From our Hotel Bed in Tel Aviv: GEN Z IS FALLING BEHIND (and Happy New Year!)┃ATB #13

WEEK 13 (NEW YEAR’S EPISODE): It’s January 1st — a new year, new resolutions, and the usual promises of change. In this episode, we look back at 2025, make rapid-fire predictions about 2026, and ask a harder question underneath all the optimism: Why does it feel like our generation is still waiting for the promises of past generations to come true for us? We open with a bit of reflection on how we shot this episode and why we’re doing it on a hotel bed in Tel Aviv, Israel. Then we run through rapid-fire New Year’s questions, from cultural and political predictions to lighter bets about where the country and economy are headed in 2026. The heart of the episode focuses on Gen Z’s stalled trajectory. We talk about how our generation compares to the Boomers at the same age — wages, homeownership, marriage, career stability, and social mobility — and why so many young people feel like they’re falling behind despite doing “everything right.” We discuss delayed adulthood, credential inflation, cultural pessimism, and the growing sense that the promises made to previous generations haven’t yet materialized for ours.Finally, we close with girl problems — New Year edition: Can you ask a girl to go on Ozempic? Can men and women actually be just friends? And what should New Year’s resolutions look like for couples, guys, and girls trying to build healthier, more intentional lives?Email [email protected] with your questions/comments or submit a voice memo at https://www.speakpipe.com/approachthebench for a chance to be featured on the show! You can also submit anonymous comments through this Google Form: https://forms.gle/9Zjxzkpwajivx19z800:00 Introduction01:50 Best and Worst Movies of 202505:23 Predictions for 2026!19:14 Gen Z Is Falling Behind56:46 Girl Problems: Ozempic1:03:42 Girl Problems: Can Guys and Girls Be Friends?1:08:19 Girl Problems: Resolutions for Couples, Guys, and Girls