Hey everyone, thank you so much for your feedback on the video. Many of you pointed out that economic hardship is a significant challenge our generation is facing, and I completely agree-I wish I had highlighted this more, as it’s something I think about a lot too. My intention with this video was to explore the mental and emotional aspects of what Gen Z is going through-not because I think “sniffing flowers” or meditating will fix everything, but because sometimes, starting with small, personal changes can help us build the resilience we need to tackle larger systemic issues. At 20:11, I said: “I’m not saying that if you just stop thinking about your problems, they’re going to magically disappear-far from it. These issues that we face are real and actually do require our full attention. Still, I believe that our best chance of creating lasting, positive change in the world is to first create lasting, positive change within ourselves.” I’m not suggesting that we should ignore these issues or ‘just meditate and you’ll be fine.’ I know that demanding more from our leaders and pushing for a better world is crucial, and I’m with you on that-personal change isn’t a substitute for collective action. At the same time, I believe that focusing on what we can control (e.g., our screen time, our attitude, and how we show up in our relationships) can help us find the resolve and clarity we need to take on bigger battles. Building ourselves up doesn’t mean we stop fighting for change-it means we prepare ourselves to do it more effectively. We can care for our mental health while simultaneously pushing for a better world. It’s been over a year since I first wrote this video, and honestly, my views have evolved since then. Looking back, I see that some of my takes on postmodernism, “I don’t dream of labor,” and the American Dream were oversimplified. I also regret not presenting a more comprehensive view of Dr. Jean Twenge’s research. I cut out a lot to keep the video engaging for the algo, but in doing so, I don’t think I did her argument justice. There’s so much value in her work that I didn’t capture, so if you’re curious, I highly recommend her book “Generations.” I really appreciate all of you for pointing these things out and helping me grow. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what you’d like to see next, please share-I’m all ears. Thanks again for being a part of this journey! ❤️
Also maybe an increased proliferation of advertising media- something designed to literally make people feel bad and lacking. (It's highly targeted now, too. So the advertisers know what it is you feel you lack and can make sure you see advertising only for that. Hits the subconcious hard.)
This is one of the most relevant and inspiring videos I’ve ever seen. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing a piece of reality that some of us have a hard time admitting.
I think this video is beautiful! I think you really touched on some crucial aspects of why so many of us feel the way we do, and what we can do about it. Of course, economic challenge is a huge part of this. But I think everything you hit was spot on. Thanks for the great perspective.
Gen z is constantly focusing on themselves, whining and expecting everyone to take care of them. They are annoying as hell to anyone. Start thinking about what you can do for others. Then you will gather self esteem and purpose.
This video avoids discussing the elephant in the room, increasing poverty. Young people are stuck in debt, on low salaries which do not allow them to purchase a humble home and sniffing flowers and meditation will do nothing to solve their economic woes. In fact, it does the opposite, it encourages them to accept the status quo without complaining or demanding a fairer economic system from our government, banks and corporations. The 'just meditate and you'll be fine' is simply not fine. Gen Z and everyone who cares about them will need to demand better from our leaders. Encouraging young people to do nothing to improve their economic situation is actually a way of mentally neutering them.
100% this! Any video on this topic not addressing this issue is clown shoes level terrible! They're hopeless because they know the American dream is DEAD and not really a possibility for them!
It's also from a very US experience and Eurocentric perspective. People need to rebuild communities and advance struggles against the economic exploitation of the landed and capitalist classes against those who work for a wage, regardless of income. A new world is possible, get organised! 🚩
This would be the same young people that made Apple executives filthy rich so they can raise prices in California making it unlivable for anyone not super rich.
What also happened in 2012 is the price of housing and rent skyrocketed. If you can't move out, or get your own place your life gets put on hold until you can get a job or a partner that can financially contribute. Now throw in employment issues and low wages and you've screwed over multiple generations of people who don't already own a home.
I bought a second house in January. Price was up about a third from when Joe Biden came to power. 2012 was not the only time of massive inflation. You get what you vote for.
YES! There is no way to be happy in America without MONEY... Everything is tied to money - that is the big problem... Today's world is run by computers - you can't "talk" your way into a job like in the past.. Hiring managers see your resume before they see you - the REAL person.
@@avocadosanxiety you can always start from the bottom, take any job you can and work your way up. Waiting for a suitable job for your degree is ludicrous in this economy
@@brodiepace1719 dude how is it our fault we were born in a terrible economy LMAOOOO it is literally impossible to even rent a studio apartment right now working a full time job. Want to go to school? Fork over the money. Don’t have the money? Work a job, but you’re going to need a place to stay for either of those. How do you think that will be acquired?
@@monke5403 Also in a time where corporations have succeeded in eroding the rights of workers, and companies are trying to adopt the gig model as much as possible to treat what are effectively employees as contracted workers to fuck them even further. Boomers suffer from mind rot not understanding that they grew up in a time where the American economy was subsidized by the 70+ times the CIA was caught bribing or deposing leaders of small nations so we could extract their natural resources at great expense to their populations keeping our goods and services cheaper. Don't ever let a boomer tell you your attitude is the reason you aren't successful. The price of both agricultural goods and services has gone up by a factor of 5 over the last 40 years and minimum wage has just now in the last 9 years finally gone up by a factor of 2 and than back to stagnation.
@@monke5403 Who said that being born in a terrible economy was our fault? Nobody. What he's saying is to take responsibility for the things you do have control over instead of blaming problems on other people. Why? Because what blaming does is put power and control (and thus responsibility) over to other people when they were never going to fix it for us. It is important to recognise their role in making your life as miserable as possible. They did this to us, and we are struggling to live. There are limited avenues for action, given we are trapped. So, while it is hopeless, we must utilise every avenue of action because that's the only way to widen those avenues and assert control.
"why is gen z giving up???" "NO MATTER HOW MANY HOURS I PUT IN I CANT EVEN PROVIDE MYSELF AND MYSELF ALONE WITH THE MOST BAREBONES NECESSITIES" "it must be the smartphones"
@@elenhin thing is, despite working a qualified job, you still end up poor :D I mean, I can probably buy a new fridge with my salary easily, while my parents wouldn't be able to do this, but I literally don't care - just the amount of money one has to come up with each month to not lose roof over their heads is insane. And then you're surrounded by people who get apartments and even land/houses for super cheap from their relatives and then you really just give up or even go homeless as there's no point endlessly paying rent to landlord or mortgage for 10+ years to a bank.
@@elenhin yeah man, that’s why an entire generation is so depressed. not the fact that we’re faced with the simple fact that we probably won’t ever be able to even fulfill the american dream unless we just sell our souls to suits, and some of us won’t even be able to get there even after doing that. yes schooling sucks. but pretending like that’s the only issue is beyond out of touch. we’re in a world where we’re being exploited constantly with nearly nothing we can do about it. moving past that, those of us studying computer science or even just in the know on ai are absolutely fucking terrified. chatgpt is a good tool but the company behind it seems like it doesn’t care about safety precautions and that scares me to no end. not only is my future not bright but its not even guaranteed. if and when ai gets good enough, how many of our careers are going to be void? how many lives uprooted? because you already see it happening. not only is the present depressing but the future seems almost hopeless. creative arts are becoming less valuable as ai becomes more sophisticated. i can’t think of many industries where ai won’t be implemented in the future. we aren’t just complaining about poverty. if you believe that’s the case then leave the discussion because you are nowhere near well informed enough to participate.
@@elenhinyou have to be extremely simple minded to have that be your conclusion. For the past couple decades, at least since the boomers, no future generation has had it better than the previous mathematically, this means the generation coming after gen z will definitely have it worse unless there’s massive changes. You see how stupid it’ll be for older gen z at that point to then mock the next generation when they rightfully complain about living standards being way worse?
Close your phone, stay away from the internet for 1 week, i dare you. You'll be left bored and forced to focus on REAL things. Therefore most likely improving both your mental state and physical state (Hobbies, work, money, love) etc... it's all out there, in the real. The real balance of things is in the real not online.
im in gen z i rememeber the early 2010s where screens werent a part of life yet. Back then id rather play with my mates outside, play sports, get in mud, and go for a swim. Over the last 10 years this has all gone away and its kinda scary
true, social media was barebones back then and most of the games i played were simple and mostly PSP then just youtube and facebook. now its entirely different.
Fair point, but have you looked outside? How many gentrification projects have removed playgrounds and parks, new constructions have absolutely ruined the old lakes and such and made them private property, and the only place kids can go hang out in is in the mall... The world has changed in 10 years, and there are no safe spaces for kids... So d'uh little Jimmy will be rather playing minecraft with the mates, coz going to the local sandbox is not an option, coz it's gone...
