Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds • Hacker News Board

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#431

Post by segfaultbuserr » Tue, May 21, 2019, 3:56 PM UTC

jakeogh wrote: post #61

makerofspoons wrote: post #30

"Climate change, protecting the environment and natural disasters topped the list of most respondents on a personal level, but less than three in ten of both the Millennial and Gen Z cohorts cited it as a worry." This is surprising. As a Gen Z-er this highlights the kind of bubble I find myself in- my friend group is almost universally in a state of despair about the collapsing biosphere. Climate change and mass exti…

In elementary (late 80's) were constantly propagandized that the whales were going to be extinct, the ozone layer was going to be gone, and killer bees were going to get us all. Not a peep of optimism that we could solve problems. It was presented as inevitable. There are strong forces that need people to be in a constant state of worry. Power is derived from it.

> whales were going to be extinct

They were. Environmental movement successfully "solved" this problem. https://i1.wp.com/slatestarcodex.com/blog_images/enviro_whal... "See that tiny micro-bump at the end? That represents progress."

* What Happened To 90s Environmentalism?

https://slatestarcodex.com/2019/01/01/what-happened-to-90s-e...

See section 7, "Saving The Whales".

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#432

Post by mac01021 » Tue, May 21, 2019, 5:20 PM UTC

malvosenior wrote: post #430

mac01021 wrote: post #424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We didn't choose to be undisciplined and financially illiterate. That came of ignorant or negligent parenting, among other things. (And they didn't choose, for the most part, to be bad parents. It's just that no one taught them to be suitably conscientious parents). Expecting people to be critical thinking and deliberate in the way they conduct their lives, without first conditioning them to be so, has always been an…

Expecting undisciplined and financially illiterate people to have healthy finances and a middle class lifestyle is also unrealistic.

That's true.

I just object to the implicit "so it's not really a problem" or "so nothing need be done" that come along with "This is a self inflicted problem".

I don't care who's fault it is. This is a real problem for countless children who are worse off because their parents squander their income and it's a real problem for me because my government has to allocate its attention and resources toward an electorate in need of financial assistance.

I don't know if the solution is personal finance classes in high school, or internment camps for people with credit card debt. But I'm pretty sure the laissez faire attitude is not in the best interest of anyone.

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#433

Post by pureliquidhw » Tue, May 21, 2019, 5:55 PM UTC

rootoor wrote: post #124

john_moscow wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Are you sure? Does the climate change affect your personal life more than inability to afford reasonable real estate or kid-related expenses off most today's salaries?

For me personally, it does. However, I am not a typical member of gen z due to my high salary. Most of my friends, who all make much less than me, are more worried about immediate needs but climate change is a dark cloud looming over their heads

I think this is an under-appreciated sentiment/perspective. A darker take on "Ignorance is bliss."

Who has time to worry about tomorrow when they struggle to get through today?

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#434

Post by malvosenior » Tue, May 21, 2019, 6:37 PM UTC

mac01021 wrote: post #432

malvosenior wrote: post #430

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Expecting undisciplined and financially illiterate people to have healthy finances and a middle class lifestyle is also unrealistic.

That's true. I just object to the implicit "so it's not really a problem" or "so nothing need be done" that come along with "This is a self inflicted problem". I don't care who's fault it is. This is a real problem for countless children who are worse off because their parents squander their income and it's a real problem for me because my government has to allocate its attention and resources toward an electorate in…

I agree that it's a problem for more people than those directly impacted (I wouldn't say no one benefits though, some companies are benefiting from reckless spending).

I think the problem is one of culture. The 20th century was basically a gigantic advertisement for hedonistic individualism. It's not surprising that that mode of living is turning out to be unsustainable for everyone to participate in. By holding people responsible, you put some pressure on to create an alternative archetype to that of the "sex, drugs and rock 'n roll" 20th century heroes.

I think we have a long way to go though. Just yesterday there was a piece on HN about Millennials and Gen Z becoming more pessimistic. It stated that their number one priority was travel. Maybe the post-Gen Z generation will prioritize savings and more stoic living after they watch the aftermath of the previous two generations focusing on hedonistic spending.

