Gen X Unbothered: When the News Sucks, We Touch Grass
Some days the headlines just don’t hit. Today is one of those days. The news cycle feels like white noise. The outrage machine keeps churning, but nothing feels worth your time.
And if you’re Gen X, you probably already knew that.
So let me take the time to remind us who we are.
GenX will be the last generation to EVER know what it was like to not have a permanent phone appendage stuck in their hand. Amazing days!
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PINE LAKES HOMESTEAD
We grew up in a time when tuning out wasn’t avoidance—it was survival. Half the time, we were too busy watching MTV and getting along with everyone, no matter their background or preference. And yes, that really happened. Headlines didn’t tell us who to hate or what to fear. Instead, we stayed busy. We found things to do, made things from scratch, broke a few along the way, and learned something every time. When the world got too loud, we stepped outside and let it pass.
Here’s your reminder to do it again. Step outside and take a break from the noise. Let your feet find grass or gravel. Run your hand along something real, even if it’s the old backyard slide that used to leave battle scars. Give yourself a moment to unplug and reconnect with who you’ve always been.
Gen X did not grow up curated. We grew up in chaos. And we thrived in it.
You remember this life:
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Drinking from the garden hose without flinching.
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Jumping ramps made from plywood and bricks in the middle of the street.
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Watching Saturday morning cartoons like it was sacred ritual.
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Cruising the downtown strip on a Friday night after the football game, windows down, music up, waving at every third car because that was social media.
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Knowing how to fix a jammed cassette with a pencil.
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Listening to your parents yell at the television every night during the evening news, and not once thinking it meant the end of the world.
We were latchkey kids who learned to figure things out on our own. Boredom wasn’t a crisis; it was a waiting room for imagination. Nobody handed us participation trophies, and mental health came in the form of fresh air and staying out until the streetlights came on. You dealt with it, moved on, and kept going.
Go Touch Grass
So when the headlines start to feel like reruns, we don’t panic. We’ve seen the cycle. We know when something’s real and when it’s just noise.
Tuning out isn’t giving up. It’s knowing when not to waste your time. Gen X didn’t grow up addicted to outrage, and we’re not starting now.
Let the chaos scream. We’ll be over here, unbothered.
So if you’re scrolling the headlines and feeling nothing spark, give yourself permission to step away. The world will still be there tomorrow. Probably yelling about something even dumber.
Today is yours. Take it back.
Put on the music that raised you. Watch a movie with practical effects and no message. Water the grass. Water your soul. Let the rest of the internet froth over whatever talking point gets served up next.
We were born analog. We do not have to stay logged in.
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