“Learned helplessness” I got that from my bosses and supervisors. They repeatedly made my feel useless, broke anti harassment policies targeting me with whatever I did, and eventually drove me to suicidal ideation. I went to HR; they did nothing; so I quit. Now, while I feel a bit better, I find social media is drawing me back into this cycle of not knowing what I want to do. Hell; I go out for a walk and I can hardly find anyone who isn’t glued to their phones. Technology has connected us yet in many ways driven us farther apart than ever before.
Yeah it's a real trip when you do literally everything you are supposed to do to fight personal injustice and every avenue just comes back "sorry buttercup, suck it up" ... learned helplessness is inevitable when you're taught things by people from a different world who refuse to acknowledge that, no, actually, no one gives a shit anymore and no one wants to offer help. Corporate and HR God don't get me started ... I'm sorry fam.
as a 09 gen z who is already making so many plans for the future and the aspiration for who i want to be, i just feel more hopeless for the future. society is decaying, the things ahead of me is so uncertain, im afraid of how bad inflation would be in the future, and the world is changing rapidly, so fast, *too* fast
I knew the Mayans were right. I said it before the world doesn't end just like that it ends slowly and 2012 was the start of the decline. It's be actually better if it ended upruptly, that means we can see and fight the problem, a slow decay is harder to detect and way way more painful. Apocalypse was playing 4D chess.
And yet I was born in 2011, Im 13 and I have dealt with a lot, and my dream job is president, because I WANT CONTROL and I WANT TO HELP, but… idk if I can do it… the world might be too big…
I’m 15 and I can definitely tell that the people who use their phone more seem to be sadder and tend to not talk to others in my school, a lot of those people I know used to be talkative and full of life.
I am 35 and I (as well as others) have witnessed the same thing about myself. My job (designer) is mostly online, so most of the day I spend time on the phone, talking to clinets, arranging projects and what not. So socializing has become harder and harder (without any booze, that is). I can't even remember when was the last time I genuinely laughed. You bring me any "Try not to laugh challenge" and I can easily win them all. I wish we could go back to 2005-2010 era when we already had social networks and stuff, but at the same time, no smartphones. We could still chat to others online, but nobody would spend their whole day in front of a PC. We would just arrange meetings and hang out. Another solution would be disable mobile data and wifi for everyone, that way people would spend less time rotting their brains in a screen and enjoy reality more.
I am 50 and years ago before the internet and cell phones life was way better! There is no substitute for human interaction. Also most young people have no interest in critical thinking due to an easy answer on a cell phone and gaming. GOD made us to interact with each other and grow in the knowledge of GOD.
this video is basically "those dang kids playing with their phones all days" Forget rent/ house prices, forget prices going higher while wages stay the same, forget wars, forget climate change, forget the biggest inequality since ever. Those kids are not looking forward to the future because of phones.
LEGIT 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣. The phone is 100% phones. Not because most of us can't find a FCKING JOB let alone one that pays decently and won't exploit us. I have white hairs at 23 but that's probably because of my phone as well... Not because I'm stressing every single day for the past few years because they economy is straight up FCKING ME
Forget the fact that humanity is under attack from all angles. Poverty is a disease. They are making us all sick. I didn't forget 2020, and how many they took out, in one way or another. Yet it continues, and no one is talking about it. How would they know what to do?
So when you mention the biggest inequality ever, you mean how men in the western society are mistreated and discriminated against or the other inequality you're imagining in your head?
Did you completely skip the part about "learned helplessness"? If you're suffering about things you can't control and you're stomping your foot into the ground and insisting things "shouldn't" be this way, you're screwing yourself. You have to focus on YOUR life, the things you CAN control.
I think the hopelessness comes from the expectation bar being raised every year with each generation. I mean the capability of technology keeps getting higher but it hasn't exactly led to the betterment of the average person's life. In fact, the more technology progresses, the middle and lower classes are expected to do more with even less. A normal person wouldn't be able to handle all that, when all they want to do is to live a happy life.
Factually speaking, the average genZ in the WORLD is way better off than a generation ago. AMERICANS, however, are worse off, mainly because the post WW2 windfalls wore off sometime in the 1990s. It is Americans who are suffering while the rest of the World is happier than ever.
@@montecarlowithdawningornam1817 Well, you're right that it's not technology but the companies. But it's not because of the pricing, it's because of a lack of regulations and laborer protections caused by capitalist ideology having gone to far. Capitalism obviously isn't sustainable long term, and back in the day people all agreed that it needed to be heavily regulated and be beneficial to consumes and laborers. But then there was a cold war and a bunch of anti communist propaganda produced ideas about a free market, extreme individualism, neo-liberal ideologies, and so on. What we're seeing eating the US now is the backlash of that, many Americans still hold these unrealistic ideologies that hold up capitalism as some sort of religion rather than the simple tool it is, then you end up with a society willing to exploit and abuse everyone in the name of profit. But life is pretty nice in large parts of Europe that are not yet subjected to this extremism, where capitalism is still balanced out by a strong democratic state. Sure, it's being corrupted and captured here too, but not to the extent that the US has been, at least not yet. But at the end of the day it doesn't even matter, capitalism as a system that depends on infinite growth in a closed system will destroy itself anyway, so if we don't stop it then reality will, it's dead either way.
Well, the depressing thing isn't wishing for all the things others have in the internet. It's depressing to just wish for what your parents had and being unable to reach that, despite trying harder than they ever had to.
@@SupraSav I'm not so sure about that. I think there's a very large portion of parents who have been so caught up in their own personal successes, or failures, and generational trauma, that seeing their children succeed makes them feel inadequate. There are far too many parents who had kids because they felt they *should* rather than because they *wanted to.* It resulted in either resentful parents, or parents who treat their kids like accessories. Children became extensions of their own lives, instead of independent persons. We see a ton of this reflected in "family RUclips" channels, and the massive amounts of kids who go to school hungry, and neglected. It's far more than people acknowledge. Definitely, I think a **loving** parent wants to see their children succeed. I just don't think actually loving, good, parents are the majority, unfortunately. I think a lot of older generations took the path before them, and burned the bridges behind them. They aren't satisfied if anyone else has it the same as them, let alone easier.
@@Solonneysa Yeah when your parents take every little thing you do as an attack on their character, you kinda can go a little insane. My mom was that way and my dad never said anything and its lead to me having terrible mental health and self worth
Is it really that hopeless these days? You can still make a lot of money on the stock market these days and you can get information more easily than ever before
I've learned that life has no meaning; that isn't necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that the life you have, right now, is your opportunity to give meaning to your own life. That doesn't mean you have to find a meaning, find a purpose, etc. I think that it just means you have to personally learn how to value your own life. I've realized that nothing truly matters, and despite it sounding so depressing, it was actually freeing. It felt like rather than having to devote myself to what seemed important, I got to choose what I thought was important or what mattered to me. I don't really know how to explain it but it really makes life easier. I like to use the analogy of an empty canvas. A white empty canvas has no value, no meaningful art on it, nothing; but the purpose of this canvas is for the artist to paint it, to make something out of nothing. Us humans are meant to paint a path for ourselves, and just like painting/art, we're all going to have tough times, heavy struggles, easy times, and happy moment. It saddens me that people just give up. They say life is either too hard, there is no point, or that we're all going to die anyway. What a waste of a life. We were all born into this world to give purpose to our own life. It's the only opportunity we have to experience something. There was never a reason to live other than just to experience it fully, and embrace every moment whether good or bad. This might sound silly but I've learned this from many things. From my own experiences, family, friends, teachers, etc. Just like Ameer, I also enjoy nature. It makes me feel at peace, and reminds me to enjoy life properly by embracing it and living in the moment. Everyone's experiences are different but if I could recommend somethings to look into that have helped me, I'd give movies and songs. Everything Everywhere All At Once - A movie Porter Robinson (a musician) - Nurture Album or Worlds Album Soul - A Pixar movie
Life never had a meaning it’s like an empty photo album and as we age it gets filled with memories that make who we are it’s our job to give it a meaning
I was born in 2003. Growing up I never had the things other kids had growing up around me. Such as a phone or new game consoles, until I got my first job in my first year of high school. So I definitely always felt left out just from that alone. I was born into severe poverty with parents who spent their days smoking weed and overall not really caring much about parenting me and teaching me valuable lessons on how to really be a man. I had to teach myself these skills. This was especially true after my sister was born. I'm about to turn 21. With no motivation, role models, inspiration, or any hope for a good future since I can remember, it's really difficult to keep working just to pay rent and bills. It feels like I'm letting myself suffer just to prolong my suffering further. I don't really know what to do or who to talk to. I made a small friend group in high school and we were really close for a long time. But this last year especially I've really just shut myself away from everyone due to my mental health not allowing me to socialize the way I used to be able to. I go to work, come home, and never socialize with anyone. I was always the one who had to send the first message like "Hey, we should hang out today / tomorrow." But if I am not the one who is making the plans, they refuse to reach out to me even once after months of not speaking. Some people will think: "Well you just got to be the one to start the conversation." I understand that, but it would be nice to just one time to get a "hello" or something purely out of their willingness to engage in conversation with me, because we're "friends". But I suppose even that's too much to ask from them. Bit of a rant here. I'm really sorry for all the complaining. I just needed to get this out.
