Confused Person Asks Why Millennials Want To Die, Receives A Surprisingly Clear Answer
Quick survey: who woke up this morning, or checked your phone in the bathroom at work, or looked at the news, and declared that you crave the cold embrace of soil covering your body?
Some of you reading might have raised your hands, while a lot of you are probably just confused about why your kids or younger coworkers are acting like this.
Someone on r/OutOftheLoop asked why millennial humor is so preoccupied with dying and being dead, and whether it’s just a frivolous trend, or a symptom of a serious underlying issue. The responses put it all out there: while the jokes are just there to help us cope and relate to each other, it does reflect the fact that many people who have become adults in the 21st century don’t feel like they have a lot to look forward to.
Image credits: Roller31415
This Reddit user felt “out of the loop” about why millennial memes are so dark
But the answer they got was enlightening
Image credits: Zeebuss
An eloquent explanation, but we usually just choose to express it like this
It turns out that when people are exhausted from spending most of their waking hours at their retail jobs and don’t expect to find anything better any time soon (even if they have a degree that they’re still paying loans on) because they’re a few hours away from not being able to pay rent at any given time, it doesn’t paint a very encouraging picture of how the next 50 or so years of their lives are going to go.
When you’re in a situation like this one, as many young adults are, it almost makes you want the rising sea levels to just reach your city already so you can be quickly swallowed up by a tsunami, but realistically, we know that our demise will be a lot slower and more drawn-out than that.
And even one who, individually, tries to make the best of the political tools they’re given and vote for candidates who seem most likely to invest in the future rather than business owners’ pockets, probably feels a sense of powerlessness that people who have the ability to affect change aren’t doing anything.
Add this to the fact that people in their 20s and 30s report both higher rates of mental health issues, many of them directly linked to their work, and lower stigma around discussing mental illness. There you have a recipe for people turning to the internet to vent their frustration in a setting that offers us either anonymity, depending on how we use it, or a low-pressure way of connecting with each other.
Commenters agreed and offered their perspectives
It sometimes feels like it's almost become a sport to criticize millennials and laugh off their concerns because "older generations have the experience to know better" or similar. The truth is that young people face very different challenges to any previous generation and this post does a good job of explaining that. It's just a shame that the people who most need to read this won't.
Agreed. This is an Excellent post. I’m not a millennial. However, the same s**t affecting them is affecting me (an unlucky gen x person). I therefore empathize with all of their explanations. I also hate the constant anti-millennial s**t thrown at them. It’s a cultural disgrace.
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I'm on the older end of millennial. I remember growing up in the 1990s through the longest sustained economic growth in history. The cold war was over. World hunger was plummeting. Education rates were soaring. Gender/racial equality only seemed like a matter of time. Politicians were starting to tackle climate change. Everything was so optimistic. When politicians said "This generation might never know war" we actually believed them. Then there was 9/11 and we were like "OK, so there are definitely going to be wars". Then there was the 2008 financial crash and the prosperity boom seemed like a horrible lie. Since everybody had got a university degree, those turned out to be fairly worthless in setting us up in careers. Wages stagnated, pension ages rose, house prices continued to balloon beyond our reach. Racism and sexism seem to have backslid in many respects. Climate was forgotten. Everything since 2008 has just seemed relentlessly negative.
True. As a 1990s kid, I remember those times (intensified by an actual war that started and finished within the first half of the decade back then in my country). And I feel the same as you described. The tragedies you mentioned are like the plot twists of a hopeless horror film.
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This is all true, but I don't feel like my generation (born in early 70s) had much better time. I remember spending most of my youth scared sh*tless of possible wars and atomic bombs, then various ecological disasters which were even then a thing. We had so much wars at the time of my 20s in my country, that it was really grimm time and it felt and still feels quite hopeless. I am paying for my retirement fond for more than 20 years which is ridiculous because I will never ever retire. NO one will. It became a fiction. Most of us will die sooner than reach retirement and pensions in my country are mostly so small you can't even survive on it because money from fonds are stollle. I have a daughter who is maybe a millenial (I think) and I can feel that hoplessness in her, not sure if it's comming from me or is it just her seeing things hopeless as they are. Or both. WE hear everyday how polluted Earth is and how we are all going to die, but what can we do??? Just tell us, we will do it!
Lobby your politicians for environmental protections. Many folks make this out to be a youth issue, the powers that be need to see that EVERYONE is demanding climate action.
