4 ms·

I am in the same age range as the poster. Life is tough. Get over it. You want nicer things? It has to come from somewhere. And our parents did not have it ea

I am in the same age range as the poster. Life is tough. Get over it. You want nicer things? It has to come from somewhere. And our parents did not have it easier. I would say if anything, they had it harder, and didn't get caught up in all the bullshit commericalism that is marketed to us today. This is anecdote, but still, my parents worked 12 hours a day, 6 days a week, for 20 years, with one single vacation, so they could raise me. You know what they have to show for it? Social security that pays about $800 a month and barely covers their mortgage, and a pension that pays $40 a month (yes, $40). That pension was from working a full-time job for about 20 years. And yet, they manage just fine. So, no, our ancestors did not have it better. They just don't whine about it, and did whatever they had to do to survive.

sundaeofshock 10y ago
I am in the same generation as your parents (49) and can say for sure that my generation had a lot easier then your generation. We had free or low-cost college, real wages were higher, there were plenty of real (non-gig) jobs, people could afford to buy housing on a middle-class income, health insurance covered more, and the overall cost of living was lower. Anecdotally, your parents may have had it rougher then most of our generation; but according to the data our generation had a hell of a lot easier time then your (and my son's) generation does. Oh, and -- like ever generation -- we whined just as much and were also call entitled. Go back and read about all the delightful things written about Generation X. We were whiney, lazy, self-entitled, and also told that life was tough and we needed to get over it. Christ, if you hadn't have called our your age in your post, I would have guessed you were my age or older.
- reverend_gonzo 10y ago
  People can absolutely still afford to buy houses on middle-class salaries. They just can't do it in San Francisco or Manhattan or the nicest neighborhoods in Chicago. They may also have to hold off buying a new phone every year. They may have to not sign up for all 500 cable channels along with Spotify and Netflix. But there are lots of people living just fine, with families in their own homes, on middle class families. But, sure, some things are harder. And other things are easier. It's much easier to learn skills on Coursera/Udacity/etc without having to pay for college. It's much easier to move around the country. For people who gay, lesbian, or trans, I would say life is probably a lot easier than it was in the 80s and 90s. The gig economy provides options for making side cash. I'm sure every generation is whiny. But within the generation, everyone is going through the same things. So, live the best you can, and stop trying to compare yourself to everyone else, let alone those in other generations.

sundaeofshock 10y ago

I am in the same generation as your parents (49) and can say for sure that my generation had a lot easier then your generation. We had free or low-cost college, real wages were higher, there were plenty of real (non-gig) jobs, people could afford to buy housing on a middle-class income, health insurance covered more, and the overall cost of living was lower. Anecdotally, your parents may have had it rougher then most of our generation; but according to the data our generation had a hell of a lot easier time then your (and my son's) generation does. Oh, and -- like ever generation -- we whined just as much and were also call entitled. Go back and read about all the delightful things written about Generation X. We were whiney, lazy, self-entitled, and also told that life was tough and we needed to get over it. Christ, if you hadn't have called our your age in your post, I would have guessed you were my age or older.

reverend_gonzo 10y ago
People can absolutely still afford to buy houses on middle-class salaries. They just can't do it in San Francisco or Manhattan or the nicest neighborhoods in Chicago. They may also have to hold off buying a new phone every year. They may have to not sign up for all 500 cable channels along with Spotify and Netflix. But there are lots of people living just fine, with families in their own homes, on middle class families. But, sure, some things are harder. And other things are easier. It's much easier to learn skills on Coursera/Udacity/etc without having to pay for college. It's much easier to move around the country. For people who gay, lesbian, or trans, I would say life is probably a lot easier than it was in the 80s and 90s. The gig economy provides options for making side cash. I'm sure every generation is whiny. But within the generation, everyone is going through the same things. So, live the best you can, and stop trying to compare yourself to everyone else, let alone those in other generations.