I'm 24 and I've noticed that this is a common feeling nowadays and worse, it's reinforced by social media. Ignoring has turned out to be the most popular power move in social relationships, as if it makes the user more socially powerful. "Being chased" is also an obsession, pretty sad what people are turning into.
@@thiagosantosbrito3493 no, it's the fact that we all feel doomed from the system we were placed into and therefore feel as if we are static and never able to move forward.
This would be depressing if you were 35 or sth, but you are 21. Society cripples individuals via school&university, but you got the entire life ahead of you. You think of these "friends", but you don't realize how many millions you are compatible with, and would be actual friends irl if you lived closer geologically. As for inspiration or role models, look in the past. An endless hall of legends.
As someone who told their teacher in highschool that they expected to be dead before 30, I can relate... alot. Family did their best but we were pretty alone, from our mental health issues to our finances and more. I've only in recent years been able to break the cycle of infinite survival mode, so there's a few things I'd like to pass on: There are better friends you'll meet, there are better people, I promise you. Where and how? You might meet a fair few online, but you can meet them in person too. The trick I've found is not only just being open to engage with others, but also going out and pursuing things that are purely of interest to you. Taking value for yourself first, others second. And if that value is helping others, more power to you! Because... "Be the change you want to see." Cliche and corny, I know, I know,... but most cliches hold value in their sentiment, and this is no exception. You can make things happen if you're willing to believe in it, be patient with yourself when it doesn't happen, and importantly, *allow yourself* to make the effort, to fail and try again and grow as you go. There's so much more than can fit in a YT comment, but if you're willing to take one thing away from me here, I urge you: Please, don't lose a decade of your life like I did shutting it all out and waiting to die. Take those values you wish were real, and be that person. You're a hard worker and committed to what's important to you, you're so much stronger and likeable than you'll ever feel in isolation.
@@nowlwane9623 Wasn't your statement on the matter of will people still join a company that is laying off people in droves? I didn't think it would matter to the company if people no longer had loyalty in your company AFTER you fired them, what would be the point. They wouldn't care about your loyalty if they already fired you.
You are so lucky to be born today with so many opportunities. 99.99% of humanity had to Really struggle and be born under terrible conditions and worked hard generation after generation to get the wonderful things you have access to now and all you guys do is complain you dont have dream jobs with perfect bosses disregarding what everyone has had to do even now to keep working hard to get progress. You lazy ungrateful generation is going get a wake up call here soon i bet at the rate you are going.
The biggest issues plaguing my generation as a Gen Z fellow... 1. Careers - Just look at the job market, its growing in competition without stopping and even if people say there are more qualified jobs than employees, the amount of people getting into those jobs is low - Certain roles are faltering, lots of them are either being underpaid or overworked or being wiped out by automation/AI - Unemployment is still a major concern and most people don't end up keeping their first job for like 40 years 2. Relationships - Social media has skewed standards so bad that potential partners either seem too perfect or people are too nervous to even give dating a chance - Add to that the amount of us that have mental issues and those of us that are not fit for a relationship due to our mental state, either you get a bunch of lonely people or people that are in toxic and doomed-to-fail relationships that further the cycle of steering away from love - Too many people have been ingrained to look for expectations over the basic necessities and people have stopped making compromises, which just leads to more misery, life is all about compromises and learning to grow with someone who might not be a perfect match or soulmate is a compromise too - Some people have even just retired to AI boyfriends/girlfriends or given up entirely on love so the amount of us that will raise a new generation is low 3. Economy - Incomes aren't increasing but the standard of living is, just look at the housing market and consumer goods prices and gas prices - So many people are in student debt and the federal government is doing nada to relieve that 4. Social media - I'm gonna include the Internet in this, but literally this is the worst thing Gen Z could have ever been exposed to - So many people have lost confidence, gained skewed perspectives of life and people, and become chronically addicted or attached to technology - This just boosts insecurity and does nothing to fix it, either the insecurity from attention-seeking by posting or the insecurity from seeing all these "rich and successful, happy" people who are insecure themselves and faking their lives on social media 5. Health - Now this is where most of us fall into alignment, especially with mental health - A ton of us have mental health issues stemming from betrayal, bullying, genetic conditions, etc. and even though there is mental health awareness, most of us have not found solutions or even accepted them - As for physical health, there are a lot of us that do minimal exercise, while others struggle with food and even sleep 6. Climate Change - Global warming is just ramping up and past generations have screwed us over completely, we will be left to deal with the aftermath of potentially 50% of all animal species going extinct, increasing natural disasters, food scarcity with so many people turning away from agriculture, etc. - And ofc pollution and littering are still going on, while carbon and other emissions are showing no slowing down 7. The future - Tbh at this point I'd be lucky to get into a stable relationship let alone get to the point of having kids, which would be another pain in the ass to even afford, why raise another human being if you can barely provide for yourself? That's just misery for everyone... - I have 0 faith in the job and housing markets, I'll be lucky to find income stability and a good place to stay - The world's already fucked over by past generations of people, so we are just adding to it 🤷
@@pleasestopcreatingmoresent3328 I wrote my thoughts for other Gen Z people to relate or start a conversation with me about, if you can't even be bothered to read a couple bullet points that are neatly spaced and numbered, idk what to tell you...
Everything is meaningless without God. Post modernism tried to kill God but God is far bigger than all of that. You can't invent an iPhone come up with a scientific theory and say that there is no God! That is a lie from the enemy. The fact the Christianity is still so large in the world tells us that. Yes the faith is declining but that is not because of the lack in belief in God it is the lack of wanting to involve yourself in community anymore. Hebrews 10:25 (read it) Also read Ecclesiastes. This Generation is hopeless because of the new outlook on life and yes because of the screens because the overload on lies from the enemy. It is not that God is not real because when you look into history it is proven time and time again that there is a God and His name is Jesus! (Also Yahweh) People want to act like there is no God and His concept is just something that held us together, but you must all realize that this is a lie! God is our creator! God gives us the greatest love! Jesus did exist! The prophecies were proven and there is no reason to be hopeless! God is GOOD!!!! DONT DOUBT GOD AND HIS PLAN!!! Romans 8:28 says "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes" DONT LOOSE FAITH! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WIN THE RACE!!!
@@pleasestopcreatingmoresent3328 Boo fucking hoo... "its too long" oh the horror...Just better off watching and listening than trying to read and understand. Your comment really proves of how people become so lazy to read a single simple 7 reasons comment and it takes like at least 4 minutes. You're not reading a 300 reasons comment only 7 pal. But sure, you really took your sweet time to write a comment whining that you don't want to read a comment for 4 minutes and prefer to watch a video that is just all annoying talk. Grow up.
@@nyahhbinghiYes! And the racial divide in America is actively promoted to distract us from the actual battle between socioeconomic class! Cooperation and solidarity is bad for our jailkeepers, and they'll do anything to keep us from realizing that.
@@nyahhbinghi Look to nature, you will find your answer. The caveat is humans ability to communicate clearly, which should guarantee cooperation every time.
@@oahts5906 Women are the silent drivers of society. A man who has a woman to care for, and is cared for by, is satiated. He has someone to protect, cherish, and live for. This is why single men commit most of the violent crime, they dont have a woman to set their standards, so they just act like a wild animal.
I'm a millennial. I've been disabled my entire life. The smart phone didn't cause me to give up. The fact that those in authority around the world have proven themselves incompetent and show that they do not care for those around them has caused me to give up on society.
They aren’t incompetent. It’s deliberate. They are creating the conditions to have utter control over the world population in a mere couple of decades.
*Hugz to you from a disability carer of the aged who also is a millennial* I learned some time back the whole world can burn itself for all I care, I got my own things to do. Authority's reach only goes so far in my life so by all means let em make fools of themselves, we still have the rent to cover and bills to pay no matter the newest crisis fad, as when it goes another takes its place just like the circus act it is.
life is constant labor and joy, trying to feel pleasure all the time only produces anxiety. Reel based social media helps creating people with messed brains accostumed to constant gratification, condition that expands to other areas of life.
13:22 - that is such a good point. The constant awareness that there's always a foreign child prodigy out there better than you for literally any skill can be really demotivating and something that people didn't really have to think about back when all anyone had to compare themselves to were the people in their community. Being the fastest runner in your village is so much more feasible than being the fastest runner in the world.