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I’m a late boomer (1960), who missed the boomer gravy train because of a bad family situation growing up (had to get out of that house as soon as I hit 18). As a result, I couldn’t afford to go to college on my own, and suffered for three decades in the kind of jobs you can get with only a high school diploma. Passed over for promotion—-for jobs I could’ve done in my sleep—-in favor of someone who just barely graduated college, who would then f**k everything up. I would have to clean up the mess, yet was not given credit for any of it. It was after my third layoff that I went on unemployment for the first time in my life. It was mortifying, but I was able to get in a program that would pay for my Associates degree. I continued, and now have a Masters. I also have financial aid—-and other—-debt and only now, seven months after graduation, have been offered (and accepted) a full time job at a decent salary. As a boomer with millennial problems, I understand and share the dark humor.
I'm a Boomer who thought she was too mart for college, so I put myself in that same situation. Now 54, waiting tables, living in a trailer park, paying the same rent that I was paying for a two bedroom house 6 years ago. Considered going back to school, but don't want to spend my 70s, 80s, etc. paying off loans, and cant afford to take the time it would take to get a degree. I deeply sympathize with milliniels.
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Pretty much everything said there can also apply to Generation X as well. It's not just Millennials that are getting screwed.
Amen to those comments admitting that having children is unaffordable! So many millennials are already economically screwed - there's no way they can set their kids up for success. I expect we'll be seeing an increase in intergenerational poverty in the decades to come.
In the 1940s, my Mom's family still had an outhouse (and supplemented their diet with forage and rabbits) and my Dad's family didn't have electricity. In the 1960s, my parents lived in somebody's garage. Until I was a teenager, I hardly had any clothes that hadn't come to me from the used clothing stores or through three older brothers ... or both. Our jeans had patches on top of patches. When I was about 9, I almost died from an easily treatable infection caused by malnutrition because we didn't have health care ... or four food groups in our budget. I hear people today talk about some idealized golden age when everybody was rich, and nobody had to work hard, and everybody had a home and a car and a tv, and everything was easy. That gravy train must've skipped our family, because we didn't see any of that.
The thing is, it was never a universal utopia and, sadly, it seems there never will be one. But there were decades when we were promised unkept promises, so hopes turned off. Meanwhile, old films and songs make it look like there were "the good old times" and this fictive past got romanticised over the top. Only to realise that this too was a lie. So, what can we all, you and I included, do? Just try to do our best and see what happens....
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Gen X be like: Yuuup... Been living this same horror movie for 30 years... Retirement..? Yes, my plan is to not live past 70... (Not trying to one up anyone. Boomers been telling us all our lives the same s**t as you, most of my generation wasn't smart enough to call BS)
Sadly, what the millennial wrote makes a lot of good points. Those who posted critical comments about how other generations also had it tough are right, however they forget (or ignore) that the climate crisis is now worse than ever, as the word "crisis" means. The gap between rich and poor in the USA and other countries is getting wider and wider; the middle class is an endangered species. Student debt isn't new, but it's much higher than ever. Etc.
Well, kids, I'm a Gen Xer and I'm in the same boat. We've been sold a bag of goods.
I am a Xenial (GenX/millennial) so I understand these concerns at the fundamental level. I too struggle with some of these issues (i.e. trying to purchase a home, figuring out how to afford children, etc) but my main issue with the subject is, what do millennials hope to accomplish by being so outspoken about these feelings? They are definitely warranted and mostly true but, from the outside (kind of) looking in, all these continued comments appear to be nothing more than complaints and excuses. Please know that I am not making that claim but rather pointing out the possible perceptions from non-millennials. Rarely do I hear these statements accompanied by realistic solutions and an openness for guidance so it feels very much like the underlying theme is “you broke the world for us so go fix it” or “you broke the world and now we have to fix it”. While this outspokenness is comforting to hear for other millennials, it is easy for non-millennials to perceive these viewpoints as lazy and unappreciative. I guess my point is, what is the purpose of blaming an entire generation for the problems of today? Of course previous generations are the ones responsible for the current state of the world. It was their world to mold as they saw fit. Now the world is in the process of being transitioned to new generations whose responsibility it is to improve. This is the way of the world as it has been for thousands of years. While overpopulation and ecological irresponsibility have been far more prominent the past 50-100 years, there is always an opportunity to reflect on previous generations’ shortcomings and enact positive change. At the end of the day, it is important to feel connected and share similar opinions but, without offering some ideas about the “light at the end of the tunnel”, the outside perception of these views will unfortunately never align with the positive purpose of these messages.
