An Open Letter to a 16-Year Old in 2017

Monika Jo
Monika Jo
Jul 10, 2017 · 2 min read

Turning 16 in 2017 can’t be easy. You were two months old when 9/11 happened. The world today is so weird on many levels. Some things are weird good, while other things are just weird weird. As you are coming of age, there’s a new age coming. It feels like we’re collectively going through an awkward phase.

Take travel and transportation, we’re currently caught between waiting for Hyperloop and autonomous vehicles and the vestiges of the glory days of the car culture. So, in the meantime, we have ridesharing and decaying public transportation. I bring this up because you are among the many American teens who are completely disinterested in getting a driver’s license. When I was a teen, arguments with my mother usually led to my grabbing my car key and going west. I would purposely drive to Devil’s Slide — now a tunnel in Pacifica, btw. Having to concentrate on operating a car on this treacherous stretch would actually calm me down. You’ll have to pick a different way to blow off steam.

If teens foregoing driving is truly a big and real trend, there are so many consequences that will flow out of it. For the industries of auto and insurance especially but even the notion of carrying practical government-issued identification will change. The coming carbots are sure to drive fatalities way down, we are told. To put it plainly, because humans are bad drivers. And we’ve even managed to become bad at walking too, with our eyes dumbly fixed on our smartphones.

Take the geopolitical landscape, we’re currently caught between western liberal democracy and who knows what. I take comfort that in two years time, you’ll be able to vote. The 2020 presidential election will be so consequential (there’s that word again). Be ready and informed now. Your country’s current relationship with the world is complicated, but not permanently so. One thing is certain, your generation will be asked to rise up. Generation Z is a generation of consequence. Take care of yourself and choose wisely. We’re counting on you.

Back to your birthday…from your mother are these three wishes for you:

  1. To be healthy and happy (it’s trite especially coming from a parent and yes, it counts as one). If something goes wrong in this department, be strong and of good courage. Whatever’s happening will pass. I promise.
  2. To be surrounded by good design. This will be helpful for whether you’re MacGyvering your way out of a situation or creating something that gives you immense joy. Pay attention to how things are designed. Emulate what is done well. Bad design is detrimental.
  3. To be with someone who loves you as much as I love your Dad. And likewise, be a rock, solid foundation and safe place to land on for your loved one.

Oh, and one more thing…I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.

Monika Jo

Written by

Monika Jo

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