Happiness – isn't that the thing most of us are striving for? The problem is, though, that not a lot of people nowadays feel happy. Young people are particularly disillusioned; according to the 2024 World Happiness Report, the young are the least happy age group of all.
This generation faces an interesting irony: the world has the resources to make life better and more comfortable for most people, yet most of us are still wildly unhappy. Communites like the Lost Generation subreddit reflect this sentiment pretty accurately. So, here are some posts that echo what the current generation thinks of the world and their place in it.
This post may include affiliate links.
Wake Up America
This Is So Heartbreaking
We Are Not Free
If we were to believe Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we need our basic physical needs met in order to be happy. That includes food, shelter, stable income, and good health. Sadly, not all Americans have that. In fact, a whopping 37.9 million people were in poverty in 2022 in the U.S.
If the original Lost Generation got its name from living through two world wars, this current generation calls itself 'lost' because we feel that the system is rigged against us. As stated in the description for the r/LostGeneration community, we "did everything our parents told us to do... now what?"
The Truth's S**t
This Is How The World Ends
8 Guys vs. 4 Billion People
One of the reasons experts say people under 30 are so unhappy is social media. The U.S. surgeon general Dr. Vivek Murthy told The Guardian that as of 2024, there is no data proving that social media is not harmful to children and adolescents. He says that governments having no regulation of social media for children is "insane."
It's not just the young people who are perhaps overusing social media. A typical user spends from two to two and a half hours a day on social media sites. Experts are saying that the prevalence of social media has contributed greatly to an epidemic of loneliness and isolation.
Simple Truths, Complex Barriers
The Land Of Dreams
The Board Is Set, The Pieces Are Moving
And the poor kids become our soldiers, and if they survive their enlistment, they can go to college...this is the part they don't tell you...one of the reasons they don't really want to change anything.
And if they get wounded or suffer PTSD while enlisted, they will promptly be forgotten as soon as they leave...............
Load More Replies...Yup. Everytime they bang the drum about charter schools and private schools I get a little more depressed and forlorn.
It is sold as " your kid can leave this crappy public school and get great education" but really, it is just socioeconomic segregation.
Load More Replies...The disenfranchised will vote for the populist, who makes it worse, so their numbers will rise, securing more votes for populists, who will make it worse...
Also, if I may add, dismantling the federal board of education will also take away all special education because that is the department that funded it and over saw all of its wonderful opportunities for children from birth to age 21 with special needs because of Public Law 94-142. Not only those children who are challenged, but also those children who are gifted and talented.
The Governor of Arkansas has rolled back child labor laws. Her dad is going to be next ambassador to Israel.. he has stated he doesn't believe in the existence of Palestinians, believes anyone who is Arab should be removed from any and all Jewish Territory. Wants to jumpstart the Apocalypse. It's crazy clown time.
Load More Replies...The kids are already doing poorly in school, public schools already have a bad rap, and the funding for those public schools is tied to property taxes, which absolutely no one wants to see go up.
The existence of "good" and "bad" schools is indefensible in a public school system.
Load More Replies...And the cycle continues to churn. The lower classes have always been exploited for cheap labor.
I've been convinced for years that the rich aren't happy unless there are lots of poor people to feel superior to
Jonathan Haidt, an NYU social psychologist and author of "The Anxious Generation," wrote for the Atlantic about how spending too much time online can put us into a habitual state of defensiveness. "Kids going through puberty online are likely to experience far more social comparison, self-consciousness, public shaming, and chronic anxiety than adolescents in previous generations," he noted.
Reminder To The Politician
Cops Are Just Psychopaths With A God Complex
Spending $788 Billion On Military Budget And Still Having No Healthcare
That same country spends more on "healthcare" per capita than any other country on earth, with coverage at or below developing country level. So universal healthcare could be cheaper "but socialism!".
However, other reaserchers are seeing a more nuanced picture. They say that the unhappiness of young people comes from economic uncertainty. One in three adults ages 18 to 34 in the U.S. live with parents. Many of them do so because they can't afford their own place to live. According to The World Economic Forum, student loan debt and stagnant wages also contribute to a lack of financial stability for young people.
My Bank Its $37 🥲
I had not realized this had happened to my account (!I thought I made a payment from a different account) and since there was not enough money to cover the $35 penalty within 24hrs, it triggered another $35, and another… count 4 total… I kept putting $50 in my account, and couldn’t understand the deal. F*ck you WFar!
🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Now I'm Thinking About It Too
Youth unemployment rates are also high not only in the U.S. but in other developed countries as well. The age-old "Get an education and you'll get a sturdy job" rule also often goes out the window. Joanie Bily, chief workforce analyst at Employbridge, told CNBC that many college graduates are taking jobs that have nothing to do with their degrees. "They’re looking to enter into the workforce and launch their careers, and many of them are taking jobs even in leisure and hospitality, because that’s where the jobs are."
This Is Why You Don't Use The "Proper Channels"
Know The Real Culprits
One of the things that really pisses me off is how much money and energy governments waste installing pretty lights and keeping them lit, and I get a reminder every time I drive over one of several bridges in my area.
The American Dream Is Crumbling
The current generation is also very uncertain about the future of the planet. The climate crisis, political unrest, and the dire prospects for our species has many young people skeptical and wondering whether they should have children or if they should even bother working towards any goals.
Do You Accept?
It's A Real Head Scratcher
Basically, The Laws Exist To Protect The Capitalist Class
A 2021 BBC survey found that almost 61% of young adults feel extremely or very worried about climate change. Americans have similar worries, as at least 60% of college students say they have symptoms of anxiety due to the climate crisis. Many aren't happy with how governments deal with it, saying that for much of the world's leaders, climate change isn't a priority.
Pretty Much Most Countries Just Say F**k You To Your Teeth And Eyes
Freefromwork
Hmmm Sounds About Right!
The guy who invented Monopoly would tell you that is why he invented the game...to show the evils of capitalism.
Political polarization is another issue that has many young people stressed. Although some people claim that Gen Z are pretty polarized themselves and good targets for extreme, anti-establishment candidates, others suggest that the new generation might be the one to phase out polarization from American politics.
There Is No Such Thing !!
I'm So Sick Of This Dynamic
This. By the time I have finished work for the day, done all the household chores, looked after my kids, looked after my mother I don't have the time or energy to do anything else. My 'days off' are usually to do something for somebody else. I wish I could do things with the power of my mind and I wish I could be I two places at once.
Don’t Be A Rat Comrades!
Living in LA, I see a lot of homeless people ride the trains without paying (there are certain stations where this is incredibly easy to do). As long as they're not causing a commotion, not bothering anyone, and not smelling to high heaven, there's no way I'm going to tell the authorities about it. They're just trying to get by. Now, the people in nice clean clothes (who very obviously aren't homeless) who do that, I have no problem with reporting.
Authors of Generational Politics in the United States claim that all the previous generations (The Silent generation, Baby Boomers, and Gen X) were more polarized in their political views than millennials and Gen Z. They theorize that because these generations are less religious, more ethnically and racially diverse, a new political center could form, one where polarization isn't as prominent.
America Is Immoral
We can't cure cancer! It's not fair to all the people who already died from cancer! Why should I care about Your cancer? It's not My cancer, so I don't care about curing it!
Exactly!!!
This Needs To Be Shared!!
If you feel like the world is going to bits and no one else cares, just check out what people on the r/LostGeneration subreddit are saying. You may find that many actually have a similar mindset to you! You can also see more discussions about today's harsh realities in our previous posts about the subreddit here, here, and here!
This Is What We're Up Against
A Trans Man In Ohio Was Beat Up And Arrested For Using The Bathroom Associated With His S*x Assigned At Birth. This Isn't A Bug, It's A Feature
There's some subtext here that doesn't get talked about enough. Those men beat that person up because they fully believed that person intended to rape a woman in the bathroom (If there's a different thought process behind their actions, please tell me because I don't see it). Their own actions belie their belief that men can't be trusted in private spaces with women because the man will rape the woman given the opportunity. What does it mean when a group of men believe this so much they beat up someone who was just trying to relieve their bladder?
Tax The Rich One
This Country Is So Depressing, All It Takes Is One Medical Emergency And Your Finances Are Ruined
2 month ago both of my son get DHF almost in the same time.. Both spend 10 days in hospital.. My family don't use insurance, because at that time I am just a freelancer while looking for a job.. It cost around 4 times average salary in my place.. That no crippling our economy at all..
Just In Case You Didn't Get The Message
It’s not beginning to look like that. It’s been that for several decades now, at least.
One Can Dream, Can’t They?
Murica
Met a retired couple on a cruise ship that was living on the ship. They booked the cruises for years, and only had a PO box for mail. The cruise line would even ship their stuff to a new ship if they wanted to change locations. They could get off the ship and stay in a port until the next time the ship docked, and get back on. They loved it.
Oh, No! Anything But That!
