Psychologist Jean Twenge argues that people who grew up during the 1950s endured what she calls dark times. Her focus is on the baby boomers and the pressures they faced while coming of age. The article compares those experiences with the difficulties now associated with Generation Z. Twenge's claim is that the boomers survived that difficult period and adapted to it. That argument offers a counterpoint to comparisons that treat younger generations as uniquely burdened by anxiety or uncertainty. The piece presents her interpretation of generational experience rather than a single study or set of statistics. Readers are given her explanation for why she sees the boomers' history as a story of endurance.