The entire system is based on “go fix it” mentality. People think voting in a president every 4-8 years will create change. People think standing in line once every 4-8 years is them creating change. Want real change? Then you have to start a revolution and implement a resource based economy. No one wants to work for REAL change because that would mean being uncomfortable. And it’s just way too comfortable to do nothing but vote every few years then complain about whichever puppet of the rich is in office.
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Thanks be to economist Martin Friedman who taught generations of politicians that people who work in corporations can ignore all ethics and morals and should optimize profits for stakeholders (not workers) using any means possible. Unfettered capitalism is largely to blame. That is not to say capitalism is bad. The happiest countries in the world are capitalist countries. But UNFETTERED capitalism causes a lot of unhappiness. And many powerful people in the US are trying to spread it around the world and have been doing so for decades. Read Shock Doctrine. One of the best books I've ever read. Very well-sourced, and explains much of what is happening right now.
yeah I'm feeling the effects of this s**t and I'm 13. Climate and the economy shouldn't be my responsibility. Yet I and others my age are the ones with the world on our shoulders. We should be enjoying our childhood. Not making adults aware of the world's issues and having to fix them. How old was Greta when she started her protests? 15. And we have six year olds attending her marches. They should be playing pretend and making friends and learning the alphabet. Not protesting the government's ignorance. The same goes for me.
I am 38 so by some measure I am a millennial. While I have been screwed financially by the sale of my first house, I generally feel happy about my life and count myself fortunate. I grew up in a poor working class family, was able to get a college education, and now have a good paying career. I make enough that I was able to support my father when he became disabled and be generous to others in need. I have taken some financial hits but I figure that is part of life. I will always feel blessed as long as I have family, friends, and I can support my needs and help others.
I don't understand why we have to all be divided, as I am a boomer and have similar feelings as the millenniums. I feel my generation may even have it worse than you guys do now. Because I am the mother of four adult children, who are in your shoes, and sometimes seem to blame parents for all the shortcomings in their lives. I really don't know what the answer is. And I am sad for everyone
I'm 27, have a really high pressured and skilled job. I earn £21.5k, I pay £5k a year for travel. My rent in the most horrible flat is £500 a month, my water is £30 a month, my council tax £150, service charge £80, electricity £40, mobile top up about £10, £20 internet, water £30 (even though I shower at work because the bill is split). I pay £10. subscription a month for NHS meds. I have two part time jobs to make up the shortfall .I know I'm luckier than most but I do feel I'm working crazy hours just to live, and what I eat depends on what I get in hours from my part time job. My parents bought a 4 bed house at 20 while my mum was a student nurse and my dad painter, they deserve everything they have but It does feel like it's much much harder for the millennial generation to feel financially secure.
Maybe your parents were lucky to be able to get, and pay, for a large property but what will happen when they die? Or do you think that they won't leave their property/money to their children? Not being harsh but the children of that generation will mostly benefit in the long run. In the UK if you don't earn enough you don't have to pay off your student loans until you do. It is tougher now, yes. Yet people just voted in a Tory Government. Short-sighted and self-centred bastards.
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I think every generation is a different shade of the same color. I've heard the stories of my great-grandparents and thought they lived a really hard life, economically and socially ( immigrants). My grandparents didn't have it much better, neither did my parents. And now at 39 my 28 yearold cousin dont understand how I made it to adulthood with a decent life all while she worries about her doomed future. My 16 yearold son thinks the stone age was my life before computers and cell phones, hes genuinely surprised people were ever educated (endless info at your fingertips) or entertained without them. Struggles happen, they are real, and every generation will feel theirs is the worst....until it isn't.
I’m 17 years past my expiration date please unsubscribe me from life,thanks. But no honestly I’m scared to be an adult in this day and age. Like if you don’t have a job early in teen years and have been saving your screwed especially if your from not a super well of family. Like there are jobs that don’t exist anymore and people still want you to get a degree for it. And not to mention that the past generations pushed their problems to the next generation and so on. Now it’s our problem to fix everything in just a couple of years or we all screwed. And no I’m not a millennial I was born in 2004 idk what that makes me but I can relate to wanting to die
The economy did well during the '90s and it suddenly drops at around 2006-2007. It is just a recreation of the Roaring Twenties and then the Great Depression hits and that generation is told to pick up the mess. I don't know if it will get better, but it seems unlikely at this point.
