A Generation Living In Fear
Love Notes & Lessons 6: 2/02/26
Dear Sof,
This week’s note is about the fear all of Gen Z feels as we look ahead to the future.
THIS IS PURELY AN OPINION PIECE THAT DOES CONTAIN BIAS BUT ALSO TRUTHS
Pretty in Print is supposed to be my space to talk about the lighthearted things like pop culture and what’s trending on TikTok. But unfortunately, I think we are in a time where it is necessary to speak about the state that our country has come to. And I know there is a lot of fuss about not revealing one’s political affiliation, but I think in this day and age, it is the true test of character. So I have no fear as I speak about the circumstances that we are all currently facing.
To put it plainly: I am scared. I look at the future, and I am, for the first time, fearful of what might be in ten years. And it isn’t just me; many people from my generation are living in genuine fear for their future. It all started when the United States decided that having a convicted felon, someone accused of sexual assault, and a former reality TV show host was better than a black woman. It genuinely sickens me when I look back at the campaign videos. The democratic choice, former Vice President Kamala Harris, preached hope, love, and a promise of a better future for all. Her campaign was one of joy, and for the first time in a long time, we saw a candidate who genuinely wanted to bring good. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump led a campaign fueled by fear, false promises, and manipulation.
When President Donald Trump lost the election, it solidified an idea I thought we had overcome: “a Black woman will never be enough in a White world.” A sad truth, but a truth that has been proven time and time again. President Trump has only held office for one year, yet it has felt like centuries, and the damage done feels irreversible.
Now today, February 2026 its hard to look at the future with anything but a rainy cloud following. It all started with Project 2025, a conservative initiative that would oppose reproductive rights, LGBTQIA+ rights, immigrant rights, and racial inequality. Then we see RFK Jr., a man with no medical training, acting as the United States Secretary of Health and Human Services. In what world is it okay to have someone who isn’t even a doctor making decisions about the health of a nation? A president is not running our nation; it’s being run by the billionaires and millionaires who put money into his pockets.
Our president is someone who has been convicted of felonies, has numerous sexual assault allegations, and was a known friend of the pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Why is this acceptable? In the time President Trump has been in office, the United States officially withdrew from the World Health Organization, defunded PBS, a news platform that serves over a billion, captured the president of Venezuela, and has led an immigration crisis that has caused five-year-olds and infants to be detained by ICE.
Pandemonium is too kind of a word to describe the state of our nation; it is TERRIFYING to turn on the news as an eighteen-year-old girl and fear my future. I’m scared of whether I will be able to pay for college, as there are questions surrounding federal aid for education, whether I will grow up healthy, and if I will grow up without witnessing a civil or even world war because of reckless actions. I fear every day for the lives of countless people less fortunate than I. Those ripped away from their families, countless lives destroyed because people sought out a better life for themselves and their families.
America used to be the land of the brave, home of the free. But recently, it seems like the land of the cowardly and home of the scared. I want to be hopeful, focus on the light and fluffy, but I cannot ignore what is going on around me. And you shouldn’t either.
Love,
Sof 🎀