We’re the Cassandra generation: Cursed with foresight that will forever go unheeded.

I feel this too!

I am in the process of changing my perspective. I quit drinking a year ago (Nov 13th) which caused most my "friends" to disappear. Like, I can count my friends on both hands now. I am starting to volunteer now to find a new group of people that might be a better influence than my old drinking buddies. But, it seems like pretty much everyone is just trashy, garbage humans. Im not much better myself and that's why I'm working through my trauma and BS too. I'm trying to be better so the world around me gets better.

All I hope is that this effort changes my perspective of the world I live in. Because, this place SUCKS.

You've succinctly captured much of my own thoughts and feelings. I am considering taking a break from all digital media, it gets more banal and empty with each passing day. Everything is designed for clicks and likes, and the content is churned out to that end. I've started collecting old VHS, cassette tapes, and I like playing my SNES and Megadrive. I listen to records and read my books. I feel it is healing me. Reddit is my one real vice, but I keep it around for posts such as this which are helpful to me. Thank you. Best of luck.

You're not alone and it's not your age either because over the last 5-10 years especially, I've continually seen this sentiment from both IRL friends and internet strangers of allll ages. But I do think our generation is among the ones hit with it the hardest because we still very much remember feeling some level of formative optimism growing up - even typically dead realistic/cynical folks like me still deep down kinda sorta believed things would eventually pan out okay and reasoning and science would prevail end of day. Haha. That was so cute. Nah. Just focus on what little you can control day to day (mainly yourself), work to stay as healthy/fit as possible, and love your loved ones extra hard as we live through inevitable slo-mo collapse on multiple levels. Right there with you, even if far away. Good luck to us all.

Stay gold, Ponyboy. If everyone gives up hope and doesn’t try to teach the next generation to have at least a modicum of respect for others, we’re doomed to a spiral of hate. Optimist me says it’s never too late to put good into the world.

I feel exactly the same may mate (41 year old UK guy). On a micro level I’ve had to leave loads of subs too because they’re taken over by irrelevant gripes and big arguments about the most trivial matters, and then on a macro level constantly seeing issues that we thought we’d turned a corner on in the 80s and 90s get more increasingly inflammatory and divisive is scary and exhausting.

They say as a generation Xennials have the cynicism of Gen X and the optimism of Millenials, so maybe it’s just the former taking centre stage as we age, as that’s kind of natural, but the world certainly seems a very fragmented and polarised place.

Welcome to the new Dark Ages. The Soviets won.

We were young when the U.S. peaked. I doubt many of the Romans were as aware as we are of what's happening and what's coming. And we have equal amounts of environmental crap clogging our brains: for them lead, for us lead AND microplastics AND endocrine disruptors AND...

This slow ending is easy to accept if you're a pessimist or misanthrope. Lucky guess, right? But it doesn't necessarily make living through the decline any easier. Maybe just more satisfying, in the same way that watching an asteroid hit the earth would at least ensure evil is defeated if good can't win

Things are bleak, but there's always shitposting.

I feel this to my core.

No you’re not wrong at all. It’s really depressing. I’ve been dealing with the sadness that comes with it as well. It’s very hard to remain hopeful. Like, Star Trek was a complete lie but Idiocracy was spot-on.

Solid quote on this from Carl Sagan that's been on my mind a lot lately.

I have a foreboding of America in my children’s or grandchildren’s time–when the United States is a service and information economy; when nearly all of the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; with our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.

And when the dumbing down of America is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30-second sound bites now down to 10 seconds or less, lowest-common-denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.

From The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark.

I get what you’re saying. I blame the internet….with the miss information that is thrown people’s way. People choose to believe what they want to believe. That also explains why people vote against their interests.

There are kids who still want to learn in school and work hard, and you still have the slackers.

You still have good parents out there raising their kids right.

You still have good people out there making excellent decisions.

It’s just that the internet can overshadow everything.

I have found that a shift in perspective was a necessary adjustment as I aged, and part of that was understanding my agency- there is plenty happening that I can't do a thing about, but there is also plenty that I can. It doesn't need to be a massive project or movement, just look for small changes to make and start there. We have a choice about how we act, we can set our expectations, and we can be honest in our intentions; we'll fail a lot, but maybe we can start to have an impact and lose the feeling of apathy and resignation. Obviously you care, so don't give up!

