4 ms·

Color me unsurprised: life sucks for most Americans. The country is divided against itself. Our economy favors a few professions the members of which guard fier

Color me unsurprised: life sucks for most Americans. The country is divided against itself. Our economy favors a few professions the members of which guard fiercely against entry by outsiders. Pollution, climate change, rising costs of living & healthcare, poor regulatory practices: all of these and other factors combine to ravish the average American's wallet and soul.

Density 8y ago
Agreed. Add crushing student loans, credit card debt and lack of affordable housing near the few sources of middle class work and you have yourself the ultimate depression cocktail.
- Razengan 8y ago
  This and [0] is also why I support the idea of a universal basic income; letting people detach themselves from the rat race and still have a comfortable life, so more of them can explore, discover, invent and create at their own leisure. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17054807 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17054807
DougN7 8y ago
What you say is true, but I suspect it’s more lack of social connection because we spend so much time with screens. In the old days you at least watched TV together but now we can go in our own rooms and watch Netflix by ourselves. I remember visiting my grandparents and people actually went for walks in the evening and chatted with others sitting on their porches. They were poor by today’s standards, but seemed happier to young me. That life sounds amazing now.
- astrodust 8y ago
  The trouble isn't screens or social interaction, it's that there's this existential threat to everything that didn't exist outside of nuclear scares in the 1960s. The wild-eyed optimism that tomorrow would bring about something better and brighter lasted until the 1970s, but is completely and utterly dead now. Millenials are the first generation to have worse job prospects than their parents. If you want to know why they spend so much time on social media it's because it's the only thing that matters. Everything else is beyond their control and, honestly, utterly depressing.
  - DougN7 8y ago
    I’m not sure. To me the threats you mention seem more cerebral since we have to think about them, but don’t feel them (well, I guess one feels pressure from one’s economic sitation). For example, irreversible global warming is a huge concern, but I don’t walk around thinking about it all day. But feeling lonely and disconnected is something that is hard to escape. Lack of human connection is hugely emotional. And in my experience, depression is emotional. But to be honest, I’m an armchair quarterback here so I’ll see what others have to say :)
    - astrodust 8y ago
      You don't have to be actively thinking about something for it to weigh on you and drag you down. I think people are more connected than you think. Where you used to have to converse with a handful of people in your immediate environment you can now maintain connections with people world-wide. That also introduces additional stress since we share the pain of others.

Density 8y ago

Agreed. Add crushing student loans, credit card debt and lack of affordable housing near the few sources of middle class work and you have yourself the ultimate depression cocktail.

Razengan 8y ago
This and [0] is also why I support the idea of a universal basic income; letting people detach themselves from the rat race and still have a comfortable life, so more of them can explore, discover, invent and create at their own leisure. [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17054807 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17054807

DougN7 8y ago

What you say is true, but I suspect it’s more lack of social connection because we spend so much time with screens. In the old days you at least watched TV together but now we can go in our own rooms and watch Netflix by ourselves. I remember visiting my grandparents and people actually went for walks in the evening and chatted with others sitting on their porches. They were poor by today’s standards, but seemed happier to young me. That life sounds amazing now.

astrodust 8y ago
The trouble isn't screens or social interaction, it's that there's this existential threat to everything that didn't exist outside of nuclear scares in the 1960s. The wild-eyed optimism that tomorrow would bring about something better and brighter lasted until the 1970s, but is completely and utterly dead now. Millenials are the first generation to have worse job prospects than their parents. If you want to know why they spend so much time on social media it's because it's the only thing that matters. Everything else is beyond their control and, honestly, utterly depressing.
- DougN7 8y ago
  I’m not sure. To me the threats you mention seem more cerebral since we have to think about them, but don’t feel them (well, I guess one feels pressure from one’s economic sitation). For example, irreversible global warming is a huge concern, but I don’t walk around thinking about it all day. But feeling lonely and disconnected is something that is hard to escape. Lack of human connection is hugely emotional. And in my experience, depression is emotional. But to be honest, I’m an armchair quarterback here so I’ll see what others have to say :)
  - astrodust 8y ago
    You don't have to be actively thinking about something for it to weigh on you and drag you down. I think people are more connected than you think. Where you used to have to converse with a handful of people in your immediate environment you can now maintain connections with people world-wide. That also introduces additional stress since we share the pain of others.