April 13, 2017 – Wow.

I’ve been attending an email marketing conference in Nashville. In the ever-changing digital landscape, it’s hard to be able to absorb what’s new, what’s dead, what’s the next big thing, and what you should do right now. As I posted on my Facebook page while I was here, “Hopefully my head won’t explode.”

In one of today’s sessions on branding, the speaker mentioned that some researchers had coined Generation D as the next group coming of age behind Generation Z. The reason why is incredibly sobering.

I’ve seen Generation D defining the coming generation as one living with digital their entire lives. But, in this session, Generation D meant that the upcoming generation will be isolating themselves due to using tech devices so much that they will not be connecting with other humans, losing their socializing capabilities, and thus ending up depressed.

Yikes!! This is 100% why I felt it was so important to create Welcome to the Wellness Generation™ as part of Olympic’s identity. With each generation, there are unique health and sociological challenges. But, at the end of the day, I believe that every one of us—regardless of the generation with which we have been classified—wants to be healthy, stay younger, sleep better—and be better.

When it comes to Generation D, the things a hot tub and sauna will do for them are more important than ever. How many younger adults will soon experience herniated discs and bad backs due to looking down at smart devices all day? (Somehow “smart device” doesn’t sound so smart at the moment.) How many will suffer sleep deprivation because their eyes have been exposed to bright screens till the minute they go to bed (and awakened multiple times in the night when their phone beckons them with a ping)?

Not only will a hot tub and sauna help with those issues, but it will also give them a place to get together with friends and talk. The tub and sauna can be a tech-free zone and provide a chance to communicate the good ol’ fashioned way.

And, since it’s well documented that both hot tub and sauna use increase endorphin production, it will absolutely help combat depression.

If you have a teen who can be considered part of Generation D, get them conditioned to use a hot tub or sauna now! You may be doing them a big favor in the years to come.