I'm almost 50 now, proud Gen X guy who decades ago said screw the system and don't label me. I spent my life trying to understand people through observation and music, trying to understand them. About 7 years ago I got divorced and started digging into Philosophy and Psychology, of anything to help understand myself. I now age two Gen Z kids, one still in middle school and I'm close enough to their friends to see how they view life. It's saddening and concerning. This was a great video, for so many reasons, and honestly you should have at least 10x the subscribers that you do. Thank you for posting this up.
I'm over 50 and having worked in marketing management I can assure you #2 is completely true. 98% of all corporations are in business for one reason only: To make as much money as possible for the CEO, top shareholders, and other executives. Workers don't matter at all. This can be an illusion to some workers because they may like their direct manager, they may even meet the CEO and find that person friendly, but this does not change the fact that greed rules all. Employes exist to have labor extracted from and will be discarded when no longer needed. You are also correct on #3. You have almost no power. At least not in a political-economic sense.
Well, I'd call people naive if they assumed otherwise. I totally get that companies go for profit - that's the only metric that measures success in the market, so I'm not mad. Of course I'll also get the maximimum out of the employer, where I can. If the job market is good, expect to be compared and played against 3 other competitors. This just goes both ways: Whoever has the advantage will use it. That's the way it is at the market. Germany, where I live and work, has quite nice Social Security Systems and employee-friendly laws, which balances this fight a little. In the end however, the concept remains the same. The one with the advantage will leverage it. Everybody who tells you otherwise, didn't understand the game.
hell, they refer to anyone not in the c-suite as “human capital”. if you’re into economics or have been around any large scale business this should be obvious.
And work 8 hours every day. I see my coworkers more than my family. Still get paid way too little to barely survive. I cannot even afford to get married.
8 hours is normal though. I used to work 12 hours a day and commute another 2 every day, usually 6-7 days a week. After switching to a 40 hour week I can appreciate I have so much free time while also accomplishing a lot workwise. Both ways though, we should all get paid enough to support ourselves.
"We can be like Sisyphus, and change things within our reach to create meaning" (loose quote because I am bad at transcribing) I'm pretty sure Sisiyphus rolling a boulder up a hill with no hope of ever finishing it was a divine punishment for him transgressing constantly against the gods. If a situation that is explicitly designed to induce frustration and hopelessness seems hopeful to you, I dunno.
Have you ever read 'The myth of Sisyphus'? Not the actual myth but the philosophical book about absurdism; it uses Sisyphus as a way to describe absurdity, since what he is doing is quite literally meaningless. I personally haven't read it but I think when he talks about Sisyphus I think he's talking about that book more than the actual greek myth, but maybe I'm wrong
@@TheLethargicWeirdo985 even still it doesnt really fit the theme of his narrative. The overarching point of sisyphus is "futility" but its direct odds with "create your own meaning and perservere" its literally a paradox.
“Man's feeling of homelessness, of alienation has been intensified in the midst of a bureaucratized, impersonal mass society. He has come to feel himself an outsider even within his own human society. He is trebly alienated: a stranger to God, to nature, and to the gigantic social apparatus that supplies his material wants. But the worst and final form of alienation, toward which indeed the others tend, is man's alienation from his own self. In a society that requires of man only that he perform competently his own particular social function, man becomes identified with this function, and the rest of his being is allowed to subsist as best it can - usually to be dropped below the surface of consciousness and forgotten.” ― William Barrett, Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy
@@spakentruth Yes. But to quote a passage from Thomas Sheehan’s Making Sense of Heidegger, He has this to say about our encounter with the groundless metaphysical abyss which remains silent (absurdus) to whatever question we ask about why we are here at all. “It does not suck you into your death-it neither kills you nor encourages suicide-but rather in a “positive” way (and this is the wonder of it all) throws you back (abweisen) upon your mortal self as a groundless engagement-with-meaning. You cannot make sense of the absurd-trying to do so would itself be absurd-but you can make sense of everything else as you stand there with your back pressed up against your death. You now see that, against the encompassing dark, you sustain a fragile bit of space within which things appear as meaningful. You realize that, despite its groundlessness, your mortal understanding of meaning is the thin line separating you from absolute nothingness.” Its not about if its a paradox but to embrance and find solance of the paradox .Rather than fall into nihilism, my engagement with meaning, even the question of meaning, is the small light in the midst of darkness. My engagement with Being is precisely what annihilates nihilism. There is no making sense of the absurd. But I can make sense of everything else.
@@fitsodafun _You get it sir. It's all about earning power. Underemployed part-time minimum wage earners are asked to have "hope" and raise large families ? Come on !_ Indeed. The same Walmart who taught their employees how to apply for government assistance programs.
Yes good God what a mess. I held out getting a smart phone until last year. I nearly couldn't function anymore. It is a life requirement now. iPhones replaced God I guess.🤨
I’m 25 years old. In my early 20s, I had severe depression and panic attack disorder due to things I couldn’t control. However, I’ve learned the hard way that I need to be easier on myself. I think if I had watched this video back then, it would have helped a lot. But hey, I’m sure it will help others a lot. Thank you, Ameer, for this.
Anyone can go to heaven even though we are all sinners. Jesus Christ became the one and only holy sacrifice for our sins. He was resurrected 3 days after He was sacrificed. This means that if you simply choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior for your sins, you’ll be saved guaranteed! Do not listen to other church goers who says you gotta do this and do that to go to heaven. You Do Not need to do the following to go to heaven: 1. Repent of your sins 2. Follow the commandments 3. Water baptized 4. Go to church weekly 5. Do good work, but we shouldn’t take advantage of this & do bad things. 6. Pray the rosary, do the catholic sacraments & traditions. Jesus Christ did all the hard, holy labor for us. We need to believe only.
I have come to 2 realizations in life that now give me more joy than ever imaginable. Just to cut it short, get rid of ALL of your expectations for everything. The soda will taste slightly different tomorrow than it does today. Live in the moment, do not regret anything from the past but grow from everything, take something good from everything and never fear the future. Until you know you failed the exam, don't worry about the hypothetical IF. I truly believe, if you can get to such a state where the expectation for everything is so low or nonexistant, that no matter the outcome it can only be good, or at least not as bad if you were let down.
...but what happens when you notice something getting worse? Do you just ignore it and embrace the reduced quality experience of today, and again tomorrow, until whatever it is has become unrecognizable from what it used to be? There's a balance, sure, but we do need to have some expectations. If I say I'm taking your house, you can't just smile and think about getting used to living in a tent.
@@llIlIlllII It's not black or white, life is constant labor and joy, trying to feel pleasure all the time only produces anxiety. Reel based social media helps creating people with messed brains accostumed to constant gratification, condition that expands to other areas of life.
The trap in “living like a dog” is becoming complacent with current issues and ceasing to fight or work for a better future. That’s how you can turn homeless and very ill, if you’re not also balancing the taking the day as it comes with a healthy planning and preparing for one’s future.
This feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness is exactly why I refuse to watch or read any kind of news. What's important to me and my life will reach me through friends and family, the rest doesn't bother me. It's mainly negative events that I can't influence either way and keep me in this spiraling mindset of "everything is getting worse". I need something positve to keep my will to life. I may be ignorant, but at least I'm happy.
limiting your exposure to world news doesn't make you ignorant. it lets you focus on the things that are important. the news love spreading negative news becuz that's what draws in the views and the money. we humans are literally not evolved to have this much information crammed into us, especially ones that we can't influence.
Wow, that's literally exactly the same way I see everything too. Realised a long time ignorance is bliss, and that sometimes it's the healthiest thing to do for you. I live so much more in the moment and while I lament so much in this world, I try to make my reality, and the people who are important to me, as good and happy as possible. It's really helped me
and that's why shit don't change, you have to have the guts to face up to evil and then tackle it. the only reason this sick system keeps going is because it tells the individual you can't change it...
In terms of the smartphone issue - I think you're almost entirely correct. I'm 31 years old and I remember a time before smartphones, but that doesn't meant a time before the internet... I think the problem is internet addiction, and what the smartphone did was it made you connected to the internet 100% of the time (except for when you're sleeping), whereas it used to be that you had to be at home in order to access the internet on your desktop PC / home laptop, and when you weren't at home - you'd be outside spending time with your friends, and everyone would talk to each other without distracting themselves with their phones, because mobile phones were still "ordinary".
