Nonfiction

Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

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  • Create Date：2021-06-04 08:51:39
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Anne Helen Petersen
  • ISBN：0358561841
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Summary

A BEST BOOK OF THE FALL AS SEEN IN: Apartment Therapy • Book Riot • Business Insider • BuzzFeed • Daily Nebraskan • Entertainment Weekly • Esquire • Fortune • Harper’s Bazaar • HelloGiggles • LinkedIn • O Magazine • Time Magazine

“[A] razor sharp book of cultural criticism 。 。 。 With blistering prose and all-too vivid reporting， Petersen lays bare the burnout and despair of millennials， while also charting a path to a world where members of her generation can feel as if the boot has been removed from their necks。”— Esquire

“An analytically precise， deeply empathic book about the psychic toll modern capitalism has taken on those shaped by it。 Can’t Even is essential to understanding our age， and ourselves。”—Ezra Klein， Vox co-founder and New York Times best-selling author of Why We’re Polarized

An incendiary examination of burnout in millennials—the cultural shifts that got us here， the pressures that sustain it， and the need for drastic change

Do you feel like your life is an endless to-do list？ Do you find yourself mindlessly scrolling through Instagram because you’re too exhausted to pick up a book？ Are you mired in debt， or feel like you work all the time， or feel pressure to take whatever gives you joy and turn it into a monetizable hustle？ Welcome to burnout culture。

While burnout may seem like the default setting for the modern era， in Can’t Even， BuzzFeed culture writer and former academic Anne Helen Petersen argues that burnout is a definitional condition for the millennial generation， born out of distrust in the institutions that have failed us， the unrealistic expectations of the modern workplace， and a sharp uptick in anxiety and hopelessness exacerbated by the constant pressure to “perform” our lives online。 The genesis for the book is Petersen’s viral BuzzFeed article on the topic， which has amassed over seven million reads since its publication in January 2019。

Can’t Even goes beyond the original article， as Petersen examines how millennials have arrived at this point of burnout （think: unchecked capitalism and changing labor laws） and examines the phenomenon through a variety of lenses—including how burnout affects the way we work， parent， and socialize—describing its resonance in alarming familiarity。 Utilizing a combination of sociohistorical framework， original interviews， and detailed analysis， Can’t Even offers a galvanizing， intimate， and ultimately redemptive look at the lives of this much-maligned generation， and will be required reading for both millennials and the parents and employers trying to understand them。

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Reviews

Harriet ，

Well observed and some really good insights。

Sarah Kaplan ，

Though not exactly a page turner， I identified completely with every bit of the societal and burnout issues and felt the questions posed about how we got here and why we accept it were well said and laid out。 Would recommend for any millennial！

tirta ，

4，5 stars。 enjoyed this one a lot， just wish there were more solutions offered。

Michelle Gaudet ，

I don't think I've highlighted a book as much as I have this one。 So interesting and validating。 Gonna buy it for a few people。 I don't think I've highlighted a book as much as I have this one。 So interesting and validating。 Gonna buy it for a few people。 。。。more

Jason Hebert ，

A scathing indictment of the society that millennials have grown up in。 I related to so many of the perspectives ad experiences related here， and the ones that I didn't relate to were educational。 Reading about the myriad of unhealthy views internalized by my generation was inspiring when I had occasionally， overcome them， and even more so when it was something I still needed to work on。 I wasn't satisfied with the ending， but I'm not sure what ending would have satisfied me。 The book did very h A scathing indictment of the society that millennials have grown up in。 I related to so many of the perspectives ad experiences related here， and the ones that I didn't relate to were educational。 Reading about the myriad of unhealthy views internalized by my generation was inspiring when I had occasionally， overcome them， and even more so when it was something I still needed to work on。 I wasn't satisfied with the ending， but I'm not sure what ending would have satisfied me。 The book did very helpfully focus on the fact that the problems behind burnout are societal， not personal。 。。。more

Levente Nagy ，

Well， this explained a lot about where my anxieties are rooted from and that I am not alone with them。It was interesting to learn how even the children of the middle class suffer in the current system of never-ending race to be engaged with something beneficial in one’s free time that has a potential to shine more bright light on the young individual’s acquired skillset that could yield a well-paying job。 Fun & play， unsupervised time that could be spent on true （self）discoveries is of a low ord Well， this explained a lot about where my anxieties are rooted from and that I am not alone with them。It was interesting to learn how even the children of the middle class suffer in the current system of never-ending race to be engaged with something beneficial in one’s free time that has a potential to shine more bright light on the young individual’s acquired skillset that could yield a well-paying job。 Fun & play， unsupervised time that could be spent on true （self）discoveries is of a low order。 The knowledge-craving， I experience in my own life could be another expression of this very same drive to not to feel left behind。 。。。more

