Gary Vaynerchuk, chairman of communications company VaynerX and cofounder of Resy, has shared his thoughts on the root cause of Gen Z’s mental health issues, and it’s not what many people expect. In a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Vaynerchuk stated that modern parenting is to blame for the burnout and insecurity experienced by many young people, rather than social media or advertisers.
Vaynerchuk believes that the last 40 years of parenting have been misguided, leading to a lack of accountability and security among young people. He pointed out that being exposed to ads and luxurious lifestyles is nothing new, citing examples such as “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” and “MTV Cribs”. Instead, he thinks that parents have been too lenient and have not taught their children the value of hard work and accountability. Vaynerchuk claimed to receive “tens of thousands of DMs from 20-to-30-year-olds every month” who express frustration with being coddled by their parents and having their lives bankrolled without expectation of paying them back. He also criticized the practice of giving “eighth place trophies for everyone”, saying that it has led to a fear of losing and a lack of accountability.
The impact of Vaynerchuk’s words could be significant, as it challenges the common narrative that social media is the primary cause of Gen Z’s mental health issues. Instead, it highlights the importance of parenting and teaching young people the value of hard work and accountability. As Vaynerchuk looks to the future, he is also excited about the potential of emerging technologies such as OpenAI and other forms of artificial intelligence to create new opportunities and improve people’s lives. He predicts that these technologies will lead to increased leisure time and potentially even a four-day work week, and encourages people to take control of their own destiny rather than fearing the changes that these technologies will bring.
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