That's a good way to put it. The internet was the vice, your smart phone was basically taking that vice and making it accessible 24/7. So if the internet was heroine, your phone is basically like having a drug dealer in your pocket who will give you whateber drug you want at any point for free. Good luck quitting that addiction.
it's just a symptom, we are disconnected because we are in a constant survival mode because we are set up by the system to COMPETE instead of Co Operate ! It is really that simple. system is run by psychopaths and it funnels more of them to the top all the time whilst people with empathy helplessly watch and know not what to do
@@kaufmanat1 I think technology like the internet provided an outlet for people to live their shittiest version of themselves even if that version, to them, seemed the best. I banned Instagram in my house and I told my daughter there was no way in hell she was allowed view it, use it, interact with it or even talk about it in the house. It's a vehicle for lies (fake lives) and shame (why are you not as beautiful as me) and disingenuous grifters (nowadays called 'influencers') to make a buck. She's 16 now and thanked me for my stance a few weeks back. A good friend of hers killed herself by hanging because some dicks mocked her relentlessly on Instagram over a 2 year period. It wasn't my daughter's friend's addiction to phones or the internet that killed her, it was how this "heroin" allowed others to abuse her anonymously, without consequence and without relent. Now that AI is the new buzzword and folks are waking up I give social media another 5 years before it will be regarded as a technological blip where we all got hoodwinked for a time and then woke up.
I grew Up in the 2010s and i Had nowhere near this addiction. Nurture, Not Nature. I got my First Phone with 10 (2019) but that i still went outdoors 75% of the time. Gen X as well but especially Millenials cant parent properly and thats how Gen Alpha grows Up with RUclips kids
I'm 16 and over the course of a couple of years I have realized how badly the world is plunging into overstimulation and depression. All people do is numb themselves and anger is a symptom of all of that. All I do is try my best to keep my mental health in shape.
dont worry its not actually as bad as everyone makes it seem, just dont make bad choices (like dropping out) and you'll be fine its really not that hard to live a good life.
As an older millennial, I feel for ya guys. You have it rough. My generation suffered in different ways; the transition from no Internet, no computer, to suddenly being instantly connected to every other person in the world has been a crazy ride. The ways in which we suffered, we kept bottled up. Whenever we tried to advocate for change, we got accused of being entitled, that all of our problems were caused by avocado toast (which by the way, is cheaper than bacon and eggs but don't bother engaging with boomers on that one). We were told to shut up, and be thankful for our minimum wage jobs. The great recession only reinforced that view. So we sat on our hands and stopped talking about it. We were afraid to speak up. But I see all the things that Gen Z and Gen A are doing and I gotta say, y'all are a courageous bunch. Keep doing what you are doing because it might not feel like you are making change happen, but you are doing something that my generation did not; you are talking about it. Keep on truckin and keep on touching grass guys!
Very illuminating narration for a 70 years old father (me) who has a gen z son. Now I think I understand much about my son: his mood, introvertness, his behavior, don't care for or any hankering for consumer goods, very little interest in girls.... Thank you.
All of that is very normal amongst gen z men. The best thing you can do whether or not your son admits it, is to be there for him and be as supportive as you can as the father figure in his life. It can mean the world to someone. I respect you for taking the time to understand the struggles of this generation, and I am sure your son would be appreciative of it as well.
34 year old here. Single, no interest in women(dating apps are cancer). Just be there for your son. Make sure he is busy with a hobby. Personally, I have found cars and computers. In the winter I play with computers(and video games) and in the summer it's cars. I enjoy my simple, quiet life. No drama, no crying, and logic prevails!
@@cliffordjordan9577I’m 28 too used to be ongoing and a happy person but man I’m in a melancholic depression now the society is sick and people are falling for the selfish and individualistic society that is killing us.. I dodged suicide so many times but now I’m completely hopeless..also knowing what the future that the elite globalists WEF preparing for us..is making more sick than ever since 2020..hope that humanity wins for me I finished my part lost my brain in the process also being raised in third world country in a F*up family made it 10000 times worser..I’m in tears and pain for what it’s happening all around the world wars division hyper inflation genderism..once you see their deception you can’t go back living with a filter..average persons thinks I’m crazy when they can’t see the truth anymore..fed up lies and those are leading us straight to hell by empowering more the stakeholders of megalithic companies
He is very normal, most of the guys I know of my age (25) are so damn similar, otherwise they have to gather at one of their parents house.. and attempt to have a good hangout.. If they’re “moved out”, there’s no way you’re hanging out because they’re about to lose their apartment every second they moved out of their parents
im 16 and i noticed how much sadder people were when i moved out of my city into its suburb. people tended to spend more time inside and on their phone and its honestly rubbed off on me
@@5060northernmama I’m legit the only one that does that. Although I do it in the morning and the afternoon. I’m also a teen so i really only see older people never people my age ://
Everything is meaningless without God. Post modernism tried to kill God but God is far bigger than all of that. You can't invent an iPhone come up with a scientific theory and say that there is no God! That is a lie from the enemy. The fact the Christianity is still so large in the world tells us that. Yes the faith is declining but that is not because of the lack in belief in God it is the lack of wanting to involve yourself in community anymore. Hebrews 10:25 (read it) Also read Ecclesiastes. This Generation is hopeless because of the new outlook on life and yes because of the screens because the overload on lies from the enemy. It is not that God is not real because when you look into history it is proven time and time again that there is a God and His name is Jesus! (Also Yahweh) People want to act like there is no God and His concept is just something that held us together, but you must all realize that this is a lie! God is our creator! God gives us the greatest love! Jesus did exist! The prophecies were proven and there is no reason to be hopeless! God is GOOD!!!! DONT DOUBT GOD AND HIS PLAN!!! Romans 8:28 says "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes" DONT LOOSE FAITH! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WIN THE RACE!!!
@@5060northernmama they don’t go outside. And yes I do frequently go outside I physically can’t stay inside. I get around my town by bike. As of writing this, the last time I was in a car was 2 weeks ago. In a suburb. I have a life especially involved in my town board and am working on getting a job at the local water station. And yes it is absolutely horrible compared to the city
Yeah, because of car dependent infrastructure and transportation, third spaces are far away, or they’re expensive or etc. If you don’t have friends living in the same community or have something to do outside, there’s not much to do other than taking walks outside, which is also boring if it’s a cookie cutter suburb with barely any natural scenery to look at
While it’s true that they feel a sense of hopelessness I have it for a legitimate reason, at 14 years old I was diagnosed with autism, and throughout high school my growth was stunted by the schooling system not knowing what to do with me, so here I am, 22 years of age with no job, no career, just playing games while living in my moms house, no dad because of course not, why would someone like me have their dad? But yeah, needless to say, I’m pretty hopeless right now
This video avoids discussing the elephant in the room-- the increasing state of poverty and personal debt. Most individuals today are stuck in debt, on low salaries which do not allow them to purchase a humble home; meditation and mindful dogma (although in vogue) will do nothing to solve our economic woes. In fact, it does the opposite, it encourages them to accept the status quo, rather than complaining or demanding a fairer economic system from our government, banks and corporations. The 'just meditate and you'll be fine' is only a method to cope in the present, not to enact change toward the future. Gen Z and everyone who cares about the future will need to demand better from our institutionalized powers. Encouraging young people to do nothing to improve their economic situation is effectively a way of mentally neutering them away from a solution -- Thus, the cycle of quiet quitting.
I think this is bc he lacks experience. Hes young and most likely is finanically stable one way or another and therefore surrounding socially by ppl who are in the same catagory as him but he did make a lot of good points. And the point you made is worth noting as well.
@@SheBrewRoyal using sisyphus as a metaphor for perserverence is misguided bc the act of rolling the rock up the mountain was part of his eternal punishment. No matter what he did the ball would roll back down the mountain and hed be forced to repeat the task again.
@@sammyjoe2390 its called "smart" because it combines the functions of several devices, such as a computer, a camera, a music player, and a telephone, into a single device, not because it takes any intelligence to use. jeez how old are you
@@erykando flip phones also are computers with music players and cameras. it's 'smart' because it is internet-connected and networked to extensive infrastructure for data collection. 'smart fridge' 'smart thermostat' 'smart doorbell' 'smart tv' what do they all have in common? internet-connected and piped to data collection/transmission infrastructure.
@@oahts5906 crazy how convenience equals dumb to you, you prob walk around with your groceries around the store instead of taking a shopping cart because it would be "dumb" if yall expired assed are not ready for change then dont be a part of this world
Me: "Wealth distribution is at an all time high, housing is practically unaffordable, the job market is atrocious, I'm one missed paycheck and surprise expense away from being homeless, and instead of the taxes I pay going towards anything to actually help mitigate literally any of these issues, they go towards endless wars overseas so that billionaires can profit off of slave labor and exploitation." Ameer: "Have you tried not caring?"
Have you tho? The root cause of some problems will take decades to be fixed. You can just patch it up for a year or so and get yourself a shovel to dig it to the core. Sometimes we are way too weak to do anything substantial, but we are always strong enough to buy some time and wasting the strength in pursuit of something substantial will just lead to disappointment.
I was really impressed with the analysis of the societal factors leading to hopelessness. I was severely let down when it came to the "solution", which is basically just to turn off the noise. That only allows the systems in power to continue unabated and doesn't address general societal unrest about the situation. We want a different world, not one where we bury our heads in the sand when uncomfortable.
