AM
in Watford City, Williston and Tioga, North Dakota
In an era dominated by screens and rapid change, Generation Z, those roughly aged 13 to 28 and often dubbed “Zoomers,” are emerging as our 21st-century equivalent of the “Lost Generation.” This cohort, shaped by smartphones, social media, and cultural shifts, faces unique hurdles that delay traditional milestones like marriage, homeownership, full-time work, and starting families.
As my favorite historian Victor Davis Hanson notes in his recent column, many young men in their teens and 20’s are “prolonging their adolescence,” often stereotyped as shiftless gamers overly reliant on parents and hesitant to forge independent paths.
My own observations echo this concern. Whenever I’m out at a restaurant or shopping, I can’t help but notice how many in this age group, from mid-teens to late-20’s, are glued to their phones, even while walking, posing hazards to themselves and others.
It’s disheartening to see “doom scrolling” consume their attention, scrolling endlessly through feeds designed to hook them. What does this do to their developing minds? It erodes the art of face-to-face conversation, cutting off vital exchanges with friends, family, and elders who could impart life lessons on resilience, relationships, and responsibility.
Smartphones aren’t vanishing, and technology brings both benefits, like instant access to information, and drawbacks. Yet, the lack of discipline in their use feels engineered by Big Tech to foster addiction through short-form videos and daily outrages on platforms like TikTok.
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