I’m very familiar with existing in a gray area. While that could be a joke about slush season here in Minnesota, what I’m referring to is how my birth year—1998—has put me in a unique position. I’m surely not a millennial, but not quite Gen Z. I remember a time before cell phones when our Dell computer hummed in the kitchen. My childhood memories exist on 4×6 prints, captured on both film and digital cameras.
Innovation moves fast—and young people today exist in a world that’s markedly different from even two decades ago. With all this talk about cell phone addiction, cyberbullying and devolving mental health, it’s comforting to know that individuals and organizations are working toward solutions.
In this issue, we connect with Katherine “K.K.” Myers of LiveMore ScreenLess to learn more about digital well-being as area schools adopt state-mandated cell phone policies. Myers is a former teacher who has devoted her life to elevating young voices and encouraging a community-wide effort toward healthy device use.
And that’s just the start of the uplifting stories you’ll find in these pages. Writer Meredith Heneghan chats with our neighborhood bookhounds, the owners of Lake Country Booksellers, just in time for its 45th anniversary; they share their favorite genres and book recommendations to add to your 2025 must-reads. And later, Rachel Schuehle connects with White Bear Lake’s Emily Jannusch, a wardrobe assistant at Children’s Theatre Company.
Navigating life in this rapidly evolving landscape can be anxiety-inducing, to say the least. I hope that this magazine’s arrival on your doorstep every other month gives you the dopamine boost you deserve. It’s beautiful to recognize our differences—in age, background and experiences; working together to build a healthier community is an important task I believe we can all get behind.
Until next time,
—Zoe Yates
