The Good Old Days Myth

I once looked back on my youth in the 1960s and 1970s and thought: “People then had fewer distractions, more community, and a stronger sense of possibility.” It felt like a golden age. But now, after decades of observing change and after watching a powerful video titled “Bigger Homes, Better Cars, Longer Lives”, I realize I was romanticizing (I mean wrong!). The video shows how many claims we make about past greatness don’t stand up to actual data: houses were smaller, incomes adjusted differently, and lifespans improved mostly through medical advances. YouTube

As someone who’s watched Gen Z come of age firsthand in the college classroom, I hear their complaints. They cry about the crushing costs of education, housing, and health care. They talk about the expectations of always being “on” with social media. They protest the sense that the ladder has been kicked away. Are they whining? Or are they naming a new reality we must reckon with?

So, who’s to blame? No one single generation. The structures we built, the stories we tell, and the economic shifts we inherited all play roles. But I do believe that if we can shift from complaint and blame to curiosity and collaboration, we can chart a better path.

John Bradley Jackson
© Copyright 2025

P.S. I will say the music and the cars were cooler in the 60s and 70s.

P.S.S. Since writing this blog, I have continued to research this issue. Just found this video by Senator Bernie Sanders which is worth watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lolm1jiIomo