"They’re selling everything as trauma"

I had the pleasure of speaking with a journalist who shares many of my concerns and perspectives about how trauma is being discussed today. She quoted me in her article for The Guardian, although she didn’t fully capture what I shared with her about entitlement.

What I was trying to convey is this: many young people today feel disadvantaged in terms of opportunities because previous generations have harmed their future—by exploiting the planet, dismissing their needs, neglecting their pain, and insisting that they perform as if they had the same chances for success that earlier generations enjoyed. This context is part of why some feel a sense of entitlement around their suffering. In other words, the current cultural conversation about trauma gives them a framework to articulate that pain.

Katherine wrote a thoughtful piece that I want to share with you, and I’d love to hear what you think. You can read it here:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2025/dec/14/trauma-mental-health