About This Audible Original
In January 2019, culture writer Anne Helen Petersen set the Internet on
fire with her viral BuzzFeed essay diagnosing "millennial burnout"--a
chronic state of stress and exhaustion that's become a "base
temperature" for young people today. Now, she continues this
generation-defining conversation in a brand-new format, interviewing
millennials around the country about their own deeply personal
experiences with burnout and the culture that creates it. Listeners will
hear about how this issue has affected Petersen's own life as well as
the lives of five very different subjects: Kevin, a musician and Marine
veteran; Kate, a first-generation college graduate working to repay her
formidable student debt; Haley and Evette, young writers at different
career stages in the digital media industry; and John, a pastor and
co-founder of a new Baptist church in North Carolina.
The conversations that comprise The Burnout Generation cover
everything from debt to social media to the blurred boundaries between
our professional and personal lives. In this illuminating and intimate
audio project, listeners learn how and why this generation has been
conditioned to "optimize" every aspect of our lives (Meal prep for the
week! Find a side hustle! But practice self-care! And answer emails in
bed!), and most importantly, how the consequences of this phenomenon
play out in day-to-day life.