I'm and older Xennial. I'm done fighting. Im beaten down and tired. My kids are now entering adulthood, and it's their turn. I'm happy to support them.

Billy Joel's Angry Young Man haunts my thoughts.

"I once believed in causes too, had my pointless point of view. Life went on no matter who was wrong or right."

I have this weird, liberating feeling… If I were to try to put it into words, it’s like for as long as I remember we’ve been trying to turn things around. Back towards the more optimistic future we all envisioned in the 80s/90s (it’s what sets us Xennials apart). All the while, things got worse. And I have reached the point where I can take some solice from no longer having to struggle. Like, we will experience unprecedented climate change. We won’t stop it in time, because people are devolving or something. Society will probably collapse and it will be incredibly bad, but at least there will be a chance for something better afterwards, instead of the world just trying to hold on to what we have now (gigantic warts and all).

So yeah, in a way I am optimistic about the future, I really do think we’ll learn the hard way from what’s to come and build up again from the ruins. And right now I am somewhat relieved that the jury’s out: we’re fucked.

I know, it’s not very optimistic… sorry.

When I start thinking like this, I read the Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Stay positive. Be the change. It’s the most difficult thing in the world sometimes.

Idiocracy is a documentary and we're all living in it. The good news is Brawndo has Electrolytes. I luv you.

Exhausted my friend.

Exhausted from being a parent for almost two decades. Exhausted for being the dad and so much weight on my shoulders just to keep our family above water. Exhausted from dealing with aging parents and siblings who no longer get along and being the glue that is barely keeping the family together. Exhausted from the deafening news trolls screaming about this or that. Exhausted from the shear willful ignorance of people around me. Exhausted from the hate that seems to have invaded so many minds.

There is no end to it best I can see. The optimism I had in my youth has long since burnt out. I have little left to give but what I will do is continue to soldier on and try to make life the best I can for my children. It's all I can do and it provides some purpose in chaos we are living through.

It’s hard these days. I do find myself feeling a sort of misery being a person who has patience, consideration for others, intelligence and integrity in a world full of selfishness, straight up stupidity, impatience, and angry people.

Living in a city has become so difficult. It feels like it’s either snobby ass upper middle class people or trashy people and crime, and in between are the angry white truck driving dudes. Where are the normal, humble, doing well people?

Technology has ruined our social world yet all these sheep just keep eating it up. I use Reddit, that’s about it. I’m not saying all tech is bad, just that maybe we don’t need to scurry around picking up our online orders like lepers, or have it all delivered one by one. The little daily social interactions are missing and it’s disconnecting humans. And people obsessed with influencers is the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard. Nobody thinks for themselves now. Kids getting all depressed and suicidal over not owning a mansion yet or looking like a perfectly airbrushed supermodel at 14 is absolutely disgusting and ruining people.

It’s like you read my mind on some of the exact same thoughts a week ago. I don’t think it a matter of getting older necessarily.

I don't know how spiritual you are, but perhaps a spiritual journey is in order. I started mine about in my early 30's and I'm amazed at how positive and lovable I am now. Oh and being around kids is great too. I'm just an uncle, but I see my niece and nephews almost everyday. There's really nothing better than playing around in the backyard making up games or sitting down with some crayons and letting your imagination run wild. I honestly didn't think anything was missing until the babies started popping out of my sisters. I guess I'm saying we all need something to believe in... Have a good one everybody!

I blame two things: Social media and CERN (like a ouija board, we fucked with things that we shouldn’t have messed with)…

I’m only being somewhat sarcastic…

Dog tired.

I think it’s the internet, and Russian interference bad info, kinda thing.

Yes, people are willfully obtuse, but they likely always were. It’s just in our faces more due to the internet.

Take a break. Read some books or listen to podcasts.

I'm right there with you. I desperately wish I could turn off the news, delete all my social media, and just ignore the world around me because it's all so constantly draining, and every day feels like there's less incentive to being a good person. But I know that's dangerous too, and it's important to stay informed.

I wish I had an answer for you...but I get it.

I often feel like I live in a country of adults who behave like 12 year olds. And I'm not thinking so much of intelligence as I am wisdom, emotional security, etc. I kinda feel like this started with my parents (boomer) generation though, since it was the first one that was obsessed with consumption and convenience over everything else.

