We’re building technology faster than we’re asking questions, and this time, the danger may be silent.

In this episode, generational futurist and leadership speaker Ryan Vet explores how society has historically responded to new technology—from television and video games to smartphones and social media—and why artificial intelligence is fundamentally different. Using real-world examples, generational research, and cultural patterns, Ryan breaks down why previous technologies gave us time to react, debate, overcorrect, and recalibrate—and why AI will not.

Ryan examines how social media became the ultimate babysitter, how visibility disappeared as screens moved from living rooms to pockets, and why isolation—not content—is the real threat facing kids and teens today. He connects rising adolescent anxiety, depression, and mental health challenges to algorithmic systems that shape identity in private, individualized ways no generation has ever experienced before.

Most importantly, this episode asks the harder question leaders, parents, and policymakers can’t afford to ignore:
What scene will we walk into a year from now and barely recognize if we keep reacting instead of leading?

If you care about:

• Artificial intelligence and society
• Social media’s impact on kids and mental health
• Generational behavior and cultural shifts
• Leadership in the age of rapid technological change
• Parenting, technology, and the future of human connection

…this conversation is for you.

🎧 Listen now, head over to https://collide.ryanvet.com to vote in this week’s Your Perspective poll and see how others are thinking about AI, kids, and the future.

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Ryan Vet is a USA TODAY bestselling author, futurist, and international keynote speaker whose insights on generations, culture, and the future of work have been featured in Forbes, Financial Times, ABC, NBC, and CBS. His research helps leaders understand emerging generational patterns and anticipate societal shifts before they fully unfold.

If you want deeper research and behind-the-scenes insights on generations and the future of culture and society, join Ryan’s weekly newsletter:
👉 https://collide.ryanvet.com

Are today’s kids truly more fragile or did our culture unintentionally weaken resilience over the past three decades? In this episode of The Ryan Vet Show, generational futurist Ryan Vet explores how a well-intentioned “safety-first” culture, shifting emotional language, and always-on technology reshaped childhood and changed how young people experience risk, discomfort, and adversity.

Through stories, research, and generational analysis, Ryan uncovers how psychological safety, overprotective parenting, and media-driven fear created environments where children avoided the very experiences that build confidence, independence, and anti-fragility. This episode examines why Gen Z and younger generations often struggle with conflict and uncertainty—and what parents, leaders, and educators can do to rebuild resilience.

What you’ll hear in this episode:
• How the rise of psychological safety changed childhood
• Why new emotional language (“unsafe,” “triggered,” “harmful”) reshaped expectations
• The impact of smartphones, constant monitoring, and tech-enabled parenting
• How media fear cycles amplified parental anxiety
• The difference between fragile, resilient, and anti-fragile development
• Why removing discomfort leads to long-term consequences
• What risky play teaches that structured environments can’t
• How cultural pendulums influence generational behavior
• Practical steps to help kids grow stronger, not weaker

This episode is for parents, teachers, coaches, mental health professionals, leaders, and anyone trying to understand the generational shifts shaping today’s youth. If you’re curious about childhood development, resilience, psychology, or generational change, you’ll find this conversation both eye-opening and hopeful.

Send us a text

Ryan Vet is a USA TODAY bestselling author, futurist, and international keynote speaker whose insights on generations, culture, and the future of work have been featured in Forbes, Financial Times, ABC, NBC, and CBS. His research helps leaders understand emerging generational patterns and anticipate societal shifts before they fully unfold.

If you want deeper research and behind-the-scenes insights on generations and the future of work, join Ryan’s weekly newsletter:
👉 https://collide.ryanvet.com

This year’s Black Friday broke records—$11.8 billion spent online in a single day—but the real story isn’t the number. It’s how we spent it.

In this episode of The Ryan Vet Show, Ryan reads his latest essay from his newsletter, Collide, exploring a fascinating new shift in consumer behavior: the moment AI quietly became the world’s most influential holiday shopper.

From AI gift-finding agents like Amazon’s Rufus and Walmart’s Sparky…
to the rise of Buy Now, Pay Later…to Gen Z and Gen Alpha shaping family purchases before they can even spell “algorithm”…this holiday season revealed something deeper: every generation is rewriting what it means to shop, give, and celebrate.

In this episode, Ryan unpacks:

📌 What Black Friday 2025 Really Revealed

• AI-driven retail traffic up 805% year over year
• Why we’re buying fewer items at higher prices
• How algorithms, not aisles, are now shaping gift discovery

📌 The Generational Pendulum of Gift-Giving

• Silent Generation thrift and homemade gifts
• Boomer abundance and “the overflowing tree” era
• Gen X caught between stuff and experiences
• Millennials pushing gifting toward memory-making
• Gen Z and Gen Alpha: the experience-first, algorithm-shaped generations

📌 Gen Z and Gen Alpha: The New Holiday Powerhouses

• Why Gen Z plans to cut budgets more than any other generation
• Why same-day delivery is becoming the norm
• Gen Alpha already influencing over $100 billion in household spending
• How targeted ads and platform algorithms shape kids’ gift requests

📌 AI + BNPL + Same-Day Delivery = The New Consumer Formula

• Why AI is now the top discovery engine for holiday shopping
• The psychological shift behind “Buy Now, Pay Later”
• Why this combination creates last-minute shoppers with long-term financial consequences

📌 Where We’re Heading Next

We’re moving into an era where:

• Experiences matter more than merchandise
• Purchasing decisions are mediated by algorithms
• Youngest generations influence spending earlier than ever
• Skepticism toward AI gift recommendations will grow
• The Great Junk Transfer is reshaping how families think about “stuff”

Holiday shopping is no longer driven by catalogs, commercials, or store aisles.
It’s driven by prompts… algorithms… and kids who swipe long before they shop.

This episode offers a fascinating look at how the holidays—and generations—are changing right before our eyes.

Join Ryan on LinkedIn, Instagram, or subscribe to his YouTube channel with over 100,000 subscribers.

Send us a text

Ryan Vet is a USA TODAY bestselling author, futurist, and international keynote speaker whose insights on generations, culture, and the future of work have been featured in Forbes, Financial Times, ABC, NBC, and CBS. His research helps leaders understand emerging generational patterns and anticipate societal shifts before they fully unfold.

If you want deeper research and behind-the-scenes insights on generations and the future of culture and society, join Ryan’s weekly newsletter:
👉 https://collide.ryanvet.com