As a Gen-X I think Hard Harry said it back in 1989, we're part of a totally dejected generation where there's nothing to look forward to and no one to look up to. This has only been magnified ten fold for our children.
I can answer this. I'm not a millenial. It's because our lives are s**t. Thanks, Boomer.
When I was young everyone was getting drafted and sent to 'Nam, an Ice Age was going to kill us all, interest rates were so high no one could buy a house, the world was going to end after a Nuclear War...etc.
Not to mention nearly every person I meet has been horribly abused and sexually abused by a whacked out generation who viewed sex as a sin. That it makes it even harder to function in society with crippling ptsd!
It's not really Millenials now on Reddit. It's more the Gen Zs who think it's funny.
Lots of good points here and lots of folks who can relate. I mostly see in reading through all of these comments that this isn't a Millennials' only problem. It seems to me that folks of any generation can experience these overwhelming feelings of helplessness. I know I did and at sometimes still do. (I am 43 for whatever that is worth). I also think this has occurred going as far back in time as money and power have existed I think this is a humans all around issue. I wish I could think of a solution but my helplessness leads me to believe it's human nature for those in power to abuse and those not in power to be ill-equipped to do much about it. I take my mother's advice and try to do the best I can in my little part of the world because you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. That doesn't mean you can't also be proactive for others. But try to be realistic and self-forgiving. Or something like that.
I hate that the politicals aren't paying attention to the right things, exactly what even is the army doing. Our taxes have been going nowhere and toll booth prices have been rapidly rising to the point where it's $8 per way in my area. But I must say that there are two types of this generation the avocados and the ones writing this post that I am commenting on.
Commenting on @symtpom, I think many people would agree with you that life is better when judging solely on the physical aspect. However there is more to life than just surviving comfortably. It's hard to judge what is going on, if this pessimism is really prevalent or not, I can only speak for myself. And I'm also aware that my pessimism might be misplaced, I don't know. However, when your survival is pretty much guaranteed, you start looking for meaning in life, and I think this is where a lot of the pessimism comes from. Maybe before it was considered normal to work a meaningless job, but can you blame people for wanting more? Also climate change effects are looming, or already here, and we are very slow to adept, and there seems to be much resistance politically and individually speaking. It's becoming pretty clear that the way we have lived for the last 100 years isn't sustainable. It has brought us wealth and prosperity, but at a cost. We can't go on like this...
Join a politic party and make your voice heard, millennial are growing up and people with the same situation like yours will flock in supporting you. Be the change that change the world brothers/sisters.
In theory you're right. But the American electoral system doesn't allow poor people to enter the political arena. Politics is for the rich. Since the rich decide on issues as funding of education, building houses and everything from environmental policies to taxes you can see where America is heading. Or does it make sense that a multi-billion dollar company pays less taxes than a $50k income household?
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We're still talking about very first world problems here. "My future looks bleak" doesn't compare to "I don't know where my next meal is coming from and I'm not vaccinated against dozens of diseases that will kill me as soon as I get sneezed on." I have a hard time feeling sorry for those that are passively suicidal because of debt and the uncertainty of their future. We're still living more comfortably than any humans in history, and most humans alive today.
Not sure why you've been downvoted, you're right. Also, can't help but think that there are a lot who are moaning about how lucky their parents were as they were able to buy their house and have a great pension. If their parents aren't poor they do stand a very good chance of inheriting money and getting out of the debt cycle that way.
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The biggest problem millennials have is that they are plain stupid. They don't have the brains for good paying jobs in engineering, science, research - they are ignorant of current events, and guarantee you that only a tiny percentage know how to contact their elected representatives (probably cause they don't vote). No sympathy for the millenials.
Oh my god did you read the post. This makes you part of the problem, honestly- you're dismissing actual problems.
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no its everywhere mate im aussie and just went around the earth we all face the same prblems and are in it together.
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People of around 25 have had 2 elections to get rid of the current governments and instead they helped elect conservatives either by not voting or voting for them so they can’t really complain about the state of the world because they have contributed to it. This is not the only reason I know, but we depended on you coming out in droves to help right this awful situation and you didn’t.. maybe next year you might and you will get a better result. The left helps people, the right helps themselves, surely that’s clear to you all by now?
Yeah - the education comment doesn't apply in every country.
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Or maybe you just have a different experience from many others? To pay for 2 full years of college, you must have gotten lucky with a stable, well-paying job in high school - something that's very rare these days, or live in a place with good funding to education - something that's been cut every single year for at least the past decade. Do you really have to assume that you're just a better person than everyone else?
