Social media seems to be full of videos of millennials comparing their parenting approach to that of their baby boomer parents. There’s no doubt that this generation is distinct from their parents, and one woman perfectly summed up another topic that baby boomers and millennials can’t agree on.
Kristen Knutson recently did a light-hearted skit about mental health, which she called a “forbidden subject” in the caption. The footage shows Knutson wearing glasses while recounting a conversation that presumably took place between her and her mother.
So far, the comical yet perfectly accurate video has garnered two million views on Instagram. Using the handle @callmekristenmarie, the on-screen text reads: “Your anxious baby boomer mom thinks anxiety is a myth.”
According to a 2023 YouGov study, Baby boomers reported much higher rates of mental health than younger generations, while 17% of adults born after 2000 have an anxiety diagnosis. That’s almost twice as many baby boomers who received a comparable diagnosis. The highest percentage of any generation, nearly one in five millennials (19%), have been diagnosed with depression at some point in their lives.
In the video, Knutson plays out a scenario in which a baby boomer refuses to acknowledge that he has mental health issues. This illustrates how baby boomers are neglecting mental health.
She can be heard saying: “Anxiety? No, honey. That’s exactly what we call motherhood.” Followed by symptoms, she said, “Oh, your heart is racing all the time and you’re just having intrusive thoughts on repeat? Yeah, it’s called having kids.
“I’ve been going through this for about 37 years. It’s not clinical. It’s just being a mom.”
Knutson ends the video with the following statements: “Everything is perfectly normal, you don’t need therapy. It’s just the human experience.
“We all get in our heads, sometimes, you know our heads, you get there.”
All expressions of views couldn’t be truer and the video was even supported by a study conducted by OnePoll on behalf of MegaFood. The results revealed that only 8% of baby boomers would be willing to see a therapist, while 45% of millennials are more likely to talk to a therapist to take care of their mental health.
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At the time of writing, the clip has racked up over 35,000 likes and numerous comments, many from other countries.
“Depression is also a myth, and of course talking about either is an assault on parenting,” one comment said.
“Yes! Their generation is so defensive and shameful for people in therapy. It’s like it’s okay, we know better now. It’s good to have therapy. You’re clearly anxious or depressed and it’s not just about being a parent,” said another.
A third commenter said: “As a therapist and also the child of a mom like this, this is so accurate it hurts! My mother’s quote is that ‘I’m always three crises ahead of everyone else.’ Like no mother, It’s called catastrophizing.”
News week contacted @callmekristenmarie for comment via email. We have not been able to verify the details of the case.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
