It’s not just physical health that is at risk for Polars with technology use, but mental health. The use of social media—with all of its social pressures and exposure to adult issues—appears to be starting younger and younger.

With norms shifting, primarily due to individualism, more Gen X women may have decided that they could have both a career and children.

Gen X’ers landed right in the middle of the influences of technology, individualism, and the slow-life strategy.

That means a transition from optimism to pessimism, entitlement to insecurity, and self-confidence to doubt. Millennials were challenging because they expected praise as a given; Gen Z’ers are challenging

terms such as self-esteem and self-focus skyrocketed in American books between 1970 and 1995, when Gen X’ers were growing up

Most involve what psychologists call internalizing disorders, such as depression or anxiety.

The charts here suggest another possibility: Gen X’ers have not moved into leadership because Boomers are blocking their way. Gen X is a small generation coming on the heels of an unusually large one, so the “pig in the python” Boomers are still filling the top leadership roles.

Social media and the internet in general put individualism on steroids:

By the early 2010s, 32% more Millennials said they were “very happy” compared to Gen X teens