A couple of years back, I remember watching a film called Pacific Rim. It was a largely forgettable film about giant robots fighting giant dinosaur monsters (honestly don’t think too hard about it…)
Although it was your typical popcorn flick where skyscraper-sized beings were wrestling each other into numerous buildings and things exploded, there was one scene that stuck out and has nestled in my memories to this day.
At the beginning of the third act, the leader of the human defence forces, Stacker Pentecost (honestly, what a name), played by the human hunk of chocolate Idris Elba, made an impassioned speech to the human forces before the final assault against the alien invaders.
Knowing that failure would mean the extinction of the human race, Pentecost rousingly orated these words:
“At the edge of our hope, at the end of our time, we have chosen not only to believe in ourselves, but in each other. Today there is not a man nor woman in here that shall stand alone. Not today. Today we face the monsters that are at our door and bring the fight to them! Today, we are cancelling the apocalypse!”
Now, thankfully, we are not staring down Godzilla and King Ghidorah, but the climate we are in can feel so daunting.
We all know that it is really tough out there, especially for our young people.
I recently read an interesting Guardian article about young Australians who are increasingly spending money on little luxuries because the traditional rewards of adulthood feel hopelessly out of reach. This trend is also visible across most Western democracies.
One 21-year-old summed up the mood with a devastating question: “We feel like we're doomed anyway, so why should we save?”
And that got me thinking.
What happens when young people stop believing that working hard today will lead to a better tomorrow?
The problem really isn't the coffee
The article explores something called doomspending: spending money you can't really afford to make yourself feel better about an uncertain future.
But there's an important distinction.
Buying yourself an occasional treat isn't necessarily irresponsible. And enjoying life today isn't a moral failing.
The deeper concern is what happens when young people begin to believe that planning, saving and working towards something are pointless.
Yes, these current times are testy, but my fear is that when things do eventually get better, our young people may not have the wherewithal to take advantage to grab the new opportunities with both hands
So what can we actually do to help?
Five things we can do differently
1. Stop dismissing their worries. Start listening. 👂
When a young person tells you they're worried about their future, resist the temptation to respond with how difficult things were when you were their age.
Instead, ask:
“What's the thing about your future that worries you most?”
Then listen without immediately trying to fix it.
Sometimes young people don't need another lecture. They need to know somebody understands why they're frightened.
2. Make the future smaller. 🎯
Telling a teenager to plan their entire career when technology is changing so rapidly is a pretty tall order.
So stop asking, “What do you want to do for the rest of your life?”
Try asking:
“What's one skill, experience or opportunity you'd like to explore over the next three months?”
A short course. Volunteering. Learning to use an AI tool. Speaking to someone working in an interesting industry.
Small, achievable steps can help rebuild a sense of control.
3. Teach money without making enjoyment the enemy. 💷
Young people need financial skills, but telling them to stop spending on everything they enjoy isn't much of a strategy.
Try sitting down together and dividing their money into three categories:
- Now: Things that make life enjoyable.
- Soon: Something worthwhile to save towards.
- Later: Money that builds longer-term security.
The amounts don't have to be huge.
The lesson is that enjoying today and preparing for tomorrow don't have to compete.
And if there's genuinely nothing left after essentials, acknowledge that reality rather than pretending budgeting alone will fix it.
4. Help them discover what matters to them. 🧠
Here's something we rarely discuss.
How much of what young people want is genuinely theirs?
The dream job. The expensive lifestyle. The perfect home. The impressive salary.
Are these personal ambitions, or expectations they've absorbed from everyone around them?
Try asking:
“If nobody could see your achievements on social media, what would you still want to do?”
It's a surprisingly revealing question.
When young people start identifying their own values, they can build futures that mean something to them—rather than chasing somebody else's definition of success.
5. Give them evidence that they can influence their future. 🚀
Optimism is difficult when everything feels outside your control.
So help young people create small experiences of progress.
Encourage them to apply for an opportunity, complete a personal project, learn something new or solve a problem they've been avoiding.
Then recognise the effort and what they've learned, not just the outcome.
You can't promise them an easy future.
But you can help them discover that they have more influence over it than they might think.
Perhaps we're asking the wrong question
I think we spend too much time asking young people what they want to become and not enough time helping them understand who they already are.
And that brings me to this week's Maverick School Podcast.
🎧 Are You a Stranger to Yourself? — with Nadine Robinson
I recently sat down with Nadine Robinson, an author, Certified Journal Therapist and founder of New Pathway Narratives, recognised among the WISE100 Women in Social Enterprise.
Nadine helps people better understand themselves through journaling, storytelling and reflection.
We explored why self-awareness matters, how the stories we tell ourselves shape our lives, and why creating safe spaces for honest conversations can make such a difference.
If you're a parent, teacher or mentor, this conversation offers a different starting point for connecting with young people.
Rather than beginning with advice about what they should achieve, it encourages us to become curious about what they're feeling, what they value and who they want to become.
One idea you can try after listening? Sit down with a young person and ask:
“What do you wish adults understood about your life right now?”
Then give them the space to answer.
🎙️ Listen to Episode 18: Are You a Stranger to Yourself?
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
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One final thought
We can't pretend that the challenges facing young people aren't real.
But we can help them develop the skills, confidence and self-understanding to navigate those challenges.
Because the answer to an uncertain future isn't simply telling young people to work harder or spend less.
It's helping them believe that their future is still worth investing in.
Until next time,
Karl