Torrey ，

“Think not just about how to reduce your own， but how your own actions are sparking and fanning burnout in others。”

Samantha Nowatzke ，

Incredibly relatable look at how burnout has become so prevelant。。。 the historical and societal shifts along the way have lead to this result。 I especially relate to the author's experience with delaying life's big events for education and the loans which accompany that education。 The book doesn't offer specific solutions but does encourage thought around the things we can do to shift our burnout realities。 Incredibly relatable look at how burnout has become so prevelant。。。 the historical and societal shifts along the way have lead to this result。 I especially relate to the author's experience with delaying life's big events for education and the loans which accompany that education。 The book doesn't offer specific solutions but does encourage thought around the things we can do to shift our burnout realities。 。。。more

Jessica ，

This book is an interesting look at how the values millennials were raised with， that we are exceptional and if we just work hard we can succeed， have created our current burned out culture。 Our social standing is precarious， because income inequality keeps growing， and yet to slip up and make a mistake is anathema because it shows that we didn't work hard enough; we have internalized that our failure is our own fault。 This book is an interesting look at how the values millennials were raised with， that we are exceptional and if we just work hard we can succeed， have created our current burned out culture。 Our social standing is precarious， because income inequality keeps growing， and yet to slip up and make a mistake is anathema because it shows that we didn't work hard enough; we have internalized that our failure is our own fault。 。。。more

John ，

I'm sorry to give this a low rating since there are some genuinely insightful points and discussions in this book， but they are absolutely plastered with layers of filler。 I'm sorry to give this a low rating since there are some genuinely insightful points and discussions in this book， but they are absolutely plastered with layers of filler。 。。。more

Emily Chandler ，

Absolutely loved this！

AJ ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 A robust analysis of Millennial trials and tribulations in getting through adulthood， particularly in the world of work and navigating society， all trying to cling on by our fingernails to protect the ever shrinking middle class。The book puts a spotlight on showing the bigger picture of how society， boomers， social media and big organisations have shaped Millennials into walking CVs， side hustles， being micromanaged by data and to have a manicured Instagram in order to protect the illusion of "k A robust analysis of Millennial trials and tribulations in getting through adulthood， particularly in the world of work and navigating society， all trying to cling on by our fingernails to protect the ever shrinking middle class。The book puts a spotlight on showing the bigger picture of how society， boomers， social media and big organisations have shaped Millennials into walking CVs， side hustles， being micromanaged by data and to have a manicured Instagram in order to protect the illusion of "keeping up with the Joneses" whilst job security， benefits and work life balance are diminishing。 Despite written based on American society facts and figures， this is very much echoed across the world。 。。。more

Johnna Gurgel ，

Every white middle class millennial needs to read this book。

Katie Stahl ，

Loved this book and I wish all boomers were obligated to read it。 Petersen does a great job of demonstrating how systemic changes have created an entire generation of people who feel like they can't get ahead。 She knows her place， and recognizes gaps in her book。 There were only a few portions that felt slow or annoying to read， but worth it in the end。 Loved this book and I wish all boomers were obligated to read it。 Petersen does a great job of demonstrating how systemic changes have created an entire generation of people who feel like they can't get ahead。 She knows her place， and recognizes gaps in her book。 There were only a few portions that felt slow or annoying to read， but worth it in the end。 。。。more

Susan Bazzett-Griffith ，

This is an excellent overview about issues unique to the millenial generation （of course some common overlap with those on the edge of Gen X）， including constant social media and phone use， helicopter parenting and the careful cultivation of children from birth onward to become resumes for colleges， the culture of overwork/constant work， the economic inequalities and lack of safety nets that is a particularly American phenomenon， the soul crushing circumstances of living with students l debt， th This is an excellent overview about issues unique to the millenial generation （of course some common overlap with those on the edge of Gen X）， including constant social media and phone use， helicopter parenting and the careful cultivation of children from birth onward to become resumes for colleges， the culture of overwork/constant work， the economic inequalities and lack of safety nets that is a particularly American phenomenon， the soul crushing circumstances of living with students l debt， the massive pitfalls of a gig economy， and the failures of late stage capitalism。 It was well written and well argued。 A solid book- 4 stars。 。。。more

Holly ，

I’m one of those Zillennials， but I’m very familiar with the concept of burnout and still felt very seen by most of this book。 It honestly felt like the sequel to “burnout” by Emily and Amelia Nagosky， taking things from a mostly personal and individual level to a generational， political， and corporate level。 Learning about the context of generational burnout helped me solidify some goals for myself and for my community to give ourselves more space and break the burnout cycle。