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There was a time when having a degree meant you could walk into a safe career. Now it won't even get you a foot in the door. The cost of degrees has also gone up year on year compared to the average wage. Millennials (and the next two generations at least) are leaving with far more debt than past generations. Hell, many degrees were free until the 90s. But its getting on that housing ladder afterwards that's the real bite.
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I have to strongly disagree. As a person who lives in Europe, I can say that the issues described in the article are NOT exclusive to American millennials. And you can argue "your health care is free" BUT it is not always free, and it's not always good enough quality. That's one example. Young people in the US aren't different than young people from other parts of the world, and even their struggles may be quite similar.
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"You're hungry? In Africa they're hungry!" is such a non-argument. There's always going to be people who are worse off than you. By that standard, you can't be mad you stubbed your toe because some people were born without legs.
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It sometimes feels like it's almost become a sport to criticize millennials and laugh off their concerns because "older generations have the experience to know better" or similar. The truth is that young people face very different challenges to any previous generation and this post does a good job of explaining that. It's just a shame that the people who most need to read this won't.
Agreed. This is an Excellent post. I’m not a millennial. However, the same s**t affecting them is affecting me (an unlucky gen x person). I therefore empathize with all of their explanations. I also hate the constant anti-millennial s**t thrown at them. It’s a cultural disgrace.
Load More Replies... I'm on the older end of millennial. I remember growing up in the 1990s through the longest sustained economic growth in history. The cold war was over. World hunger was plummeting. Education rates were soaring. Gender/racial equality only seemed like a matter of time. Politicians were starting to tackle climate change. Everything was so optimistic. When politicians said "This generation might never know war" we actually believed them. Then there was 9/11 and we were like "OK, so there are definitely going to be wars". Then there was the 2008 financial crash and the prosperity boom seemed like a horrible lie. Since everybody had got a university degree, those turned out to be fairly worthless in setting us up in careers. Wages stagnated, pension ages rose, house prices continued to balloon beyond our reach. Racism and sexism seem to have backslid in many respects. Climate was forgotten. Everything since 2008 has just seemed relentlessly negative.
True. As a 1990s kid, I remember those times (intensified by an actual war that started and finished within the first half of the decade back then in my country). And I feel the same as you described. The tragedies you mentioned are like the plot twists of a hopeless horror film.
Load More Replies... This is all true, but I don't feel like my generation (born in early 70s) had much better time. I remember spending most of my youth scared sh*tless of possible wars and atomic bombs, then various ecological disasters which were even then a thing. We had so much wars at the time of my 20s in my country, that it was really grimm time and it felt and still feels quite hopeless. I am paying for my retirement fond for more than 20 years which is ridiculous because I will never ever retire. NO one will. It became a fiction. Most of us will die sooner than reach retirement and pensions in my country are mostly so small you can't even survive on it because money from fonds are stollle. I have a daughter who is maybe a millenial (I think) and I can feel that hoplessness in her, not sure if it's comming from me or is it just her seeing things hopeless as they are. Or both. WE hear everyday how polluted Earth is and how we are all going to die, but what can we do??? Just tell us, we will do it!
Lobby your politicians for environmental protections. Many folks make this out to be a youth issue, the powers that be need to see that EVERYONE is demanding climate action.
Load More Replies... I’m a late boomer (1960), who missed the boomer gravy train because of a bad family situation growing up (had to get out of that house as soon as I hit 18). As a result, I couldn’t afford to go to college on my own, and suffered for three decades in the kind of jobs you can get with only a high school diploma. Passed over for promotion—-for jobs I could’ve done in my sleep—-in favor of someone who just barely graduated college, who would then f**k everything up. I would have to clean up the mess, yet was not given credit for any of it. It was after my third layoff that I went on unemployment for the first time in my life. It was mortifying, but I was able to get in a program that would pay for my Associates degree. I continued, and now have a Masters. I also have financial aid—-and other—-debt and only now, seven months after graduation, have been offered (and accepted) a full time job at a decent salary. As a boomer with millennial problems, I understand and share the dark humor.
I'm a Boomer who thought she was too mart for college, so I put myself in that same situation. Now 54, waiting tables, living in a trailer park, paying the same rent that I was paying for a two bedroom house 6 years ago. Considered going back to school, but don't want to spend my 70s, 80s, etc. paying off loans, and cant afford to take the time it would take to get a degree. I deeply sympathize with milliniels.