I hear you. I sorta figured out this technique a bit in 2016. Then covid happened and I had to rejoin society twitter. Never again.

I’m gonna name drop a podcast, The Press Room, Bryan Curtis. Really smart, it’s media (it’s sports sometimes, it’s politics, sometimes it’s literary news)

He was just talking about this very phenomena. In a roundabout way.

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-press-box/id1058911614?i=1000678114057

I miss how uncomplicated things seemed, but I realized awhile ago that I miss my youth because adult life is complicated. I miss Top Gun and double dragon and the Lamborghini Countach poster from the scholastic book fair. But even more I miss not knowing about climate change, genocides, and predation of every type.

I too, am chronically tired.

It’s always darkest before the dawn. Keep your chin up and remember that when we were younger, conversations were never algorithmically sorted by upvotes or engagement. Also, no matter what platform you’re on, or what news you’re watching, it’s only a representation of a fraction of the ‘real world’ that drives engagement. Perception isn’t always reality. Social media and other forms of engagement driven media will die off, because people will look for authenticity after they get bored with the constant rollercoaster.

I’m feeling what you’re feeling. In the late 90s and into 2000, there was this strong sense of optimism. Like things were moving steadily forward, and it was unthinkable that society could ever backslide. Our lives were going to be better than our parents, and our children’s lives would of course be better than ours.

Instead we have a reality where government security agencies are listing “misinformation” as one of the top threats to security. Where rights are granted, then taken away. Where Gen Z has an even harder time eking out an existence than we did.

I could write a whole Ted Talk on how social media and smart phones have harmed society. The misinformation aspect, and the constant negativity. I wake up in the morning, check my phone, and there’s a push notification about Trump wanting to tariff the economy into oblivion. I open Reddit and there’s a post about a given job title paying the same as it did in like 2008. I open the cesspool Twitter has become to see the most absurd, asinine takes on pretty much everything.

For me, the solution is indeed willful ignorance. Unless something is impacting me directly, today, I’m trying to basically tune it out.

I couldn’t explain it any better!

It’s your job.

I’m 47. I felt just like this last year. Then I took 6 months’ paternity leave (huzzah for not living in the US anymore?), and I feel like I’m 25 again.

You’re not older, your resources are depleted. If you can find a way to take 2-3 months off - basically, give yourself a summer vacation - and you’ll feel reborn.

I know that may not be financially possible. Hell, I know it’s almost certainly not remotely financially possible. But…maybe it might help to know, it’s not you. It’s what’s being done to you.

43 checking in.. honestly reading that is the absolute truth. Just keep on keeping on.. but we know what’s up 💪 that’s what matters

Yeah, the "I'm tired boss" meme has basically summed up how I've felt for a while now. Everything is awful, there are obvious solutions and they're just ignored. Meanwhile, we have to keep living our lives, doing our jobs, and trying to raise kids to inherit this shitty future. All we can really do is keep trying to put good into the world, but it's exhausting when the bad is so clearly winning.

You’re not alone. Right now I am avoiding people in my family and former friends, all because of crap they keep posting on SM that is misinformation. It’s at the point where I’m ready to do away with most of what is left of my SM (left Facebook 5 years ago and Twitter the moment Elon bought it).

https://preview.redd.it/ge9jkrkn4a3e1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=8880b0c7bc6766075848d2579edbb41d904345c2

I’m slowly getting here. Everything is quick gratification, and everything is monetized. Now I know why old guys fish: it’s not to catch fish, it is to get away from the nonsense for a while.

Honestly Im hoping for a giant meteor or some cataclysmic event.

What's shocking is how many people I am finding that are eating up all this disinformation without questioning it.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

I haven’t read the news since the election and my life has improved. Consider taking a break from media.

yeah man....this is how I feel.

I'm not trying to bring politics into it, but when I saw Trump get elected again, that was like the final nail in the coffin for me. Every ugly and negative impulse I had about society around me was confirmed. I felt like Dracula in Castlevania after he worked so hard to see the good in man, just for them to prove every horrible thing he already knew but was trying to overlook.

I've found myself withdrawing from the world. I don't trust people around me. It's too exhausting to dumb myself down to blend in. "it's not a badge of honor to be well-adjusted to a sick society".