I've got a bit of advice for you thats less dumb. Only care about what you can possibly be responsible for or control. If its totally outside of your ability to affect, its the same thing as reading a book. Dont let it get to you.
Capitalism has gone into hyperdrive in the last decade, greed has washed away any social contract and i have seen the resulting collective psychopathy become almost universal. Society needs a conscious and i have seen that conscious nearly completely disappear.
Its not capitalism. Capitalism is just an economic systems. We have had capitalism for 200 years, the problem now is the incentive system rewards profitmaking by cost-cutting instead of innovation. When cost-cutting is your goal experienced skilled laborers is viewed as a cost instead of an asset. Look at your leaders you cant even get them to look at 8 years away much less 40 years from now. The political incentives are skewed towards rewarding give-a-ways and tax cuts not long term thinking. The fault does not like in our starts but in ourselves.
@@stephenvoss6092that‘s the end goal of capitalism brother. the “capital” is right in the name, it’s the most important part. the product is irrelevant, it’s a means to an end.
@@stephenvoss6092 you're spreading misinformation if you're delusional enough to think that capitalism isn't inherently an extremely flawed system that would inevitably end up with things being as bad as they are today.
The problem isn't capitalism, its crony capitalism with a hint of greedy corruption. There are people who have been in power for 30+ years and done simply nothing as they use insider knowledge to milk money while they can. If you're in power, then you don't make a fortune 10 times over unless you're doing something you shouldn't be. A capitalist society with an actual free market should be seen as a solution, instead of giving more power to these corrupt individuals.
@@stephenvoss6092 People want to cope and blame capitalism. I'd be riskier to say that the concept of capitalism is has been alive since the entire idea of making luxeries. You make things people want to buy. If people want your work, they will pay for it. If they don't, you starve. So do work that people value and create a product people want to buy. This idea has been around since the concept of money.
Hi Ameer. I am a philosophy and social studies professor and I've been showing your work (this particular one) to my students since this was posted. I would just like to commend and thank you for this well-made exposition. It definitely resonates with the students of today; it gives a clear picture on problems relating to existential dread and postmodernism.
This popped up in my recommendations. This was well articulated in conveying what must be a largely murky, undefined mess to untangle! This needs more views!
Yes pretty much blame everything but the corporations and the capitalist system that demand profits and rewards the elites for keeping everyone else worse off unemployment is by design makes people desperate and allows companies to hire workers for penny's
Instead of stepping back forever you can use that freedom learn how to position yourself at the top, otherwise being poor working for someone isn’t much worse
"The fact that something will end is not a case to say that it does not have meaning. Because things have meaning while they are here. So be here… now." That's the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.
Everything is meaningless without God. Post modernism tried to kill God but God is far bigger than all of that. You can't invent an iPhone come up with a scientific theory and say that there is no God! That is a lie from the enemy. The fact the Christianity is still so large in the world tells us that. Yes the faith is declining but that is not because of the lack in belief in God it is the lack of wanting to involve yourself in community anymore. Hebrews 10:25 (read it) Also read Ecclesiastes. This Generation is hopeless because of the new outlook on life and yes because of the screens because the overload on lies from the enemy. It is not that God is not real because when you look into history it is proven time and time again that there is a God and His name is Jesus! (Also Yahweh) People want to act like there is no God and His concept is just something that held us together, but you must all realize that this is a lie! God is our creator! God gives us the greatest love! Jesus did exist! The prophecies were proven and there is no reason to be hopeless! God is GOOD!!!! DONT DOUBT GOD AND HIS PLAN!!! Romans 8:28 says "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes" DONT LOOSE FAITH! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WIN THE RACE!!!
Well put together! This is so true. Cards are stacked against us. Housing is unaffordable and you'd be a fool to try and buy something if you could get rug pulled (i.e., layed off) in a moment's notice then can't make your mortgage then good luck finding a new job with your anxiety causing a nervous break down and then ultimately end up moving in with your parents or just saying your ultimate goodbye. Scary times.
I love that you're bringing philosophy and Camus to this conversation. I'm a Xennial, I discovered his work in the 90's, but he's a 1940-50s man. He cornered this 'life is absurd' narrative in a way that's still relatable today (wether its the existential version or the 'I'm watching too much news' version, which also brought people down, in any era where you had news to spread), but he's of course not the first one to observe how life can seem meaningless (his solution is action and revolt...). This question is Humanity-Old (we all die and life can feel absurd...) and every generation deals with it in its own way. The fact that GenZ and younger Mills were left alone with social media at such a young & crucial age (while older generations were barely getting a grip of it themselves...) is what makes it unique here: sharing with the online world whatever it makes you feel like and whatever solution you come up with to fill the void. ie: the difference is Zs coping with the problem the same way as what causes it (in big part): more social media........ But I feel you guys. It's so hard to disconnect. And it's cruel because the gafas have invaded every -EVERY- area of life: work, play, community, commerce, relationships... and it blows everything in huge proportions, precisely because it's the addition of what most people feel, instead of creating a community discussion. And it makes us dissect every aspect of it in intricate ways, on multiple platforms, but not always with the best guidance. But the pre 2012 world left us alone too (Xennials like me often quote the late 90s Daria cartoon to summarize this, and 19th century Romantics certainly feel you), and every generation says the one before or after them, is stupid. As for layoffs of the 80's, some heavy industries suffered it as early as the beginning of the 70s (oil crisis no.1). The matter of power balance in the workplace is also age old. And as you said, although the world we live in provides for beautiful freedoms, the set of trials that we face today (revenue gaps of all kinds, eco-crisis, lodging crisis, political dishevelment, seemingly immoveable capital forces, etc) is uniquely gloomy... Meaning original solutions are in our hands (they cannot be in anyone elses's). I say 'we', because even though I'm not Z, my personal situation places me on your side. Let's also remember that revolutions and social turmoils historically happen when & BECAUSE social contract is broken by elites and authorities. It's been smelly for some time now..... Courage, people. Things have meaning because you give it to them.
Really, really, really crummy parenting. All these parents universally trying to be their kids best friends, and shielding them from anything approaching self reliance or personal consequences... is flat out disastrous.
WOW WHAT A VIDEO!! Love seeing all the work, effort, and passion behind this. :) THE EDITING, THE SOUND DESIGN, THE BEAUTIFUL SHOTS! I totally agree that with so much going on in the world, we tend to forget that there's also beauty and meaning if we let ourselves see it! It's the yin and the yang. And also to let go of the things we can't control. Only then can we focus on the doable and make a positive change within ourselves and the world.
Your end conclusion 'find a way to change yourself' is no different to the conformity and obedience speeches that seem insightful but are really just telling people to accept the futility of their complaints and 'find Zen' so that you don't notice the bad things. People aren't more depressed "because of phones"; they're depressed because they can now **see** how the world's systems prevent any meaningful improvement in people's lives. They're depressed because they saw a moment of real potential change, i.e. work from anywhere during the pandemic, gradually pulled back again by employers who want the world to return to the same obedient and monotonous frame it was before. And here you are telling people, "don't try to improve anything significant; just find one thing you think you can improve for yourself and that will be enough.' The world doesn't need people to be placid in the acceptance of their fate in the status quo. What smartphones have really given us is the on-demand ability for mass communication. We need to be **encouraging** people to resist the things they find oppressive, so that others know they are not alone - because only together do we have a chance of making people listen.
@@30nickk24 true. But a real "humanistic" society would teach people how to do that. We are taught how to _work_ but we are *not* taught how to *_succeed_* .
I think social justice engagement is actually very compatible with “focusing on what you can control” (ie choosing an action group, choosing to mobilise etc) and “funding zen” (you often need to keep grounded in activism so you don’t burn out). It’s just a shame that it’s never explicitly mentioned in these kinds of videos bc it’s not the first thing that comes to people’s minds - even if it is compatible with the recommended philosophy
Wow, as a German (2004), I can fully agree too. What you said, is a global phenomenon. This was maybe the best video I watched this year. The ending also helped me with my mental health problems. Thank you so, so much!
there's a good scene in "Man of Steel" where a young Superman is overwhelmed by his powers because his senses are all turned up to 11, and he has yet to control them. His earth mom's solution at the time was for him to "make the world small". This is the same advice I give to my teenage girls. Make the world small to what's directly in front of them, and tune out the rest. Naturally, putting your phone down greatly helps in that regard.
All the things I’ve been thinking about too, pretty interesting how these feelings seem to be mutually felt across a whole generation. Love these explainer videos!!
This is a really great video - the production quality is awesome, and the message is really well thought out. We don't have to agree on all the fine details - the overall picture is very well done.