Load More Replies... Pretty much everything said there can also apply to Generation X as well. It's not just Millennials that are getting screwed.
Amen to those comments admitting that having children is unaffordable! So many millennials are already economically screwed - there's no way they can set their kids up for success. I expect we'll be seeing an increase in intergenerational poverty in the decades to come.
In the 1940s, my Mom's family still had an outhouse (and supplemented their diet with forage and rabbits) and my Dad's family didn't have electricity. In the 1960s, my parents lived in somebody's garage. Until I was a teenager, I hardly had any clothes that hadn't come to me from the used clothing stores or through three older brothers ... or both. Our jeans had patches on top of patches. When I was about 9, I almost died from an easily treatable infection caused by malnutrition because we didn't have health care ... or four food groups in our budget. I hear people today talk about some idealized golden age when everybody was rich, and nobody had to work hard, and everybody had a home and a car and a tv, and everything was easy. That gravy train must've skipped our family, because we didn't see any of that.
The thing is, it was never a universal utopia and, sadly, it seems there never will be one. But there were decades when we were promised unkept promises, so hopes turned off. Meanwhile, old films and songs make it look like there were "the good old times" and this fictive past got romanticised over the top. Only to realise that this too was a lie. So, what can we all, you and I included, do? Just try to do our best and see what happens....
Load More Replies... Gen X be like: Yuuup... Been living this same horror movie for 30 years... Retirement..? Yes, my plan is to not live past 70... (Not trying to one up anyone. Boomers been telling us all our lives the same s**t as you, most of my generation wasn't smart enough to call BS)
Sadly, what the millennial wrote makes a lot of good points. Those who posted critical comments about how other generations also had it tough are right, however they forget (or ignore) that the climate crisis is now worse than ever, as the word "crisis" means. The gap between rich and poor in the USA and other countries is getting wider and wider; the middle class is an endangered species. Student debt isn't new, but it's much higher than ever. Etc.
Well, kids, I'm a Gen Xer and I'm in the same boat. We've been sold a bag of goods.
I am a Xenial (GenX/millennial) so I understand these concerns at the fundamental level. I too struggle with some of these issues (i.e. trying to purchase a home, figuring out how to afford children, etc) but my main issue with the subject is, what do millennials hope to accomplish by being so outspoken about these feelings? They are definitely warranted and mostly true but, from the outside (kind of) looking in, all these continued comments appear to be nothing more than complaints and excuses. Please know that I am not making that claim but rather pointing out the possible perceptions from non-millennials. Rarely do I hear these statements accompanied by realistic solutions and an openness for guidance so it feels very much like the underlying theme is “you broke the world for us so go fix it” or “you broke the world and now we have to fix it”. While this outspokenness is comforting to hear for other millennials, it is easy for non-millennials to perceive these viewpoints as lazy and unappreciative. I guess my point is, what is the purpose of blaming an entire generation for the problems of today? Of course previous generations are the ones responsible for the current state of the world. It was their world to mold as they saw fit. Now the world is in the process of being transitioned to new generations whose responsibility it is to improve. This is the way of the world as it has been for thousands of years. While overpopulation and ecological irresponsibility have been far more prominent the past 50-100 years, there is always an opportunity to reflect on previous generations’ shortcomings and enact positive change. At the end of the day, it is important to feel connected and share similar opinions but, without offering some ideas about the “light at the end of the tunnel”, the outside perception of these views will unfortunately never align with the positive purpose of these messages.
The entire system is based on “go fix it” mentality. People think voting in a president every 4-8 years will create change. People think standing in line once every 4-8 years is them creating change. Want real change? Then you have to start a revolution and implement a resource based economy. No one wants to work for REAL change because that would mean being uncomfortable. And it’s just way too comfortable to do nothing but vote every few years then complain about whichever puppet of the rich is in office.
Load More Replies... Thanks be to economist Martin Friedman who taught generations of politicians that people who work in corporations can ignore all ethics and morals and should optimize profits for stakeholders (not workers) using any means possible. Unfettered capitalism is largely to blame. That is not to say capitalism is bad. The happiest countries in the world are capitalist countries. But UNFETTERED capitalism causes a lot of unhappiness. And many powerful people in the US are trying to spread it around the world and have been doing so for decades. Read Shock Doctrine. One of the best books I've ever read. Very well-sourced, and explains much of what is happening right now.
yeah I'm feeling the effects of this s**t and I'm 13. Climate and the economy shouldn't be my responsibility. Yet I and others my age are the ones with the world on our shoulders. We should be enjoying our childhood. Not making adults aware of the world's issues and having to fix them. How old was Greta when she started her protests? 15. And we have six year olds attending her marches. They should be playing pretend and making friends and learning the alphabet. Not protesting the government's ignorance. The same goes for me.
