The Wellbeing Economy: Why Our Kids' Future Could Be Better Than Ours | Gaya Herrington
What if the economy our children inherit looks nothing like the one we grew up in—not because of disaster, but by design? Gaya Herrington, the econometrician whose viral research confirmed we're tracking toward the collapse scenarios predicted 50 years ago, believes we're at a pivotal moment. We can either let limits to growth force themselves upon us, or we can deliberately redesign our economy around wellbeing instead of endless expansion. Drawing from her work with the Club of Rome and her book Five Insights for Avoiding Global Collapse, Gaya reveals what a post-growth economy actually looks like—and why it might be exactly the world we'd want our children to inhabit anyway.
Why This Matters
→ The economic system our kids will inherit is fundamentally breaking down—whether we acknowledge it or not. Gaya's research shows we're tracking the "business as usual" scenario that predicted global industrial decline beginning around now. This isn't pessimism; it's data. The question isn't if the growth-obsessed economy ends, but whether it ends by design or disaster.
→ Post-growth doesn't mean post-prosperity—it means redefining what prosperity is. A wellbeing economy isn't about sacrifice or deprivation. It's about working less, connecting more, meeting everyone's needs by design rather than hoping growth will trickle down, and building resilience in a world where "business as usual" is no longer viable.
→ We're teaching our kids to succeed in an economy that won't exist. If parents don't understand what a post-growth world looks like, we're preparing our children for a game whose rules are already changing. Understanding this shift isn't just about their economic future—it's about their values, their wellbeing, and their ability to thrive in the world they'll actually inhabit.