It's hard to put into words how I appreciate how well-written this is. There are a lot of videos that are just talking heads for 20 minutes about this kind of topic, but you actually researched and wrote about it, and edited it well. I'm a 2000 kid, and growing up in the world since then I've lived a lot of what you've described. I'm not sure we're "quietly giving up" like the title suggests, but we are realizing how dysfunctional these ways of living are. Our generation will age, we'll get more power as the old people die, and then change will come. Slowly, almost unnoticeably. But surely. It has to. Good video
"Our generation will age, we'll get more power as the old people die, and then change will come." I'm old enough to know that every generation since at least the 1960s has said this exact thing. Every one.
@@grubbr The thing is, stuff does change. Just look at the accepce of LGBT+ people over the last 50 years. It's not better everywhere all the time and it's far from a sure fight but people have made substantial changes. Going even further back the fight for bipoc rights has made tremendous progress over the last hundred years (here in the US at least). Tldr: things are not as static as they seem. They can get better or worse based off the actions of people and, even when wider change is beyond your reach you can work to carve out a positive space for the people around you❤
I'm a millennial and I feel the exact same way, especially with what is going on in Gaza right now. I also feel worthless because everyone else is so much better at everything than I am. You nailed this video.
The vast majority of people in Gaza have wanted all people in Israel to be killed. They even teach it in their schools. Its a tragedy for sure. Very sad to watch. Let this be a lesson about what communities should allow to be taught in theri schools. We should teach love and acceptance, not extermination.
@@phillipreese6272 Maybe you should read up on why Gazans have a gripe with the state of Israel. I'd suggest reading about the First Intifada and the Oslo Accords.
It's as if we have been conditioned to have feelings about everything, we shouldn't. You don't need to have feelings about every single little thing. Emotional overload.
I think its more so that the internet was a massive shock to the world and people are still recovering. The mega sphere of social activity we've created is NOT what our brains are used to. Were used to chatting up 10 tribesmen per day maybe, not seeing what millions are saying & thinking all at once.
True, we never used to even know about events outside of our small town, let alone on the other side of the world, and now we're being made to feel bad about starving children around the world and all the other disasters, on a daily basis.
This part about learned helplessness reminded me of something I lived a few years ago. I had started my studies, I was back in with my mother and her boyfriend (whom I didn't like at all) the weekends and stayed in my dorms during the weeks. And, in the middle of my school year, my mother had to be hospitalized for months (she's all better now). And, well, during that time, I felt... weirdly numb. She was in danger, yet I didn't manage to panic about it, because, well, she was under the care of doctors and nurses, and there was nothing I could've done about it except buying her a plushie to hope make her feel a bit less alone in her small bed... This behavior weirded myself out, but I didn't talk about it to anybody. I was sad and worried, but I couldn't bring myself to panic or to not think about my studies. And, I think it even led to her boyfriend speaking to my best friend's father about how I didn't care, which my best friend's father repeated to my best friend, who in turn repeated to me, and I felt bad about it. Everytime I look back on that, I feel weird. I know I didn't like my mother being in a hospital, but I didn't even seem to react enough in my own opinion...
'post-modernism' found the people unprepared for the 'burden' of being free to choose. unfortunately the collapsed/sabotaged education and the greedy consumerist society did not help a bit.
Brother, you gave me hope by voicing all the external problems we experience but implying that we cannot change the environment, the only change is within ourselves. Love from all over the world, brother, we need people like you.
no one talks to each other anymore. whenever I go in public everyone keeps to themselves and pulls out their phone in any situation where a social interaction might happen. there is so much social anxiety and fear. deep down we crave human interaction but don't want to put in the effort to create those bonds.
Nah, whenever I go outside and look at people all I feel is disgust. Parents in the grocery stores buying a whole stack of cigarettes' but telling their child "I don't have money for that toy". Mothers allowing their daughters to dress like they are prostitutes. Drunk losers in every corner who are traumatizing children because "drinking is fun". Car crashes from incompetent drivers who are trying to drive QUICK because they are late for work. People who mistreat their pet because they are much weaker than them and they need to vent. And so much more... Incompetence, arrogance, envy, greed, abuse, betrayal etc. . You see all that in people nowadays, you rarely every see a person worthy of your respect. That's one the biggest reasons why people nowadays prefer to not interact as much as they used to in previous years.
As a 41 year old who still doesn't own a smart phone, I can tell you with 100% certainty that those things make people less happy. I spent my late 20's feeling like my friends were abandoning me for their new phones -- they were interrupting dates, taking precedence over conversation, keeping people up late and making them forget to look at people and smile as they passed on the street. People stopped asking one another for directions or the time, which was actually a surprisingly easy way to make friends sometimes. I wasn't alone in my dismay either -- there used to be an etiquette where if your technology got in the way of human interaction it was considered rude. I now live next to a college campus, and probably 75% of the students walking around are staring at screens as they walk around -- not the trees, not the sky, not one another -- even when they are walking side-by-side with friends. No one is interacting. In the early 2000's, when I was in college, walking with a friend who was completely ignoring you would've been heart-breaking, confusing, infuriating. Subconsciously, I think it still feels that way, we've just made it normal.
Riiiiiiiiiiight. It's those damn phones! Them kids just need to talk to each other again and get outside and kick a ball around! Give me a break. Maybe Gen Z's giving up because previous generations have done everything in their power to hoard as much wealth as possible leading to a new generation sooner or later being left with NO CHANCE of ever having financial security. I will never own my own home. EVER. And given landlords are free to increase rents as much as they like, I will spend an ever growing percentage of my income on rent. I already spend about 50% on rent. Within the next two years it'll be 70%. We are being forced to become serfs and watch as boomers and billionaires vacuum up all the wealth and land and laughing at us for not being smart enough to buy homes and invest 30 years before we were BORN. Have you ever considered that the reason people prefer to be on their phones instead of talking to you is because you simply were not worth talking to?
@@wafflingmean4477 What a ridiculously hostile response. Of course the larger problems in the world are part of the problem, but there's people living in very poor hopeless regions of the world who are actually happier than people in western nations, exactly because their need for social interaction is satisfied, and they're not confronted with a bunch of rich beautiful people flaunting their "better" lives on social media every day. Not to mention, the guy you're responding to is a millennial, most of us can't afford homes either. Most of my friend group is just saving endlessly as the housing prices keep drifting out of reach.
well your conclusion seems obviously biased and invalid cos 1) 100% certainty is never something you can achieve, and 2) you don't even own a smart phone. This is akin to saying "as a hamster who never tasted fish meat, I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is the source of all of humanity's suffering"
Thank you for taking the time to make these connections with our struggles as a generation and the hand that we were dealt. You opened the door to something that a lot of us are internalizing and spreading awareness of how normal it actually is can make a huge difference in our views of life. A lot of these issues that we are facing stem from things hardly within our control and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we can move forward and ensure the generation behind us do not fall into this trap. We need to stand together and remember that good things will not just happen. We have to put in the work and if your mind is in the right place, it will not be for no reason. Our purpose in this life is to uplift others and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with one another so we can learn from our mistakes. Not flaunt all the good things and leave the bad in the back of the closet.
Hey everyone, thanks so much for watching :) This topic means a lot to me and it’s something I've wanted to explore for a really long time. Please keep in mind that I’m not a formally-trained philosophy scholar, so I’m aware there may be gaps or oversimplifications in how I define and explain these philosophical concepts. This video is specifically for those of us who, like myself, don’t necessarily have a formal background in philosophy. It aims to be an easy-to-digest, subjective take on Gen Z for those who might not be familiar with these topics. So to all the Lyotard, Derrida, and Baudrillard buffs out there, thank you for your patience! If you have your own insights to contribute to the discussion, please share them below! I’m all ears for correction and constructive criticism. Thanks again for being here :)
The illusion of freedom is the biggest problem. People are less free than ever but given the illusion of freedom. One of the biggest problems is free people who go take selfies everywhere. I think selfies are the true problem. It wasn't phones as much as it was phones with front facing cameras. Now people just want to see themselves on their phone. Now after covid the national parks n USA are being too busy. People trampling the plants, poisoning the wildlife, throwing garbage everywhere. Just to get those trendy selfies. The solution is ban forward facing cameras? Make cell phones phones again
Thanks for adding the calming section at the end. I really needed it after thinking of the state of the world. But I'm surprised that climate change wasn't a major topic in this video. Did you just not want to be too depressing? Everyone I know is going through a lot of pain knowing that life will be really tough in a few decades. If we choose to have children, those children will probably have a really bad life and there's nothing we can do to change that. IME, this perspective is universal among my generational cohort. (I'm 26)
this video sucks literaly climate change, late stage capitalism, collonialism and the feeling that your goverment does not care for you are way bigger issues than "phone bad"
@@kanjonojigoku8644 in order: climate change is a fear tactic to reduce industrial production, late stage capitalism bad, whodafuq is colonizing nowadays, and the government is actively malicious, but phone is still bad.
