Two Big Concerns for Young People Today

The world is changing at a speed that’s tough to keep up with. I’m not just worried about what this means for the next generation—I’m worried about where humanity as a whole is heading. There are two specific shifts that scream red flags for me. The first one is artificial intelligence; it’s on everyone’s mind. But the second, less obvious one, is population growth. Let’s break these down.

My focus on population growth started with the insane traffic in Los Angeles. I know, it’s L.A., traffic is a constant. But there was a time, not so long ago, when you could actually plan your day to avoid it. Nowadays, it doesn’t matter if it’s 11:00 AM or 2:00 PM—major streets are packed all the time. This isn’t just an L.A. thing; this is happening in cities worldwide. The bigger picture? Humanity is about to face a major wake-up call, and it’s called world population.

During the pandemic, I stumbled across a video on this topic, which got me digging. Here’s what I found:

· ? ? In 1804, the global population hit 1 billion.

· ? ? By 1927, we’d doubled to 2 billion.

· ? ? 33 years later, we hit 3 billion in 1960.

· ? ? Then, it took only 14 years to reach 4 billion in 1974.

· ? ? Now? We’re at 8 billion, and it’s only going up.

Everywhere you look, new homes and apartment buildings are popping up. It’s the same story across the globe; I saw it firsthand in China in 2018. Experts predict we’ll hit around 10.4 billion by the 2080s. There’s a lot of talk about whether Earth can sustain this many people, and it’s not just about food or housing—it’s also about resources, the environment, and how we even think about politics and power. And what are those who understand this reality doing with that knowledge?

The second thing that keeps me up at night is authenticity—specifically, the ability of young people to know what’s real. I’ve been driven to focus on authenticity in my career partly because of the sheer amount of “fake” I’ve seen around me. It started with artificial grass back in the 1970s, then moved to plastic surgery, “enhanced” images, and now, AI that can literally take over jobs. With the population ballooning and AI rising, what’s left for humans to do? Who decides who gets the resources or the opportunities?

Then there’s social media, where anyone can be whoever they want. But how do we know who’s real and who’s a fa?ade? How do you recognize authenticity when everything’s filtered and curated? How do young people learn to navigate this world?

Let’s not kid ourselves—this isn’t just about social pressures. Politically, we’re seeing a trend of restricting reproductive rights, yet we’re not equipped to support the babies who enter this world without a safety net. If we’re forcing people into birth, who is going to support these families? How do we avoid a future where our streets are flooded with homeless families and children, while AI and automation keep taking jobs?

I’m deeply worried about our young people, especially those growing up without the financial means to navigate this complex landscape. The only way forward? Those of us who see these issues have to step up. So, what are you going to do about it?