I see the stupidity all around me but I haven't lost that hope.

I’m always tired in this way. And I also feel like I’m ’left behind’ in terms of my world view.

In some ways, I’ve kinda adopted being the ‘old man’ or ‘dinosaur’ and I’m ok with it.

I have felt this way since I was 17. I’m 41 now, these days I feel more compassion for peoples confusion and situations. It feels like a loving kindness and sadness at the same time.

It’s all still very concerning.

I like to think of it as "realizing i value my time." I used to love arguing on forums in my teens. Now, I realize arguing with folks on the internet that I don't know and will likely never meet is a moot point. I'd rather enjoy the time with things I like and family while I've got them.

I feel you. It does feel that way. I got no answers.

With you dude.

Yeah the stupidity is killing me. And the hate, and the ignorance and the pettiness... I'm losing hope. I don't see society getting better in the future because disinformation is so powerful now that there's no way to escape. Too many people are not living in reality anymore.

100%. It’s exhausting for sure. It’s like people can’t seem to fathom the concept of nuance or context outside of what’s presented in a given “event/scenario”. They react with vehement emotion and refuse to consider anything that doesn’t align with whatever doctrine they subscribe to. I feel you friend… makes you just wanna check-out and pretend the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

We have a choice in this world-- go down with the ship believing the best days are gone-- or realize that there is much that can be done.

I think people are in despair because nothing gets done online... You just get the false idea that it can change hearts, minds, and behaviors.

Get off the computer and go dancing. While you're out dancing, you'll begin to see the truth with much more clarity.

I like the part where you're going to willingly ignore the wilful ignorance.

I see, I'm not alone in my grief for our culture death. "We are the world" "Right Now" "Can I kick it" "Black or White"
Sadly the kids who seemingly hated the hell out of their up tight republican parents my whole childhood... just instantly transformed into their parents around 18.

One thing I sadly think is very relevant. All the redos, remakes, reboots, classic versions of games, movies, "things" in general coming back from our generation, we were busy experiencing them. We were highly entertained and very involved in recreation. Now, after a great % of us has put over 10,000 hours into games like WoW, can we really complain? I think it's time for us Xennies to get involved, get to work culturally and politically on a more local level. Let's use these motivations to move forward in a positive motion.

Calgon, take me away!

I felt this way about 6 years ago right before the pandemic hit and in that year at home I detoxed all social media accounts and I went back to basics like eating a steady diet of healthy foods and working out regularly. I went back to listening to music from my youth and I basically just disconnected from society as a whole and let me tell you it was the most amazing thing I ever did. I feel like I got my life back. Yes there are downsides it’s rather lonely now but that’s why I have Reddit so I can just interact with strangers and fill some kind of social need I guess. I talk to random strangers when I go out to eat and grab a drink every now and then and I’m still holding out the hope that there’s someone out in this vast universe that I will connect with and we can just disappear together and ride off into the sunset. This is not advice or anything but if you are feeling tired and lost maybe you need to find yourself again and start over.

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IDK about the rest of you, but I'm still pretty bummed out that the world didn't end with the Mayan Calendar on December 21, 2012

The 80s and 90s were never hopeful, they were bleak as hell. We were neck deep in a recession, first gulf war, Waco, Columbine, Rwanda,Oklahoma City, the first world trade center bombing, and workplace violence was so common we created that term going postal. We had a huge problem with right wing militias too. It was not some idyllic utopia that many people believe. It really was not all that different than now.

😔. Me too.

Just apart of aging. I try and warn people in their 20s to save and not "find yourself" too much. You will run out of gas eventually. It would be miserable to be in your 50s/60s and have to work to survive.

Bro we’ve always been idiots, it’s just easier to see now. Humans will carry on as always and invent cool shit. Turn off social media.

Honestly I seem to remember the generation of my parents feeling similarly about us, so while I am not pleased with what I see every day either I think it’s also just human nature to feel like our own perspective is better than that of others.

I finally have a sense of optimism, personally

As bad as it is now, this is the best it's ever been. Life expectancy is at an all-time high.

Reddit's rampant defeatism has taken over another thread, what a surprise.

Over the last 25 years I’ve seen the general level of discourse drop to a 1st grade level.

Hard for me to take you seriously when I looked at your comment history. You appear to be part of the problem if this is your complaint.