Is anyone noticing a lack of life in today's youth?

[19magic]

I keep thinking in the 40s/50s you have kids who've been moved across the country, unaware if they'll become orphans or simply lose their fathers. If they will even have a home let alone their favourite toy or book. Then you have the rebirth and kids were essentially left to fend for themselves most portions of the day while their parents work or party. Yet today's youth is the one that's all doom and gloom as if it's the end of the world or something.

Even in my childhood almost two decades ago now, it wasn't that big of a deal and there's wonder and curiosity and fun. I saw several students aged 7-10 the other day when visiting little ones school and it was dragging feet, whingeing, miserable and all they wanted to do was sleep, by the looks of it. I see the same in my sister 12, just absolutely miserable, always complaining she's bored or can't do anything. She gave up putting a sheet on a mattress cause she couldn't do it 🙄. I've got a colleague whose son seems very similar to my sister, anxiety and depression of going to school. I also seem to have a few friends who doesn't see the point in life, aka just working to earn money to pay bills then die. And it's not just her it seems to be a fair few gen z of my generation that seems the same.

I really don't understand it, you have a roof, food, family, job, activities to do on the weekend. There are life goals you can strive for and want to achieve before you die. You're not in need of anything, yes I've found it repetitive at times but then I have to break my cycle of thought about the other things in life. Plus I normally find taking myself out of those situations helps tonnes. But what's with the soulless humans that seems to be pretty much my generation.

[razelove]

It's simply that there are more options, and most of them offer more instant gratification. It isn't unique to the internet, handheld games and social media either.

That was starting before you were playing outside with the move from land lines to cell phones. It sucks to sit next to a phone and have to keep the line open. Anyway, each change, each option offers more that will give you pleasure now, and a step further away from community and face to face conversations.

I don't think it's wrong, and manufacturers realize that now as opposed to the past as parental controls weren't an option then. I can put hard limits on the tablet or nintendo time my kids get, so they do have to talk to other people, and play with other kids.

It gives them more options when they're adults, but what they choose to do then is on them 100%. I can see the appeal either way. My choice was to have a family and integrate more into the community, but it would have been more simple to just play WoW and have ONS. The consequences would have only started kicking in a couple years ago too.

[TallAnon]

It's all about the unknown, people are disillusioned because there's no mystery to life.
We know how the world works, how species evolve, the lay of the land. There's nothing to achieve.
Previously, if you were really smart or worked really hard, we'd be well-known in the area (city/village), now there's 1000s of people doing more crazy stuff on youtube every day, so no one gives a fuck about you starting your own business or you raising a few 100 for a good charity.
We know exactly where we stand in society, we can easily calculate what we'll be able to achiev and the response this will get us.

[eatmycupcake]

I will preface this by saying nobody owes the world their contentment.

Are things different now in a lot of ways? Yes, but it's hard to compare the happiness of past generations given that there's no way to reliably measure that. Just because it "seems" like kids were happier or more grateful in the past doesn't mean that's actually the case. Honestly, I doubt it is.

People cope with reality in different ways and I'm sure there are generational differences there to some extent, but that doesn't mean there's a "lack of life" in today's youth compared with past generations.

[Alex8736]

The biggest downfall of this generation is nobody even knows what reality is due to being glued to their phones and laptops for example always on social media which luckily I deleted prior to covid because it was getting toxic and is nothing but a facade with people posting selfies always smiling from whatever location they are at which the ones who follow those profiles think the grass is greener in the yard next door which has been proven false with Gabby Petito traveling the country as an example but we all know how that ended unfortunately. If you were to watch classic TV like the little rascals out playing without a care in the world, that's how kids should be today making the best of each day 😃

[inhua]

parents aren't raising their kids anymore these days

kids are being raised by nannies, schools, day-care centers, TV shows, the internet, the news, their peers etc.

women don't want to be stay-at-home moms to raise the kids and men can't be stay-at-home dads or they risk getting their ass dragged through the divorce courts when she leaves him for not having a proper job

either way, the kids are the ones who suffer the most in the end

[andreasderjuengere]

Errmm... it's not a life that I'd want for myself.

Anyhow - should we ''measure'' those who joined life later than we did based on OUR own measuring scale?

As a teenager I was criticized myself for doing what I did. I guess that evolution repeats this 'mechanism' whenever a 'new generation' pops up.

Does it even matter? ... I mean - if all breaks down, it will not longer be my own business. If all goes well... the same.

[jshm2]

No. Quite the opposite.

Old farts of today (aka 60+) seem hellbent to live and think like pre-war Germany and USA. That time was fucking atrocious, but these oldies have been gaslighted into thinking it wasn't.

[als24]

The amount of young people who are incapable of having a normal conversation with someone nowadays is scary.

[19magic]

True though I can't say I'm great at it either

[als24]

I mean like really weird instances. For example, I remember asking someone if they were in the queue for something. The response I got was a cold stare before they went back to looking at their phone.

[19magic]

Oh wow, yeah that hits a new level. I'm just not great once you've gone past the good mornings, most things I'm interested in and like other people tend not to like so I always stumble on what to talk about.

[als24]

Yeah makes sense. Basic stuff like. my example though is non-negotiable in my opinion.

[CaptainSmartass]

Too much wokery, in my opinion.

Simples...

[In_Trance]

I don't take that much notice in today's youth