Robin ，

I'm in this picture and I don't like it。And by that I mean I feel like this book explained， millisecond by millisecond， my entire life through the Preschool to Professional Pipeline。。 and showed very acute anecdotes and examples of how big of a stack of lies all of it has been （with the exception of for a select few）。 It was an extrapolation of my identification with The Burnout Generation， and a further look into how all of these factors are causing prolific and prolonged burnout。 I appreciated I'm in this picture and I don't like it。And by that I mean I feel like this book explained， millisecond by millisecond， my entire life through the Preschool to Professional Pipeline。。 and showed very acute anecdotes and examples of how big of a stack of lies all of it has been （with the exception of for a select few）。 It was an extrapolation of my identification with The Burnout Generation， and a further look into how all of these factors are causing prolific and prolonged burnout。 I appreciated the notation of each anecdote's demographics （because I do think it helped to hear different or similar experiences coming from a wide array of people。 I feel different than I did before I ready this book， and I think I picked it up at exactly the right time。 I experience burnout about once every three months or so these days， and I had just been hit by a pretty difficult one this time around and was feeling really low about it。I have always struggled with feeling like I just hadn't done enough， or that I just should have done more when I had the chance。。 and knowing that a。） thousands of people in my generation also feel that way， b。） many variables were stacked against us and c。） there are many more of us angling for change （even retrograding in a way - since things weren't "always like this"）。。 I feel like I have a little more hope for something after reading this。 I don't know what yet （and the author is keen to remind that she doesn't have any good answers on how to move forward）。 I struggled with some of it to the extent of worrying it was confirmation bias， and just me looking for answers to an excuse I've been trying to make for years。。。 but I think if it's this many people （even just the small handful in this book）， it can't possibly just be an individual issue - which Petersen is often remarking on。Even just as an introductory read to this kind of sociology， I recommend this to anyone experiencing burnout。 I also recommend it if you're struggling with feeling like your life has to be Instagrammable， or if you feel like a car that's hit a wall。。 or seeing another notification on your phone makes your skin crawl but you feel the urge to check it anyway。 You're not alone。 。。。more

Marissa Lelii ，

4 ⭐️I am a millennial and this book is incredibly validating。 It looks at the backdrop of our society and the culture perpetuated， which helps to explain why I am the way I am （guilt about taking time off of work， anxieties because of all the student loan debt， etc。）。 The burnout our generation faces is buried deep in so many of the changes that started in different workplace cultures and the economy， that it truly is no wonder why it can be near impossible to function。Petersen’s book is incredi 4 ⭐️I am a millennial and this book is incredibly validating。 It looks at the backdrop of our society and the culture perpetuated， which helps to explain why I am the way I am （guilt about taking time off of work， anxieties because of all the student loan debt， etc。）。 The burnout our generation faces is buried deep in so many of the changes that started in different workplace cultures and the economy， that it truly is no wonder why it can be near impossible to function。Petersen’s book is incredibly well-researched and the testimonies of various millennials from all backgrounds is relatable。 4 stars because I did catch some grammatical errors。 。。。more

Thiago ，

Decent book overall， but the language used by the author is quite annoying， with a lot of victimization。 I found it so annoying to the point of being distracting。 Also， everything is reduced to race and social class （e。g。 middle class， upper-middle class， etc） even in contexts where it doesn’t matter for the given examples。

Dana ，

Thoughtful and well-argued。

Chelsea Cox ，

So relatable it made me angry as well as feel validated that I'm not crazy。 So relatable it made me angry as well as feel validated that I'm not crazy。 。。。more

Athena ，

A fantastic read！ Unfortunately， very relatable。 Would recommend to everyone！

Bre ，

Accessible writing， powerful message， and wise insights。 Burn out is society's problem， not an individual's， and the author does an impressive job at explaining why。 I especially appreciated the chapter about Boomers。 As a Millenial I hadn't even considered how their struggles weren't that much different from ours。 I admired the author's efforts to create understanding between Boomers and following generations。 There is certainly a tendency for generations to blame the other， and that is getting Accessible writing， powerful message， and wise insights。 Burn out is society's problem， not an individual's， and the author does an impressive job at explaining why。 I especially appreciated the chapter about Boomers。 As a Millenial I hadn't even considered how their struggles weren't that much different from ours。 I admired the author's efforts to create understanding between Boomers and following generations。 There is certainly a tendency for generations to blame the other， and that is getting old。 。。。more

Offbalance ，

I didn't know what I was expecting when I finally got this from the library。 Most of the reading I've done about burnout was of the rah-rah you can recover variety - either through brute force or the nebulous idea of "self care。" I was not prepared for the way that Anne Helen Peterson cracked open and deconstructed my entire existence as an "elder" millennial （call me geriatric at your own peril， although I will accept Xennial。） She didn't miss a single aspect - from the way that previous genera I didn't know what I was expecting when I finally got this from the library。 Most of the reading I've done about burnout was of the rah-rah you can recover variety - either through brute force or the nebulous idea of "self care。" I was not prepared for the way that Anne Helen Peterson cracked open and deconstructed my entire existence as an "elder" millennial （call me geriatric at your own peril， although I will accept Xennial。） She didn't miss a single aspect - from the way that previous generations dismantled systems that made work/life balance something possible， to the way class anxieties turned our generation into walking resumes and how that anxiety consumes us into adulthood， I've never read anything more true。 I wish the book came with more assurances or instructions about how to undo this， but the author was wise in her understanding that the cure is different for everyone， and up to us to find。 （Although she does acknowledge we all may be too exhausted to look）。 。。。more

