Thank you for your comment.

In response to your comments, I would say the following: people of all ages experience anxiety, struggles with perfectionism, and a search for meaning with many obstacles along the way. So, I think all people would benefit from love and support.

The reason I focused on millennials in this piece was related to the alarming rise in depression and suicide in this age group. Yet, even though it is lower in other age groups, it remains a top concern in all age groups, so I appreciate your prompting me to point this out.

However, it’s also probably true that different generations experienced different stressors. Generation X would be people born from approx. 1965–1980 (39 to 54 years old.) and millennials would be people born from approx. 1981–1996 (23–38 years old).

Richard Dobbs and his colleagues in “No Ordinary Disruption” pointed out the increase financial volatility from 1990 to 2000 and then 2010. (https://bit.ly/2Y3nR5b).

They also pointed out a 5X increase in goods, services and financial flows from 1990–2012 and a 3X increase in international migration from 1960–2013.

The oldest gen X’ers would have been entering the workforce at age 21 in 1987 whereas the older millennials would be entering the workforce at age 21 in 2002. There were huge differences in financial volatility, goods, services and financial flows and international migration then. The youngest in each category at the 21 would be entering the workforce in 2001 and 2017, and again, the volatility is significantly higher for millennials. These are just a few examples of environmental stressors that could have an impact.

Also, technology demands and change are significantly higher, and there is some evidence that older generations use more self-control while younger generations use more escapism (https://bit.ly/2Fj1hxX).

So, one question is: Do millennials use less self-control or is their self-control so impaired by financial and other volatility that they wish they could do what the older generations could, but they can ‘t?

More importantly, can we reach out to them (and people of any other age group suffering the same) to help them with the repercussions of these challenges? And what can we do to stop this alarming increase in suicides?

That said, if your basic points are that some self-control and resilience is necessary, I would agree. And I too admired the resilience of my parents and grandparents through tremendous hardships.

It’s just currently quite clear that depression, anxiety and suicide are higher in millennials. Perhaps we can use the resilience we have learned to help them? And perhaps they can help us with the disorienting change around us too?

I agree with your thoughts about boredom, disengagement and the need for reskilling too. These are other big issues that I believe we need to take on, while having fun in the process.

Thanks again for sharing your thoughts and experiences.