The Fragmentation of Society: When Every Generation Tried to Do Better (part 1)

There was a time when society was not built around the individual. It was built around the family, the community, and the collective survival of people who depended on one another. Today, despite all our advances in science, technology, psychology, and wealth, many people feel more disconnected, anxious, fragmented, and alone than ever before. The question is: how did we get here?

Perhaps the answer is simpler and more human than we realise.

Every generation tried to become a better parent than the previous one.

My grandparents belonged to a generation born around the 1920s. They had large families; eight or nine children was normal. Families were diverse, communities were connected, and despite hardship, there was structure. Even when people were financially comfortable, children still grew up with discipline, expectation, and responsibility. Yet, like every generation, their children felt deprived of something emotionally. Perhaps there was not enough softness, affection, emotional validation, or freedom.

Then came the next generation, Generation X, my generation, the generation of rebellion and transition. We were raised with discipline and independence. If we had a problem, we were expected to solve it ourselves. We went to the shops alone, played outside for hours, followed our parents wherever they needed to go, and ate what was served without negotiation. We did chores, earned pocket money, and understood that life required effort.

Our parents were not the emotionally expressive parents we now see in films and social media. They were often practical, tired, and emotionally reserved. Love existed, but it was not always verbalised or demonstrated through constant reassurance.

So when we became parents ourselves, we wanted to do better.

We wanted our children to feel heard. We wanted them to have opportunities we never had. We gave them the things we could not afford growing up. Sometimes we overcompensated for our own wounds without even realising it. We tried to protect our children from the harshness we experienced, but in doing so, many of us removed the very struggles that had built resilience, patience, gratitude, and adaptability within us.

And now, the next generation is doing the same again.

Children are treated like princes and princesses, emotionally centred within the family in ways previous generations never imagined. Parents are terrified of causing trauma. Every emotion must be managed carefully. Every difficulty is analysed psychologically. Every conflict is interpreted through therapy language.

At the same time, respect for parents, elders, and collective responsibility has weakened. Not entirely because young people are “bad,” but because society itself changed direction.