Xennials (Pt 2): A Digital Transition, A Look Back at the 90s, and How Social Media Impacts Our Brains with Jeff Elden

Travis and Jeff continue their Xennial conversation with a focus on the decade of the 90s. They continue to discuss what it meant to grow up at the fault line between analog and digital life, and why that experience feels so specific to a small window of time.A recent Instagram reel Travis shared from the previous episode went viral with nearly 2 million views within a week! They discuss some of the feedback and comments from it and talk about why this whole conversation has resonated with so many who grew up in this era!Travis and Jeff also swap road trip stories full of Midwest Americana and quirky roadside attractions. Later, the conversation turns more reflective as Jeff, a therapist who works with teenagers, breaks down dopamine, social media and technology, and why constant documentation can pull us out of the moment.In this episode:The follow-up to the Xennial conversation and why the reel about microgenerations took off, drawing nearly 2 million views and thousands of comments.Travis and Jeff compare the Xennial experience to Gen X and Millennials, landing on the idea that Xennials lived through a true analog to digital fault line during formative years.Jeff shares a family trip to Chicago, including the Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum’s Pokemon archaeology exhibit, and the Galloping Ghost Arcade.They swap stories about unusual roadside stops like Uranus Fudge Factory, the circus sideshow museum, the world’s second biggest rocking chair, the Spam Museum, the Kazoo Museum, and the neon sign museum.The conversation explores how generational labels are social constructs, and why microgenerations can feel more accurate for people shaped by rapid technological change.Travis and Jeff discuss childhood freedom, how much more unsupervised play used to be normal, and how that clashes with the more protected parenting style many of them use now.Jeff explains how social media is engineered around dopamine, rewarding attention without caring why you stopped scrolling or what it does to your mood.They talk about the downside of over-documenting life, from concerts to family moments, and how recording everything can sometimes replace actually experiencing it.Jeff notes that memory itself is imperfect and often more meaningful than raw documentation, since stories and recollection can add texture and emotional value.The episode closes with a broader look at technology’s effect on dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins, and how real-world activity still matters for mental health.Some cool videos that talk more about Xennials/microgeneration:https://youtu.be/oCbxtjStZ6E?si=wG_ln6Pru14goI9Phttps://youtu.be/Pqs0PokPDqo?si=-AhgOm-fM8xzkAPG