No War But Class War
Here in NZ landlords were given tax cuts that the National government said would make rents cheaper as they would "pass those savings on to renters" Hahahahahahaha...... (Their leader Christopher Luxon is infamous for saying in an interview "Let me be clear: I'm wealthy, I'm - you know - sorted." https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/536726/quote-of-the-year-2024-luxon-s-wealthy-and-sorted-in-running-for-annual-contest
I Know A Lot Of Friends With The Side Hustle Mindset. I See It As Sad More Than Anything
Thanks Reagan…
Those people making money by buying and selling stocks are just parasites who don't actually contribute anything of value.
Some Bootlicker Making Poverty Wages Went And Shot A Pregnant Women To Protect His Capitalist Overlords
You Are Drinking From A Bottle
The Cruelty Is The Point
Let's Talk About This
*angry Mao Noises*
F*****g sad. Americas legal system is messed up. When I become a lawyer I’ll operate on a slide scale.
Labor History Is Important!
Read the novels "The Jungle" or "Coal King" by Upton Sinclaire, or "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck for insight into America's labour/poverty history (also available for free audio downloads from Libravox.com)
This Logic Brought To You By The State Of Tennessee
USA Would Never 😂
This "school lunch" was staged by the US-based food chain Sweetgreen. https://www.logicallyfacts.com/en/fact-check/false-no-this-photo-does-not-show-students-meals-in-rome-italy
Cool Cool Cool
Ugh. This makes me sick. I couldn't get through the whole list. Too much to be upset about. 😡
Don't worry if you hadn't subscribed to Premium you wouldn't have been able to read it all anyway.
Load More Replies...Way to go, BP. These are tweets that could be used to inform and help others understand what people go through when it comes to health care and poverty. And you cut the list off wanting people to spend money to see the rest of it. That's pretty damn low of you. Shame on you! What sort of online site does something like this except for the despicable ones. Shame, shame, shame! I don't understand why you even bother to post things like this, except to point out that YOU are now part of the problem. Congratulations. It was a long way down to the basement but you finally got there.
Boss : I'm ill so wnot be in today..... Also Boss: I don't care if you are ill with the same thing I'm not covering your shift, you have to come in and do your shift...... Boss yet again after collapsing on the floor: Why didn't you say you were ill.
These are all about the US. Should be in the title. Instead of "the world"
USA defaultism at its finest. There would still be about 95-99% US issues in the list, and if not, it would be twisted into US issues in the comments.
Load More Replies...That a lot of people are applauding a vigilante who killed the CEO of an American insurance company should be a wake-up call to those in positions of power. De-fund enough people and no amount of law enforcement can keep them safe in a country where guns are widely available. When class inequality becomes too unbalanced, revolution follows. And heads roll. louis-thum...e7de0d.jpg
Identifying the problem is not the same as finding a solution. We need to do something but we also need to choose that something very carefully.
And the first step is being able to talk about issues
Load More Replies...America is an abomination. And American people have let this happen.
Don't get me wrong but WHAT are some solutions? That's what I want to know. We are all well aware of the worldly sitution and obviously, WE have to come up with the solutions because the Capitalist State will NOT help.
Eliminate the richest people until there is nowhere for the money to flow except to those who have really earned it. Trickle-down ecomomics actually works, so long as it's blood that's doing the trickling.
Load More Replies...Shocking and depressing how many posts (almost all) on a “global” list were about the US. I accept there is a lot to be concerned about in other places, including the UK, but in the race for dystopia the USA seems to be getting its wish to be “the greatest”. Way to lead the world, trumperica.
There is so much to be concerned about in the UK. I know it's just one city, but last year a young mother was stabbed to death in front of her baby by some random guy in Manchester. I used to think Winnipeg was bad for stabbings, but Manchester has been getting worse and worse to the point my friends who live there are scared to go to city center. Then there's all the bombings and explosions in London and Manchester. So much poverty and young adults taking care of ailing parents full time. Canada is not fairing too well, but not that bad. Although some say it's terrible. I want to hear about the rest of the world, too.
Load More Replies...There is nothing i could write that hasn't been written already but THIS MADE ME SICK How can u live under that kind of permanent pressure,always only one step away from beeing f'ckd for life because u got i'll or someone shot u?I feel sorry for y'all
Well, really shouldn't have read that before I took my blood pressure medicine.
Thabk God you put the rest behind a pay wall, couldn't deal with more of this.
Okay but at the same time look how few people leave the US. I don't get it, I lived there for a short time and I would hate to stay there because of these (and many more) issues. So on one hand people see clearly the number of problems, and on the other - they don't want to leave, they are extremely defensive when it comes to actually analyzing the problems, and they stay loyal to the country that treats them like this. I really am surprised we're not seeing a huge flow of people leaving.
