The Doctors discuss the millennial generation (people born between 1981 to 1996) and the findings of a study which says their generation is on track to be the first generation ever to be less healthy than their parents by the time they reach middle age.
Watch: Do Millennials Need "Adulting School"?
OB/GYN Dr. Nita Landry says the study listed the probability of health problems like diabetes and heart disease as higher as well as chronic loneliness overall. She adds that 66% percent of millennials have nothing saved for retirement so there are a lot of moving parts to this narrative.
ER physician Dr. Travis Stork continues saying the study said the future health assets that millennials don’t have access to or adequate amounts of are emotional support, appropriate skills and qualifications to pursue a career, and the practical and personal support that were there for previous generations.
Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon says the reason for this is millennials are the first true technology generation. He shares a statistic he believes sums it up: 53% of millennials believe they will be millionaires.
The Doctors note their panel spans three generations: Dr. Nita is a millennial, Dr. Travis is Generation X, and Dr. Ordon is a Baby Boomer. They all see the differences amongst them. Dr. Ordon feels the biggest disconnect from the millennials, much of it because of technology.
Watch: Millennials Are Losing Their Hearing at Alarming Rates
The Doctors comment how this is the first generation where they’ve seen people fall into money from posting videos online or going viral on YouTube. “This is the first generation where this is a plausible thing,” says Dr. Travis. Dr. Ordon says this affects their mentality.
Dr. Travis thinks there is a huge disconnect if these millennials believe they will be millionaires, not realizing how difficult life really is and that there is no quick fix. He adds that he’s noticed many millennials are staying at home with their parents for much longer than previous generations.
Dr. Nita defends her generation saying there is a lot of stress with the gig-economy and insecure working situations. It is tough!
Dr. Travis points out that it is a completely new landscape. Jobs like “social media influencers” didn’t exist in previous generations. Dr. Ordon agrees, saying with everything, like dating, it’s a totally different playing field. Dr. Travis does commend the millennial generation’s optimism and Dr. Ordon adds “And creativity!”
