3 ms·

I wonder how much of the current anxiety wave that seems to have stricken Millennials and Gen Z is because they have no idea how to be alone with their thoughts

by dexwiz 4y ago

I wonder how much of the current anxiety wave that seems to have stricken Millennials and Gen Z is because they have no idea how to be alone with their thoughts. Anecdotally, I have heard a great many jokes about needing a distraction due to negative internal discourse. Like if they are left alone for more than 5 minutes by themselves, they will inevitably spiral into depression. I have people in my life that need a constant supply of internet, podcasts, music, tv, etc, or they start to get anxious. As an anxious person, I see why. Like any skill, guiding your thoughts away from negativity without repression, is something that needs practice. If you are constantly distracted, you never get to practice this trait. I see the rise of "wellness" and pop-meditation as a reaction.

chadlavi 4y ago
Well, that and the world is a pretty terrible place. Think about it for too long and you'll get pretty depressed.
- thatswrong0 4y ago
  Depends on your perspective. I know the more I’m on my phone, and the more social media I consume, the more I feel that way. But when I actually get out into the world and meet people and do stuff.. it’s not nearly so bad. And it’s cheesy but: “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
- formerly_proven 4y ago
  "The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better."
- vorpalhex 4y ago
  The world is generally a better place than it has ever been. That trend seems to continue.
- pomian 4y ago
  The world, is full of goodness, hope, progress and humour. But, you need to accept that in between all the media (news) that focuses on the negative, and bad noise. Look at a parent playing with a kid, look at a kitten, look at a doctor, look at a teacher. Saving, creating, improving lives, in spite of the negativity of the 'press'.
- theshrike79 4y ago
  The trick is not to think about it. I stopped following the 24 hour news cycle a some time last decade and my quality of life improved radically. I curate what I read myself, with RSS feeds, Reddit subscriptions and whatever happens to get to the front page of Hacker News =) I don't need to know up to the minute death tolls from COVID the war in Ukraine or the latest natural disaster. I don't need to know which politician lied this time and what their opponent said to that. Knowing that doesn't bring anything positive to my life. (I also find it fascinating that Gen X is completely forgotten in this discourse, like the OP did. It's just "Millennials and GenZ" for every debate)
  - dexwiz 4y ago
    I hope someone else also finds irony in taking advice on avoiding extensional terror from The Shrike.
- Kaze404 4y ago
  This comment is filled with replies from obviously privileged people. I’m very glad there’s people who can look at the world and still think it’s more good than bad, and I sure hope those are the majority, but that’s simply not the case for everyone. Some people unfortunately live with fear not because they read too many news, but simply because the world is hostile to them, and we have to acknowledge that as well.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
the_gipsy 4y ago
Terror management, or how to evade thinking about our own death.
- galoisgirl 4y ago
  There's many ways to think about death. It can motivate you to live life to the fullest.
nisa 4y ago
Not being poor or in debt also helps quite a bit. Having a perspective and not being stuck in jobs that will never pay a house no matter what you do might also help. Having successful parents also helps, otherwise it's difficult to read all the subtle social cues that make a difference. Never felt as anxious and isolated as when hanging around with privileged art students. Subjectively society got a lot more focused on social status than it used to be. People from different backgrounds don't mix up easily anymore and it's subtle. Lacking a perspective and feeling excluded it's hard to not experience anxiety. Experimenting and being brave is also easier if you know you will fall soft. If you don't know how to pay the rent next month you are not going out and make new experiences or learn new skills - you are stuck and nervous. Might be hyperbole but I wouldn't underestimate that as it's difficult to relax in such a situation. Avoiding unpleasant situations and becoming addicted to your phone/internet/media might either be a cause or an effect of this - it's not helping for sure.
- tapanjk 4y ago
  > Never felt as anxious and isolated as when hanging around with privileged art students. I am picking up a broad brush but bear with me for the moment. It is likely that half -- if not more -- of those 'privileged art students' felt anxious and isolated in spite of their positive demeanor. If privilege alone was a solution for general well-being, we would not have as many rich and famous people struggling to keep it straight. Don't get me wrong, privilege helps a lot, but may not be enough. Growing up, I thought that if only my family had more money, I would feel much better. Now, I think that my anxiety is caused by other things such as lack of control over my schedule, uncertainty about the future, and feeling of stuckness in the job (even if it is well paid). On the other hand, knowing that I have multiple options for gainful employment and having the ability to work on things that I care about -- brings me joy and satisfaction. In short, just having the ability to walk away from a situation is calming and joy-inducing. It does not matter whether that situation is good or bad, all that matters is that I have options.
  - nisa 4y ago
    You are correct of course. My comment was kind of all over the place without any clear idea - I just wanted to illustrate that anxiety can also be triggered by the feeling - real or imagined - to not belong. Maybe mixing up class/privilege kind of misses the point as you said there are probably enough well off people full of anxiety. It was just a situation I vividly remembered and as such it's difficult to convey without context and maybe just unfair.