I am 38 so by some measure I am a millennial. While I have been screwed financially by the sale of my first house, I generally feel happy about my life and count myself fortunate. I grew up in a poor working class family, was able to get a college education, and now have a good paying career. I make enough that I was able to support my father when he became disabled and be generous to others in need. I have taken some financial hits but I figure that is part of life. I will always feel blessed as long as I have family, friends, and I can support my needs and help others.
I don't understand why we have to all be divided, as I am a boomer and have similar feelings as the millenniums. I feel my generation may even have it worse than you guys do now. Because I am the mother of four adult children, who are in your shoes, and sometimes seem to blame parents for all the shortcomings in their lives. I really don't know what the answer is. And I am sad for everyone
I'm 27, have a really high pressured and skilled job. I earn £21.5k, I pay £5k a year for travel. My rent in the most horrible flat is £500 a month, my water is £30 a month, my council tax £150, service charge £80, electricity £40, mobile top up about £10, £20 internet, water £30 (even though I shower at work because the bill is split). I pay £10. subscription a month for NHS meds. I have two part time jobs to make up the shortfall .I know I'm luckier than most but I do feel I'm working crazy hours just to live, and what I eat depends on what I get in hours from my part time job. My parents bought a 4 bed house at 20 while my mum was a student nurse and my dad painter, they deserve everything they have but It does feel like it's much much harder for the millennial generation to feel financially secure.
Maybe your parents were lucky to be able to get, and pay, for a large property but what will happen when they die? Or do you think that they won't leave their property/money to their children? Not being harsh but the children of that generation will mostly benefit in the long run. In the UK if you don't earn enough you don't have to pay off your student loans until you do. It is tougher now, yes. Yet people just voted in a Tory Government. Short-sighted and self-centred bastards.
Load More Replies... I think every generation is a different shade of the same color. I've heard the stories of my great-grandparents and thought they lived a really hard life, economically and socially ( immigrants). My grandparents didn't have it much better, neither did my parents. And now at 39 my 28 yearold cousin dont understand how I made it to adulthood with a decent life all while she worries about her doomed future. My 16 yearold son thinks the stone age was my life before computers and cell phones, hes genuinely surprised people were ever educated (endless info at your fingertips) or entertained without them. Struggles happen, they are real, and every generation will feel theirs is the worst....until it isn't.
I’m 17 years past my expiration date please unsubscribe me from life,thanks. But no honestly I’m scared to be an adult in this day and age. Like if you don’t have a job early in teen years and have been saving your screwed especially if your from not a super well of family. Like there are jobs that don’t exist anymore and people still want you to get a degree for it. And not to mention that the past generations pushed their problems to the next generation and so on. Now it’s our problem to fix everything in just a couple of years or we all screwed. And no I’m not a millennial I was born in 2004 idk what that makes me but I can relate to wanting to die
The economy did well during the '90s and it suddenly drops at around 2006-2007. It is just a recreation of the Roaring Twenties and then the Great Depression hits and that generation is told to pick up the mess. I don't know if it will get better, but it seems unlikely at this point.
As a Gen-X I think Hard Harry said it back in 1989, we're part of a totally dejected generation where there's nothing to look forward to and no one to look up to. This has only been magnified ten fold for our children.
I can answer this. I'm not a millenial. It's because our lives are s**t. Thanks, Boomer.
When I was young everyone was getting drafted and sent to 'Nam, an Ice Age was going to kill us all, interest rates were so high no one could buy a house, the world was going to end after a Nuclear War...etc.
Not to mention nearly every person I meet has been horribly abused and sexually abused by a whacked out generation who viewed sex as a sin. That it makes it even harder to function in society with crippling ptsd!
It's not really Millenials now on Reddit. It's more the Gen Zs who think it's funny.
Lots of good points here and lots of folks who can relate. I mostly see in reading through all of these comments that this isn't a Millennials' only problem. It seems to me that folks of any generation can experience these overwhelming feelings of helplessness. I know I did and at sometimes still do. (I am 43 for whatever that is worth). I also think this has occurred going as far back in time as money and power have existed I think this is a humans all around issue. I wish I could think of a solution but my helplessness leads me to believe it's human nature for those in power to abuse and those not in power to be ill-equipped to do much about it. I take my mother's advice and try to do the best I can in my little part of the world because you can't carry the weight of the world on your shoulders. That doesn't mean you can't also be proactive for others. But try to be realistic and self-forgiving. Or something like that.
