*By Carlo Versano*
A few weeks ago, a Buzzfeed [article](https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/annehelenpetersen/millennials-burnout-generation-debt-work) that coined the term "millennial burnout" went viral, with readers taking to social media to discuss the very particular sense of exhaustion felt by this generation, and how it's different from the universal stresses of daily life.
As Joni Rayos-Samilin, a "transformational" coach, explained to Cheddar, the source of millennial burnout can be traced to ー what else? ー the internet.
"Everyone knows what everyone's doing," Rayos-Samilin said, and social media has amplified that familiar feeling of FOMO to make people, particularly millennials, question their own self-worth.
Is my job good enough? Is my relationship good enough? Am I traveling enough?
It's exhausting.
That 24/7 feeling of being connected extends to work, where employees feel like they're never "off the clock." Even if companies tell their workers they don't need to respond to emails and Slack messages at all hours of the day, many still do out of a sense of responsibility or fear that if they don't, someone else will.
Burnout, of course, is a universal problem that has been exacerbated by the digital age. But the millennial generation is the first to fully deal with it as adults. In order to cope, Rayos-Samilin said she recommends to her clients that they create boundaries and set priorities, like scheduling time for the "real world" things that they value: conversations with friends, exercise, and even limited amounts of social media.
"Do what you need to do for self care," she said. Otherwise, it becomes too easy to give into the outside pressures of the connected world.
Rayos-Samilin said she's already seeing a backlash against constant social media use in some of her millennial clients, and [anecdotal data](https://sciencetrends.com/much-of-generation-z-might-be-leaving-facebook-and-other-social-media-platforms-behind/) shows that has spread to the next generation, known as Gen Z.
If there's a single way to fight burnout it's this: stop comparing yourself to others. That's a skill that goes back to the Buddhists, who use mindfulness meditation techniques to remind themselves to stay grounded in the present moment. Most of what you see online is a construct anyway, Rayos-Samilin said. It takes time, patience, and energy to fight the desire to wonder whether what you're doing is good enough ー especially now that everyone has a constant reminder in their pocket that someone, somewhere, is doing it better.
Neil Young has come up with an ultimatum for Spotify: his music or Joe Rogan’s podcast. This comes over concerns that the podcast is spreading COVID-19 vaccine misinformation to its listeners. "The Joe Rogan Experience," which is exclusive to Spotify, is currently the number one streamed podcast on the platform.
The American Federation Teachers Union has announced its latest partnership with NewsGuard in efforts to help educators play a greater role in deciphering facts from fiction that students see online. They say the goal is to help students build critical-thinking skills while also teaching them the importance of media literacy. Executive Vice President of Partnerships at NewsGuard, Sarah Bandt, joined Cheddar to talk more.
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The memoir, "COMPROMISED: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J. Trump", tells a familiar story from a bit of a different source: Peter Strzok himself, former FBI Counterintelligence Agents and Agency Veteran who spent most of his very long career investigating some of the most controversial inquiries, most notably in recent American history. Those inquiries were Hillary Clinton's email to even Trump Russia investigations. Former FBI Agent and Author of "Compromised" Peter Strzok, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Foodable Labs data shows restaurants that started offering vegan options saw a 13% increase in traffic. According to this 2018 study, 51% of U.S. restaurants now offer vegan options, and we can expect that number to keep rising. This week, one plant-based, fast-casual restaurant celebrates the grand opening of their first brick-and-mortar store in New York City: PLNT Burger. Ben Kaplan, CEO of PLNT Burger, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Commercial and residential buildings account for 13% of carbon emissions in the U.S., according to the EPA, and one company says it has a solution. Runwise says it has updated the boiler and heating systems of thousands of buildings, and that its technology not only lowers carbon output but also saves landlords money. Lee Hoffman, Co-Founder and COO of Runwise, joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Kirsten Jordan, real estate broker and star of 'Million Dollar Listing New York,' joins Cheddar News to talk about the state of New York City real estate, tips for homebuyers, and season 9 of the Bravo show.
No. 2 pencils or Scantron bubble sheets are a thing of the past for the SATs. Priscilla Rodriguez, head of college readiness assessment for the College Board, joined Cheddar News Wrap to talk about the modern overhaul of the college entrance exam. On top of the change to an all-digital format and shorter time limit, the latest iteration will feature updates to help with flexibility and security. "As we've built our own digital testing platform, the app the students will do this on, we built this with security at the core," Rodriguez said. "And, in going digital we can do something we can't do today, which is, give every student who's taking the SAT, let's say in a given day, even in a given room in a school, a different version of the SAT."
