Opinion Today: The lives we lived in 2023

A look back at the events of the year, captured by Times Opinion.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story December 22, 2023 By Meeta Agrawal Opinion Editorial Director At Times Opinion, we wanted to take the end of the year to reflect on what we all lived through, and push ourselves — and you — to think about how that might inform the years ahead. To that end, we asked some of our favorite writers to bite off a chunk of 2023's events and try to offer ways to think about them that can offer a bit more perspective now that we've had a moment to reflect. Suzy Hansen looks at the wars waged this year and argues that Americans, especially the youngest among us, are seeing their government's choices through a lens indelibly shaped by the war on terror. Vauhini Vara takes on artificial intelligence and asks why we were so quick to accept — and perhaps even succumb — to a buggy, glitchy, mistake-laden piece of tech. Did you feel like the internet got a lot less fun this year? Max Read did, too, and explores why it felt, for some (millennial) subsection of us, like the internet died this year. Esau McCaulley ponders the extreme weather this year and whether the signal Mother Nature has been transmitting was finally received. Jessica Bennett holds up the dual phenomenon of girlhood taking over culture and girlhood in extreme distress, and explores just what all that Barbie pink was masking … or illuminating. And next week, we'll be sharing our staff picks on what we'll carry with us into the new year — the essays, operas and appliances that are our keepers of 2023. We hope this package offers some welcome reflections and sheds a little light on this world of ours. Or at least it gives you something to chew on while your cookies are in the oven. Programming note: Opinion Today will not publish on a regular schedule until Jan. 2. We'll mostly be off, but look out for a special email at the end of next week. READ OUR END-OF-YEAR PIECES BELOW Guest Essay We're Beginning to Learn How the War on Terror Shaped a Generation A generation of young people grew up experiencing increasingly scary and cascading crises set off by their government's actions. Is it any wonder they're protesting now? By Suzy Hansen Guest Essay One Year In and ChatGPT Already Has Us Doing Its Bidding For me, the journey began when I asked ChatGPT who I was. By Vauhini Vara Guest Essay The Year Millennials Aged Out of the Internet It is the zoomers' web now. By Max Read Guest Essay Nature Is Profoundly Broken. Do We Love Anyone Beyond Ourselves Enough to Listen? The world has been trying to tell us something for a while. In 2023 it became impossible not to hear. By Esau McCaulley Jessica Bennett The Joy of Communal Girlhood; the Anguish of Teen Girls Girl dinners. Barbiemania. Taylor Swift. Is it just a coincidence that the "year of the girl" comes at a time when girls themselves are so very miserable? By Jessica Bennett Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks Guest Essay A Christmas Tale of Love and Heartbreak I don't think my mom ever really accepted who I was. By Patrick Healy More From Opinion Guest Essay Barring Trump From the Ballot Would Be a Mistake It could well undermine our democracy by empowering a Supreme Court that liberals have rightly complained grabs too much power too routinely. By Samuel Moyn Paul Krugman A Christmas Gift From the Bond Market Bond prices are up. Nobody knows why, but it's good news. By Paul Krugman Jeneen Interlandi Crack-House Memories Are Blocking Real Help for Addicts The federal government needs to stop penalizing programs that help addicts safely consume their drugs while providing treatment. By Jeneen Interlandi A Forgotten Chapter of Abortion History Repeats Itself More than 60 years ago, America was confronted with the story of a young woman forced to seek an abortion abroad after unwittingly taking a drug that caused severe birth defects. By Linda Greenhouse John McWhorter Why Claudine Gay Should Go Recent, growing revelations about past instances of plagiarism by Harvard's president make it untenable for her to remain in office. By John McWhorter Guest Essay Myanmar's Resistance Is Gaining Ground, but It Needs U.S. Help The success of the rebels is of vital interest to American plans in the region. By Ye Myo Hein and Lucas Myers David French On Satanic Idols and Free Speech An act of ideological vandalism offers a crucial lesson. By David French frank bruni Our Semicolons, Ourselves A.I. or no A.I., it pays to write — and to write well. By Frank Bruni Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Chang W. Lee/The New York Times letters Hurdles Facing Offshore Wind Farms Readers discuss the causes of the delays and cancellations. Also: Pope's blessing of gay couples; the term "Bidenomics"; employing caregivers. We hope you've enjoyed this newsletter, which is made possible through subscriber support. Subscribe to The New York Times. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. 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