An Interesting Thing I’ve Been Noticing

Here’s a simple observation I’ve been noticing lately. Kids today feel different. Not better, and not worse—just different. They often seem to feel things faster and more deeply than we did. Loud places can overwhelm them, and unfairness stands out to them right away.

Sometimes they don’t understand why adults say, “That’s just how it is,” because to them, it doesn’t feel right. That’s been my little ah‑ha moment.

It’s almost like many kids arrive already tuned into feelings—their own and other people’s. They care deeply about animals, kindness, and honesty. Pretending doesn’t come easily to them, and games that hurt someone else don’t feel fun at all. When things don’t feel real or true, they get tired quickly.

Sometimes adults call this being “too sensitive.” But what if it means something else? What if the world itself is changing, and kids are simply responding to it?

Life today moves fast. There is a lot of noise, pressure, and big feelings everywhere. Maybe kids aren’t weaker than past generations. Maybe they’re more aware. And awareness can feel uncomfortable in systems that were built a long time ago, when feelings were quieter, slower, and easier to ignore.

So here’s a gentle question I keep coming back to: What if kids aren’t here to fit into the old way, but to help us notice what needs to soften?

This isn’t a rule, and it’s not something everyone has to agree with. It’s just an observation—an ah‑ha moment. Maybe the world is quietly asking for more kindness, more listening, and more care, and kids are the first ones to feel that request.

Sometimes the newest voices aren’t here to be taught right away.

Sometimes they’re here to help us remember.