The call, in full

I share stages and task forces with the world's leading psychologists, sociologists, and anthropologists. Their research shocked me: 46% of Gen Z carry a formal mental health diagnosis. Excellent mental health fell from 37% to 23% in 6 years. That is not a trend. That is a freefall. Anxiety is their baseline operating system. Telephobia: 1 college launched a course to teach students how to use a phone. A phone. Behind the filters, followers, and fake confidence, a generation is cracking.

Who are their role models? Today's influencers replaced coaches, mentors, teachers, and parents, without the accountability, ethics, or long-term investment those roles demand. Andrew Tate sells young men Bugattis, bling, and the idea that dominance is destiny. Kim Kardashian and the OnlyFans girls sell young women the idea that their bodies are their business. Getting rich on broken morals and zero values. The blind lead the blind, and charge a subscription for it.

We can call Gen Z lazy, fragile, entitled. That would be easy. It would also be lame. They did not build the algorithms. They were children when the trap was laid. Parents handed them a smartphone at 10, social media at 12, and called it parenting. Schools, employers, society: we looked away.

Gen Z does not need another influencer. It needs a sensei. A coach improves your skills. A mentor shares wisdom. A sensei changes your life. My parental advice: no mobile phones until 15. Basta. And you, misfit: 1 young person, 1 honest conversation, your scar tissue instead of your highlight reel. We let it happen. Now we fix it. Osu Sensei. The dojo is open.