HAHA I WISH that was remotely true. Very few people leave this $h!thole country because of the lack of money. You'll see people on this site saying they make $30+ an hour, but that is NOT at all what people make on average. Minimum wage is generally somewhere between $5.25 and $15.00 an hour, depending on what state you live in. Passports are very expensive (They cost more than $1000) which the average person does not have in their pocket, at any point in time, because of living expenses. Then, people have to wait until their passport gets to them in the mail. And plane tickets to other countries are insanely expensive, which again, the average person cannot afford. People are NOT loyal to this fvcked up country, but unless you're wealthy, the bottom line is that you are stuck. VERY few people are trust fund or nepotism babies, even fewer have $250 in their pocket to "spare" on a normal week-- that money is always allocated to necessities. The lack of money keeps people trapped.
Load More Replies...In California you get $100 back on tax return if you pay rent. The thing is.. rents gone up and up .. but it's still only $100 credit. It just goes right to the medical bills. Lol.
Where’s the one about our country being run by a stewed cabbage over the past 4 years?
Do you really think he was running things, if he is a stewed cabbage? Or that other people were quiety, behind the scenes, making the decisions?
Load More Replies...That SUCKED. Another list of old boring seen 100s of times repeats.
If you compare the past with the now, do a 100% comparison and check if you actually wanted to live in that past. If you are willing to start with a job that earns any money, do it. You will always learn something, even if it is only to keep your day organised. Maybe a better job can be found in another country. Most likely you do not have to walk through a desert and row across the sea on a wonky boat, but can apply online, grab yozr passport and travel there by plane, the costs will be returned. Maybe your job is exhausting and requires 6 days of each 12 hours (nothing shady, just some construction works on tunnels or dams). Do it if you are young. On these construction sites you will meet othet companies with better job opportunities. The only thing not getting you forward is staying put. Modt used excuse is " but my kids will loose their friends". They will make new ones
That is absolutely not true at all. Very few people make much money-- hell, as an example, I only make $11 an hour. No commissions, no bonuses. Hours are too long to get a second job, even if companies around were actually hiring any more. No transportation to look elsewhere. (I do not own a car; not because I don't want one, but because they're too expensive, so I walk when I need to go grocery shopping. The only big town is over 50 miles away. There is no public transportation.) There is no money to "save" to get a passport, not when bills must be paid and food must be had. With biweekly paychecks and bills that come in at different points throughout the month, bills are always late getting paid. (Internet's due the second week of the month. Utilities might be during the first or third week at any point. Power is due sometime between the second and fourth week, or sometimes on the first day of the month. Depends on when bills are sent.) I am NOT the only person alive dealing with not being fvcking wealthy, having irregular bills and living in a place called reality. Then, if an emergency happens (which they do,) any money someone might have had in their pocket, which might be somewhere in the realm of $5 - $100 that they were trying to sit on, will be spent so they can try to make ends meet while simultaneously handling what life threw their way one more time. The world is a cruel, unforgiving mistress and people are just trying their best to make due with what they've got.
Load More Replies...Ugh. This makes me sick. I couldn't get through the whole list. Too much to be upset about. 😡
Don't worry if you hadn't subscribed to Premium you wouldn't have been able to read it all anyway.
Load More Replies...Way to go, BP. These are tweets that could be used to inform and help others understand what people go through when it comes to health care and poverty. And you cut the list off wanting people to spend money to see the rest of it. That's pretty damn low of you. Shame on you! What sort of online site does something like this except for the despicable ones. Shame, shame, shame! I don't understand why you even bother to post things like this, except to point out that YOU are now part of the problem. Congratulations. It was a long way down to the basement but you finally got there.
Boss : I'm ill so wnot be in today..... Also Boss: I don't care if you are ill with the same thing I'm not covering your shift, you have to come in and do your shift...... Boss yet again after collapsing on the floor: Why didn't you say you were ill.
These are all about the US. Should be in the title. Instead of "the world"
USA defaultism at its finest. There would still be about 95-99% US issues in the list, and if not, it would be twisted into US issues in the comments.
Load More Replies...That a lot of people are applauding a vigilante who killed the CEO of an American insurance company should be a wake-up call to those in positions of power. De-fund enough people and no amount of law enforcement can keep them safe in a country where guns are widely available. When class inequality becomes too unbalanced, revolution follows. And heads roll. louis-thum...e7de0d.jpg
Identifying the problem is not the same as finding a solution. We need to do something but we also need to choose that something very carefully.
And the first step is being able to talk about issues
Load More Replies...America is an abomination. And American people have let this happen.
Don't get me wrong but WHAT are some solutions? That's what I want to know. We are all well aware of the worldly sitution and obviously, WE have to come up with the solutions because the Capitalist State will NOT help.