I hate that the politicals aren't paying attention to the right things, exactly what even is the army doing. Our taxes have been going nowhere and toll booth prices have been rapidly rising to the point where it's $8 per way in my area. But I must say that there are two types of this generation the avocados and the ones writing this post that I am commenting on.
Commenting on @symtpom, I think many people would agree with you that life is better when judging solely on the physical aspect. However there is more to life than just surviving comfortably. It's hard to judge what is going on, if this pessimism is really prevalent or not, I can only speak for myself. And I'm also aware that my pessimism might be misplaced, I don't know. However, when your survival is pretty much guaranteed, you start looking for meaning in life, and I think this is where a lot of the pessimism comes from. Maybe before it was considered normal to work a meaningless job, but can you blame people for wanting more? Also climate change effects are looming, or already here, and we are very slow to adept, and there seems to be much resistance politically and individually speaking. It's becoming pretty clear that the way we have lived for the last 100 years isn't sustainable. It has brought us wealth and prosperity, but at a cost. We can't go on like this...
Join a politic party and make your voice heard, millennial are growing up and people with the same situation like yours will flock in supporting you. Be the change that change the world brothers/sisters.
In theory you're right. But the American electoral system doesn't allow poor people to enter the political arena. Politics is for the rich. Since the rich decide on issues as funding of education, building houses and everything from environmental policies to taxes you can see where America is heading. Or does it make sense that a multi-billion dollar company pays less taxes than a $50k income household?
Load More Replies... We're still talking about very first world problems here. "My future looks bleak" doesn't compare to "I don't know where my next meal is coming from and I'm not vaccinated against dozens of diseases that will kill me as soon as I get sneezed on." I have a hard time feeling sorry for those that are passively suicidal because of debt and the uncertainty of their future. We're still living more comfortably than any humans in history, and most humans alive today.
Not sure why you've been downvoted, you're right. Also, can't help but think that there are a lot who are moaning about how lucky their parents were as they were able to buy their house and have a great pension. If their parents aren't poor they do stand a very good chance of inheriting money and getting out of the debt cycle that way.
Load More Replies... The biggest problem millennials have is that they are plain stupid. They don't have the brains for good paying jobs in engineering, science, research - they are ignorant of current events, and guarantee you that only a tiny percentage know how to contact their elected representatives (probably cause they don't vote). No sympathy for the millenials.
Oh my god did you read the post. This makes you part of the problem, honestly- you're dismissing actual problems.
Load More Replies... no its everywhere mate im aussie and just went around the earth we all face the same prblems and are in it together.
Load More Replies... People of around 25 have had 2 elections to get rid of the current governments and instead they helped elect conservatives either by not voting or voting for them so they can’t really complain about the state of the world because they have contributed to it. This is not the only reason I know, but we depended on you coming out in droves to help right this awful situation and you didn’t.. maybe next year you might and you will get a better result. The left helps people, the right helps themselves, surely that’s clear to you all by now?
Yeah - the education comment doesn't apply in every country.
Load More Replies... Or maybe you just have a different experience from many others? To pay for 2 full years of college, you must have gotten lucky with a stable, well-paying job in high school - something that's very rare these days, or live in a place with good funding to education - something that's been cut every single year for at least the past decade. Do you really have to assume that you're just a better person than everyone else?
Load More Replies... There was a time when having a degree meant you could walk into a safe career. Now it won't even get you a foot in the door. The cost of degrees has also gone up year on year compared to the average wage. Millennials (and the next two generations at least) are leaving with far more debt than past generations. Hell, many degrees were free until the 90s. But its getting on that housing ladder afterwards that's the real bite.
Load More Replies... I have to strongly disagree. As a person who lives in Europe, I can say that the issues described in the article are NOT exclusive to American millennials. And you can argue "your health care is free" BUT it is not always free, and it's not always good enough quality. That's one example. Young people in the US aren't different than young people from other parts of the world, and even their struggles may be quite similar.
Load More Replies... "You're hungry? In Africa they're hungry!" is such a non-argument. There's always going to be people who are worse off than you. By that standard, you can't be mad you stubbed your toe because some people were born without legs.
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