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causes are a mix: smartphones, social media, doomscrolling habits, carbon climate crisis (and its dire implications). and the rise of the so-called Woke/DEI pro

causes are a mix: smartphones, social media, doomscrolling habits, carbon climate crisis (and its dire implications). and the rise of the so-called Woke/DEI propaganda cult in academia. all add up

cynicalsecurity 3y ago
There could be a much easier explanation. Life in the past wasn't much easier, in fact, it was much harder and crazier. But no one really cared measuring the problem and it appeared it did not exist.
- InSteady 3y ago
  Life may have been harder and crazier, but the challenges people faced were far more local and solvable. One's community truly needed the upcoming generation of children to step up and help out with their sweat, blood, and tears to keep everything together. That infused purpose and meaning into the struggles. Now a young person is hyper-aware of how large the world is, how small they are in relation to it, and how all of the big problems that command so much attention are completely beyond the scope of their influence (and are likely to be that way for their entire lives, outside of some astronomically unlikely events). There's also a somewhat related argument to be made that with the homogenization and erosion of culture in the modern world. We've almost completely lost coming-of-age rituals where adults and elders in local communities induct children into the world of adulthood. Whether by design or by accident, this leaves more and more young adults feeling disconnected, purposeless, and adrift in the world. Which tends to leave many holes to be filled by consumerism and other potentially harmful tenets of modern society, which now includes social media addiction.
- FabHK 3y ago
  Durkheim, the founder of sociology, famously showed that Protestants, whose life was "easier" as they had fewer restrictions and norms to follow than Catholics, committed more suicides than Catholics. Similarly, suicide rates fell during times of war. Thus, it might not just be a measurement problem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_(Durkheim_book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_(Durkheim_book)

causes are a mix: smartphones, social media, doomscrolling habits, carbon climate crisis (and its dire implications). and the rise of the so-called Woke/DEI propaganda cult in academia. all add up

cynicalsecurity 3y ago

There could be a much easier explanation. Life in the past wasn't much easier, in fact, it was much harder and crazier. But no one really cared measuring the problem and it appeared it did not exist.

InSteady 3y ago
Life may have been harder and crazier, but the challenges people faced were far more local and solvable. One's community truly needed the upcoming generation of children to step up and help out with their sweat, blood, and tears to keep everything together. That infused purpose and meaning into the struggles. Now a young person is hyper-aware of how large the world is, how small they are in relation to it, and how all of the big problems that command so much attention are completely beyond the scope of their influence (and are likely to be that way for their entire lives, outside of some astronomically unlikely events). There's also a somewhat related argument to be made that with the homogenization and erosion of culture in the modern world. We've almost completely lost coming-of-age rituals where adults and elders in local communities induct children into the world of adulthood. Whether by design or by accident, this leaves more and more young adults feeling disconnected, purposeless, and adrift in the world. Which tends to leave many holes to be filled by consumerism and other potentially harmful tenets of modern society, which now includes social media addiction.
FabHK 3y ago
Durkheim, the founder of sociology, famously showed that Protestants, whose life was "easier" as they had fewer restrictions and norms to follow than Catholics, committed more suicides than Catholics. Similarly, suicide rates fell during times of war. Thus, it might not just be a measurement problem. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_(Durkheim_book) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suicide_(Durkheim_book)