In the first half, psychology professor Jean M. Twenge discussed the differences between the various generations alive today: members of the Silent Generation, Baby Boomers, Generations X and Z, Millennials —and those who are currently infants and toddlers, whom she called Alphas or Polars. Her goal in studying this topic, she explained, is to help the different generations understand each other better.
Each generation's relationship to technology, rather than the major events it experiences, is probably its most defining influence, Twenge argued. She pointed out that the excessive use of social media and smartphones by today's youth appears to be contributing to their increased rates of depression and unhappiness. She favors restricting both, through parenting and legal means if necessary. On the other hand, she claimed, millennials' median income is at an all-time high, and as Boomers continue to retire from the workforce in large numbers, their prospects for employment are higher than they would otherwise be.
****************
Michael Brein, the "Travel Psychologist," shared true stories of travelers suddenly faced with paranormal phenomena. His background in psychology, he noted, helped him to be methodical and empathic in his research, while his interest in the paranormal kept his interest up throughout his writing career. He reported that in his work collecting these personal accounts, people seem more forthcoming with their stories than in decades past, perhaps because being so close to alien disclosure has decreased the stigma often attached to acknowledging. The pace of discovery is picking up, making the future of paranormal study very exciting.
Brein shared a few of his favorite stories from his research. In one, a group of girls on a 4-H trip encountered a "Hat Man," who was perched up in a tree. In another account, a group visiting Gettysburg was awakened one night to the sound of furniture being moved around the room. One of the group members became curious and began to take photographs of her room. When the photos were developed, they revealed a possible source of the noise: a ghostly image of a boy and girl. Another subject claimed that on a trip to Romania, he and his girlfriend awoke one morning to find puncture wounds on their wrists, which they believed to be caused by a vampire inhabiting his hotel.
News segment guests: John Curtis, Charles Coppes