Eliminate the richest people until there is nowhere for the money to flow except to those who have really earned it. Trickle-down ecomomics actually works, so long as it's blood that's doing the trickling.
Load More Replies...Shocking and depressing how many posts (almost all) on a “global” list were about the US. I accept there is a lot to be concerned about in other places, including the UK, but in the race for dystopia the USA seems to be getting its wish to be “the greatest”. Way to lead the world, trumperica.
There is so much to be concerned about in the UK. I know it's just one city, but last year a young mother was stabbed to death in front of her baby by some random guy in Manchester. I used to think Winnipeg was bad for stabbings, but Manchester has been getting worse and worse to the point my friends who live there are scared to go to city center. Then there's all the bombings and explosions in London and Manchester. So much poverty and young adults taking care of ailing parents full time. Canada is not fairing too well, but not that bad. Although some say it's terrible. I want to hear about the rest of the world, too.
Load More Replies...There is nothing i could write that hasn't been written already but THIS MADE ME SICK How can u live under that kind of permanent pressure,always only one step away from beeing f'ckd for life because u got i'll or someone shot u?I feel sorry for y'all
Well, really shouldn't have read that before I took my blood pressure medicine.
Thabk God you put the rest behind a pay wall, couldn't deal with more of this.
Okay but at the same time look how few people leave the US. I don't get it, I lived there for a short time and I would hate to stay there because of these (and many more) issues. So on one hand people see clearly the number of problems, and on the other - they don't want to leave, they are extremely defensive when it comes to actually analyzing the problems, and they stay loyal to the country that treats them like this. I really am surprised we're not seeing a huge flow of people leaving.
HAHA I WISH that was remotely true. Very few people leave this $h!thole country because of the lack of money. You'll see people on this site saying they make $30+ an hour, but that is NOT at all what people make on average. Minimum wage is generally somewhere between $5.25 and $15.00 an hour, depending on what state you live in. Passports are very expensive (They cost more than $1000) which the average person does not have in their pocket, at any point in time, because of living expenses. Then, people have to wait until their passport gets to them in the mail. And plane tickets to other countries are insanely expensive, which again, the average person cannot afford. People are NOT loyal to this fvcked up country, but unless you're wealthy, the bottom line is that you are stuck. VERY few people are trust fund or nepotism babies, even fewer have $250 in their pocket to "spare" on a normal week-- that money is always allocated to necessities. The lack of money keeps people trapped.
Load More Replies...In California you get $100 back on tax return if you pay rent. The thing is.. rents gone up and up .. but it's still only $100 credit. It just goes right to the medical bills. Lol.
Where’s the one about our country being run by a stewed cabbage over the past 4 years?
Do you really think he was running things, if he is a stewed cabbage? Or that other people were quiety, behind the scenes, making the decisions?
Load More Replies...That SUCKED. Another list of old boring seen 100s of times repeats.
If you compare the past with the now, do a 100% comparison and check if you actually wanted to live in that past. If you are willing to start with a job that earns any money, do it. You will always learn something, even if it is only to keep your day organised. Maybe a better job can be found in another country. Most likely you do not have to walk through a desert and row across the sea on a wonky boat, but can apply online, grab yozr passport and travel there by plane, the costs will be returned. Maybe your job is exhausting and requires 6 days of each 12 hours (nothing shady, just some construction works on tunnels or dams). Do it if you are young. On these construction sites you will meet othet companies with better job opportunities. The only thing not getting you forward is staying put. Modt used excuse is " but my kids will loose their friends". They will make new ones
That is absolutely not true at all. Very few people make much money-- hell, as an example, I only make $11 an hour. No commissions, no bonuses. Hours are too long to get a second job, even if companies around were actually hiring any more. No transportation to look elsewhere. (I do not own a car; not because I don't want one, but because they're too expensive, so I walk when I need to go grocery shopping. The only big town is over 50 miles away. There is no public transportation.) There is no money to "save" to get a passport, not when bills must be paid and food must be had. With biweekly paychecks and bills that come in at different points throughout the month, bills are always late getting paid. (Internet's due the second week of the month. Utilities might be during the first or third week at any point. Power is due sometime between the second and fourth week, or sometimes on the first day of the month. Depends on when bills are sent.) I am NOT the only person alive dealing with not being fvcking wealthy, having irregular bills and living in a place called reality. Then, if an emergency happens (which they do,) any money someone might have had in their pocket, which might be somewhere in the realm of $5 - $100 that they were trying to sit on, will be spent so they can try to make ends meet while simultaneously handling what life threw their way one more time. The world is a cruel, unforgiving mistress and people are just trying their best to make due with what they've got.
Load More Replies...