Swammerdami
Squadron Leader
(I hope this is the right forum for this discussion, though perhaps it should be folded into Politics!)
It is a truism that now is the first time in American history that young people (Millenials" and "Generation Z") expect to be -- and will be -- LESS well off than their parents. And this is not just felt in America, but all over the developed Western world. I was reminded of this by a recent story on CNBC.
Young people's dating habits have changed. For better or worse the ages-old stereotype of a couple settling down early and happily raising a family seems much less prevalent now. Women's rights and freedoms have increased dramatically in the Western democracies, and -- (here I risk being labeled "anti-woke") -- has had consequences like the rise of "involuntary celibacy" complaints from a growing number of young males. Is this unprecedented?
The article linked above focuses on a specific symptom of Youth's Pessimism: Doom spending:
Pessimism (about the economy, politics, and climate change), the in-progress rise of fascism in many countries, the deluge of propaganda financed by politicians and greedy capitalists, and the insidious nature of social media are interacting and pointing us toward dystopia. We need to connect the dots and set a new course before it's too late.
It is a truism that now is the first time in American history that young people (Millenials" and "Generation Z") expect to be -- and will be -- LESS well off than their parents. And this is not just felt in America, but all over the developed Western world. I was reminded of this by a recent story on CNBC.
Young people's dating habits have changed. For better or worse the ages-old stereotype of a couple settling down early and happily raising a family seems much less prevalent now. Women's rights and freedoms have increased dramatically in the Western democracies, and -- (here I risk being labeled "anti-woke") -- has had consequences like the rise of "involuntary celibacy" complaints from a growing number of young males. Is this unprecedented?
The article linked above focuses on a specific symptom of Youth's Pessimism: Doom spending:
Some young people are splashing out on luxuries like travel and designer clothes instead of saving, in a trend that’s being characterized as “doom spending” on social media.
Doom spending is when a person mindlessly shops to self-soothe because they feel pessimistic about the economy and their future, according to Psychology Today. . . . It’s happening because young people are chronically online and feel like they’re constantly receiving “bad news,” she said. “It makes them feel like Armageddon.”
. . .
In fact, 96% of Americans are concerned about the current state of the economy and more than a quarter are doom spending to deal with the stress, an Intuit Credit Karma survey of over 1,000 Americans found in November 2023.
Pessimism (about the economy, politics, and climate change), the in-progress rise of fascism in many countries, the deluge of propaganda financed by politicians and greedy capitalists, and the insidious nature of social media are interacting and pointing us toward dystopia. We need to connect the dots and set a new course before it's too late.