by dexwiz 4y ago

chadlavi 4y ago

Well, that and the world is a pretty terrible place. Think about it for too long and you'll get pretty depressed.

thatswrong0 4y ago
Depends on your perspective. I know the more I’m on my phone, and the more social media I consume, the more I feel that way. But when I actually get out into the world and meet people and do stuff.. it’s not nearly so bad. And it’s cheesy but: “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
formerly_proven 4y ago
"The world is awful. The world is much better. The world can be much better."
vorpalhex 4y ago
The world is generally a better place than it has ever been. That trend seems to continue.
pomian 4y ago
The world, is full of goodness, hope, progress and humour. But, you need to accept that in between all the media (news) that focuses on the negative, and bad noise. Look at a parent playing with a kid, look at a kitten, look at a doctor, look at a teacher. Saving, creating, improving lives, in spite of the negativity of the 'press'.
theshrike79 4y ago
The trick is not to think about it. I stopped following the 24 hour news cycle a some time last decade and my quality of life improved radically. I curate what I read myself, with RSS feeds, Reddit subscriptions and whatever happens to get to the front page of Hacker News =) I don't need to know up to the minute death tolls from COVID the war in Ukraine or the latest natural disaster. I don't need to know which politician lied this time and what their opponent said to that. Knowing that doesn't bring anything positive to my life. (I also find it fascinating that Gen X is completely forgotten in this discourse, like the OP did. It's just "Millennials and GenZ" for every debate)
- dexwiz 4y ago
  I hope someone else also finds irony in taking advice on avoiding extensional terror from The Shrike.
Kaze404 4y ago
This comment is filled with replies from obviously privileged people. I’m very glad there’s people who can look at the world and still think it’s more good than bad, and I sure hope those are the majority, but that’s simply not the case for everyone. Some people unfortunately live with fear not because they read too many news, but simply because the world is hostile to them, and we have to acknowledge that as well.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

the_gipsy 4y ago

Terror management, or how to evade thinking about our own death.

galoisgirl 4y ago
There's many ways to think about death. It can motivate you to live life to the fullest.

nisa 4y ago

Not being poor or in debt also helps quite a bit. Having a perspective and not being stuck in jobs that will never pay a house no matter what you do might also help. Having successful parents also helps, otherwise it's difficult to read all the subtle social cues that make a difference. Never felt as anxious and isolated as when hanging around with privileged art students. Subjectively society got a lot more focused on social status than it used to be. People from different backgrounds don't mix up easily anymore and it's subtle. Lacking a perspective and feeling excluded it's hard to not experience anxiety. Experimenting and being brave is also easier if you know you will fall soft. If you don't know how to pay the rent next month you are not going out and make new experiences or learn new skills - you are stuck and nervous. Might be hyperbole but I wouldn't underestimate that as it's difficult to relax in such a situation. Avoiding unpleasant situations and becoming addicted to your phone/internet/media might either be a cause or an effect of this - it's not helping for sure.

tapanjk 4y ago
> Never felt as anxious and isolated as when hanging around with privileged art students. I am picking up a broad brush but bear with me for the moment. It is likely that half -- if not more -- of those 'privileged art students' felt anxious and isolated in spite of their positive demeanor. If privilege alone was a solution for general well-being, we would not have as many rich and famous people struggling to keep it straight. Don't get me wrong, privilege helps a lot, but may not be enough. Growing up, I thought that if only my family had more money, I would feel much better. Now, I think that my anxiety is caused by other things such as lack of control over my schedule, uncertainty about the future, and feeling of stuckness in the job (even if it is well paid). On the other hand, knowing that I have multiple options for gainful employment and having the ability to work on things that I care about -- brings me joy and satisfaction. In short, just having the ability to walk away from a situation is calming and joy-inducing. It does not matter whether that situation is good or bad, all that matters is that I have options.
- nisa 4y ago
  You are correct of course. My comment was kind of all over the place without any clear idea - I just wanted to illustrate that anxiety can also be triggered by the feeling - real or imagined - to not belong. Maybe mixing up class/privilege kind of misses the point as you said there are probably enough well off people full of anxiety. It was just a situation I vividly remembered and as such it's difficult to convey without context and maybe just unfair.