Amanda Able ，

I suffer from severe anxiety and depression， and well… burnout these days！ This book named it and told me I wasn’t alone and explained it much more eloquently than my anxious mind ever could – it took a load off！ It took my beautiful but messy life and brought it into focus during a very difficult time for me – If this is you， or if you are trying to relate to your kids who may be feeling burnout， I highly recommend it！ This book has made me APPRECIATE my parents more， and I don’t blame them fo I suffer from severe anxiety and depression， and well… burnout these days！ This book named it and told me I wasn’t alone and explained it much more eloquently than my anxious mind ever could – it took a load off！ It took my beautiful but messy life and brought it into focus during a very difficult time for me – If this is you， or if you are trying to relate to your kids who may be feeling burnout， I highly recommend it！ This book has made me APPRECIATE my parents more， and I don’t blame them for telling me to shoot for the moon in any capacity。 They set me up for success in the best way they knew how， given the information presented to them at the time， and that’s all parenting is， really – no matter what generation you fall into。 I do believe that I am successful， even if it looks different from the image I had in my head when I was 17。 We are all a product of both our own circumstances and also of the economy and the relentless way that those 2 aspects play together。 I can't tell you how much weight was lifted off my shoulders with each chapter！ Thank you Anne Helen Petersen！ 。。。more

Cassie Zabek ，

Awful。 Ab。

Sarah Silcox ，

I don’t think I could have picked up this book at a more perfect time。 Every essay/chapter spoke to me on a spiritual level and had me bringing up this book in almost every conversation with friends and family over the last month while reading it。 I can’t wait to continue following Anne Helen Petersen’s career and this book has solidified her spot as one of my new favorite nonfiction writers。 Highly recommend to anyone who loves nerding about socioeconomics， generational history， and technology。

Kit Whelan ，

There isn’t much here I didn’t already know。 And it is VERY US-centric， so bear that in mind。 I think it could be a warning to our friends in other cultures ;） As an elder millennial， much of this book was like reading an autobiography， and in that way was very affirming。 There was some good analysis of how labor movements and shifts in the 20th century paved the way for our issues now， and the generational pressure on boomers in the 60s-80s。 At first， I was disappointed that there wasn’t anythi There isn’t much here I didn’t already know。 And it is VERY US-centric， so bear that in mind。 I think it could be a warning to our friends in other cultures ;） As an elder millennial， much of this book was like reading an autobiography， and in that way was very affirming。 There was some good analysis of how labor movements and shifts in the 20th century paved the way for our issues now， and the generational pressure on boomers in the 60s-80s。 At first， I was disappointed that there wasn’t anything actionable here， but the author wisely points out at the end that another list of things to do is just another way for us millennials to overwhelm ourselves with more burnout。 For those who haven’t been able to name why they’re so exhausted， I hope this book lights a fire in them。 For those who understand the systemic causes of burnout， this book is a good review。 。。。more

Brianne ，

This book hit home the moment I realized I was reading the chapter on leisure while waiting for a video game to load。 Even rest needs to be maximized， which of course， is not actually restful at all。I'm childless with a boring 9-5 （my job is even described as a boring job in this book！）， so I feel strange claiming burnout， even when I know I'm experiencing it。 This book was validating in that it shows how every aspect of millennial culture （and beyond） encourages if not forces burnout， from the This book hit home the moment I realized I was reading the chapter on leisure while waiting for a video game to load。 Even rest needs to be maximized， which of course， is not actually restful at all。I'm childless with a boring 9-5 （my job is even described as a boring job in this book！）， so I feel strange claiming burnout， even when I know I'm experiencing it。 This book was validating in that it shows how every aspect of millennial culture （and beyond） encourages if not forces burnout， from the 24/7 news cycle to the pressure to monetize your hobbies。 And that's all underscored by an instable job market， societal pressure， the housing crisis， etc。 etc。 that makes constant work and vigilance feel necessary。The system is broken， as many people realized long before the pandemic but was certainly underscored by it。 This book gives you permission to opt out of what you can， while also recognizing that many people need to overwork themselves to get by。 （On that note， this would be five stars if it were more intersectional--there's definitely a centering of the white middle class experience here， which Peterson acknowledges）。 。。。more

Megan Grint ，

I think this is a good book to read if you want your feelings of burnout to be validated！

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Can't Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0