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#435

Post by jakeogh » Tue, May 21, 2019, 8:46 PM UTC

pimmen wrote: post #413

jakeogh wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ya, visit 5 states because the rest wouldn't matter. Right back to the real Tea Party.

One could reply with "Yeah, visit less than half the population because the rest wouldn't matter. Right back to the real Tea Party."

Fortunately the United States is not run on a tyranny of the majority. The Electoral College insures minority representation of the states.

Unless I have misunderstood you, by that logic a majority of the US could move to TX and rule the rest.

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#436

Post by internet_user » Wed, May 22, 2019, 1:03 AM UTC

Creationer wrote: post #326

ddgflorida wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have some context - you are better off living in this time/place than any other time and your future children would probably be too.

Not having children - and not curating a presumably well-mannered and intelligent next-generation - leaves our civilization worse off and large problems that much harder to solve. Human intellect is rare, and partly hereditary. Please pass your genes along - at least offer a sperm or egg donation.

why is this downvoted?

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#437

Post by BioMeditate » Wed, May 22, 2019, 2:50 PM UTC

nullandvoid wrote: post #354

Creationer wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the fundamental component is house prices. Our ancestors had much cheaper housing as a multiple of the median wage, and could mostly afford to buy based on the paid labor of the father alone. Those same ancestors are still sticking around, living in those houses, and demanding tribute in the form of medicare and welfare payments (2/3rds of the federal budget). I'm only saying this to spark and extend discussi…

Why do the young generation have any more a right to these houses than those that have worked all their life to afford one? ( coming from a young person )

Don't think it's any kind of "right". All I will say is that we've paid high interest student loans for over 8 years now and equivalent to the cost of small home. We also both worked jobs in college.

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#438

Post by Creationer » Wed, May 22, 2019, 6:42 PM UTC

internet_user wrote: post #436

Creationer wrote: post #326

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not having children - and not curating a presumably well-mannered and intelligent next-generation - leaves our civilization worse off and large problems that much harder to solve. Human intellect is rare, and partly hereditary. Please pass your genes along - at least offer a sperm or egg donation.

why is this downvoted?

Some people take solace in the idea of childlessness.

I think that raising as many happy, healthy, intelligent and productive children as possible, with a suitable partner, is our very raison d'etre. Specifically for the high-IQ HN audience. Life and society becomes much simpler and more rewarding when you view things from this perspective.

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#439

Post by rdiddly » Wed, May 22, 2019, 7:55 PM UTC

austincheney wrote: post #378

rdiddly wrote: post #239

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I agree with the general sentiment of getting off social media, but I really doubt that wages (adjusted mind you) are at record high levels. As for the rising sea level, thus far not mentioned in this whole branch of the comment tree is the fact that it's going to cost us all money. There have been billions of dollars deployed/invested in port infrastructure. It wouldn't even have to end up being submerged, to become…

I completely agree, but my decisions on the subject would vary in proximity to the immediate distress of the subject and would in no way feature social media.

So much the better. You know the more I think about this, social media might be largely responsible both for the alienation that I mentioned, and for exaggerating the seeming proximity and urgency of every crisis (not just the big ones we should care about, but also the little ones that probably have no real effect on us other than as spectators).

Both of those (social isolation and a steady stream of bad news imbued with a desperate urgency and importance) would tend to discourage and depress normal human beings!

Re: Millennials and Gen Z Increasingly Pessimistic About Their Lives, Survey Finds

#440

Post by wavefunction » Wed, May 22, 2019, 11:49 PM UTC

atemerev wrote: post #324

wavefunction wrote: post #281

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>capitalism, which brings prosperity, innovation and peace to the world I am not sure this assertion holds up under historical inquiry but that's my opinion.

Compared to the alternative...

Massive amounts of innovation have coincided with the activities of despotism, and far more and far longer than the historical record provides for "capitalism."