An Open Letter to the Generation Yet to Come :BETa

Dear Gen Beta,

The place where my story begins has a cherished way of addressing its children—with a word wrapped in love and warmth: ‘Beta.’ ?? So it feels only right to address you this way because, by the time you read this, you’ll be our legacy, our next chapter. Some of you might have just arrived at the stroke of midnight, while others are still in the conceptual stage. Your parents might still be swiping on apps trying to find each other—or maybe they’re standing awkwardly at some kombucha bar pretending they don’t already know everything about each other from Instagram and TikTok.

1/ Life Now: A Mix of Analog Memories and Digital Chaos

Right now, life feels like a strange mix of what was and what’s next. I belong to the last generation to straddle both the pre-digital and hyper-digital worlds. We started with landlines and ended up with FaceTime. We passed notes on paper in class, then transitioned to texting under the desk. Dial-up taught us patience, and sending cringy “Hi, let’s be friends?” texts taught us courage. I can still remember the smell of freshly photocopied paper, while others in my generation now rely on Alexa to remind them to drink water. The world you’ll inherit feels unrecognizable even to me sometimes. By the time you read this, phones and earbuds might be ancient history. You’ll probably have chips embedded somewhere—or worse, you’ll be rocking clunky VR helmets. Newsflash: you’ve been duped. Some Millennial on the design team probably did that to troll you. If that happens, just know we tried to warn you. ??

2/ Mornings Weren’t Always This Plugged In

Mornings used to begin with chai or coffee ? and the quiet joy of books or newspapers—a moment of stillness before the world demanded your attention. There’s something magical about the smell of fresh newsprint mingling with a playlist you carefully chose the night before. ?? Now, mornings are often greeted by a notification reminding us to catch up on our “recommended daily mindfulness.”

By your time, music might just be neural streams or preloaded beats. But a song isn’t only about the sound; it’s about the moments it defines—the heartbreak it healed, the dance floor it lit up, the road trips it made unforgettable. Hold on to that magic ?.

3/ The Art of Waiting

In my time, waiting was an art form. Albums had release dates. Movies had premieres. Love letters took weeks to arrive. The waiting made the moment sweeter and gave us stories we’d carry for years. These days, we get impatient if a YouTube video buffers for three seconds. That said, we’re rediscovering the art of waiting in unexpected places—like standing in long queues at malls because everyone suddenly decided to leave the house at the same time. It’s almost nostalgic, except we’re all scrolling on our phones while we wait. By the time you’re reading this, waiting might not even exist. But some of life’s best moments are in the pause, not the push notification.

4/ Millennials, Gen Z, and You

I’ve always thought of Gen Z as a younger sibling—rolling their eyes at our memes and getting lost in TikTok cleaning videos. They think we’re cringe for using too many emojis and saying “adulting.”

You? They might call you “soft” for outsourcing emotions to AI. But here’s the thing: every generation thinks they’re the main character. ?? It’s funny, and honestly, the joke’s on all of us. Just embrace it.

5/ The World You’ll Build

You’ll inherit a world more complex than I can even imagine. We’ve already seen pandemics, protests, and a tidal wave of technology reshaping everything. By your time, you’ll probably have tools that make today’s innovations feel like relics. But remember, some things—like love, laughter, and a perfect sunrise—don’t need optimizing.

My Wish for You

If I could leave you with one thing, it’s this: Be curious. Explore things that feel uncomfortable. Be kind—to yourself, to others, and to the world around you. Laugh a lot, especially at yourself. And don’t let everything get automated.

Sometimes, the joy lies in the messy, manual process of creating something. Like assembling IKEA furniture. Or writing a heartfelt letter.

With love from the middle of the seesaw,

A Millennial from 2025 ??

P.S. spanned Five decades, two centuries, and two millennia later—we’re halfway through