He writes off climate change as being a contributing factor beginning at this timestamp: ruclips.net/video/c9mvcfVfbio/видео.html (this was also the timestamp where I downvoted the video) It's obviously a gigantic factor, it's just that he's pretending it isn't a gigantic factor.
you shouldn't think of climate change in this way, like some inevitable disaster that we are 100% sure is gonna destroy earth. It's pointless, people like to pretend we know the future when in reality nobody does. Yes, we can predict events to a certain degree but it's not 100% accurate every single time. People have been going on and on about the world dying for decades yet here we are, still living on earth. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. You, I , and the smartest most knowledgeable person on earth will still never know what exactly the future holds or when exactly we all die. That just isn't knowledge we have. People have to quit acting like we know the future. It might get worse, it might get better.
climate change lmao Do you think the climate 400 years ago was the same as today? Or that it will impact you more in 10 years, than the bs goverment laws which will use it as an excuse? (eco-timer on showers, water limit for personal consumption, unable to use it for herds or crops without license) Phone bad, technology brings slavery, capitalism wants to extract your lifeforce (money = solidified lifeforce), yet you care about climate change which is the only thing you cannot influence at all
Anyone can go to heaven even though we are all sinners. Jesus Christ became the one and only holy sacrifice for our sins. He was resurrected 3 days after He was sacrificed. This means that if you simply choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior for your sins, you’ll be saved guaranteed! Do not listen to other church goers who says you gotta do this and do that to go to heaven. You Do Not need to do the following to go to heaven: 1. Repent of your sins 2. Follow the commandments 3. Water baptized 4. Go to church weekly 5. Do good work, but we shouldn’t take advantage of this & do bad things. 6. Pray the rosary, do the catholic sacraments & traditions. Jesus Christ did all the hard, holy labor for us. We need to believe only.
This was incredibly well made! The quality is in line with Vox and Bloomberg Shorts, all while being way more grounded from a younger person's perspective. I can't wait for your inevitable success, keep making these sorts of vids!
I'm a GenX single dad with a GenZ teenage son. I feel so bad for my son's generation. He is becoming all the negative things you mentioned. He was such a happy child up until 12 y/o. Then I got him an XBox and a cell phone and everything changed.
@@lateblossom 1). What about them communicating with friends? No phone will leave them ostracised at school, for one. 2). I tutor kids. I know 10 and 11 year olds who do very well with phone access, because their parents are active and engaged in their upbringing. One of the kids even got interested in electronics repair, and their parents got them several old phones to experiment on. The kid does not use any kind of social media, and is impressively good at online safety.
Elder genz here, lemme break it down: ITS BECAUSE WE DID EVERYTHING THEY TOLD US TO NOT BE POOR AND WE ENDED UP POORER THAN WE WERE GROWING UP Life in the US after the 2008 recession was significantly worse and most people fell a few rungs down the economic ladder or lost everything. We had it drilled in our head that the only way to escape poverty was to go to college, or you will flip burgers your whole life because all the union and manufacturing jobs disappeared so corporations can save themselves. We had the stress of our whole future on our shoulders since middle school to go above and beyond to have a chance to even go to college and have a respectable job. Adjusted for inflation, a union job in 2000 paid as much as an entry level job requiring a degree today. And factoring the massive housing costs now or student loans, we are poorer.
Considering we mostly joked around and trash talked at base camp, THIS was the last thing expected you to create. And yet you've created a masterpiece. Good work ding ding!
then read political theory. these problems were unfortunately predicted two centuries ago. hell, even tocqueville knew that america’s pursuit of the material over the theoretical would cause problems down the line. all of us know these problems exist in the material, but we have no concrete theory of their cause or any idea how to solve them.
@@Greatwhitesloth then youll live your last days in a dying world, nothing will change as long as we allow unchecked capitalism to destroy everything we hold dear for a line to go up.
That's like saying "I didn't asked to be born" No chicken ever asked to be served to be on my plate or someone agreeing to have cancer in their 20s but it is what it is. Its how humans are that came to be this way. Restart the world a million times and we'll arrive to this situation in a little bit different conditions but very similar
I'm 44 and I have not dated once since 2012 and trying to get women to look in your general direction is an impossibility. A chad I never have been, but dating when I came of age in 1997 to 2012 I experienced a relatively decent degree of success with women and dating with a few dry spells, but all dating ended in 2012. If I had been born in 1999 rather than 1979, I believe I would still be a virgin at 44 in 2043. I can't even imagine how awful it must be for young men today; dating is a rite of passage for teens and the dating game is seriously screwed up for young women and teen girls and virtually nonexistent for young men and teenaged boys. The serious long term mental health and socialising consequences for both the individual and society are not truly going to be felt for some time.
It's one of the best videos I have seen on the internet lately. It spoke directly to my philosophical spirit- this part of me I sometimes neglect. Thank you.
I was sitting in a waitingroom with 6 other people today and everyone was watching their phone... The moment they sat down, the phone pops out and there's no more engagement with their surrounding. I love talking with strangers, I find it exciting. I did not always find it exciting, but had to learn it by feeling uncomfortable. I hope the new generation learns this as well.
I think that people are just tired from the stress of their lives and see phone usage as easier than talking with strangers, so people see it as more relaxing. The funny thing is that even when it’s uncomfortable (and I have a speech impediment, so it’s doubly so for me), have good conversations with strangers can be more rejuvenating than just about anything else. It feels like work at first, and there is risk, but it’s worth it, as you know. I feel like each new generation is getting a bit worse at conversation, which makes social media seem even more fake, because who are you if you can’t or won’t represent yourself in person?
That's not the phone, that's people. Back in the day we'd rummage through the magazines, grab one, and take a seat. If you didn't bring your own waiting material.
One day, maybe on their deathbeds, people may realise that they should have lived and appreciated the moment more, instead of stressing themselves out with endless information and data that did not contribute to improving their lives and happiness of themselves and others that are important to them.
What you said in “Be here now” I believe is why for a group of millennials and Gen Z have stuck so doggedly to the idea and principle that Unus Annus laid out. That you can do anything, strive for anything, but even with that fire under, remember, nothing is forever, so this moment is so important, just as important as striving. That this came out only two days before the 3rd year anniversary of Unus Annus is… so fitting. The clock is ticking, but that is okay, it will always be ticking, and that doesn’t mean that we must fear it. Momento mori.
Compared to when I was growing up, there was the rise of Facebook, social media, reliance on dating sites and not getting picked with dating and relationships becoming more non-traditional. Plus, there were more phones and computers instead of people going out. And these are some of the things the caused of depression, anti-social demeanor, lack of motivation, hopelessness and all kinds of other negative things that are STILL going on today!! And by the way, we now got A.I. So, get ready for more problems!!
really fantastic work man :) I used to feel so heavily obligated to feel a type of suffering, or express it, because it was so prevalent through social media. but like you said, worrying accomplishes so little, and learning to let that concern secede has done my mental so well. love love the sound design in this too, great track picks, really supported the tone. also! don't know if that was an intended match-cut at the end between you at the lake/you at the train, but sooooo sick haha cheers!
this is such an eloquent, well-executed video that speaks so precisely to the issues that i feel everyone our age and beyond is dealing with right now. amazing job, and thanks for phrasing these ideas so clearly
I've been there.... Seriously.... What I've learned? Working towards your dreams helps~ Being the change I wish to see in the world helps~ Seeking out things that bring me hope helps~ For each person these things are different. Self-actualization makes a huge difference in life. I learned this and now practice it daily while also coaching others on how to practice it themselves. For those who don't know who they are? I try to help them figure it out. These things helped me find hope in a better future, but I can still feel the weight of the chaos in the world.
I can definitely believe this. When i was around 11-17 I grew up in a girls grouphome which is far different from the boys . We were not allowed outside, internet , anything that can connect to the internet , any music that wasnt godly or instrumental , any clothing that isn't godly. To say the less it was strict and it was an awful way to grow up. There was so much conflict at the house. When I would go to school I felt lost I felt more comfortable hanging out with my teachers and couldn't understand anyone's clothing trends or social media . Everyone was so different from me and it made me feel depressed because I couldn't connect. With all of that I don't have a positive outlook on the future I have had front row seats to how awful the US government can be and even then I can tell you I haven't seen it all . Did you know all those unhomed kids are stock piled at certain location . Hundreds upon thousands of kids are group together in trios in office cubicles and basically forgotten its not a lie. I got to spend some time there and the amount of luggage and trash bags filled with kids belongings is sickening . They have a gated parking lot so no one can see .The one in arizona is at least 10 stories tall with almost every floor filled. I am hopeless for the future even unfortunately more scared for my daughter. I believe there is nothing but destruction and control in the future. Sorry about the word vomit ...
Hey everyone, thank you so much for your feedback on the video. Many of you pointed out that economic hardship is a significant challenge our generation is facing, and I completely agree-I wish I had highlighted this more, as it’s something I think about a lot too.
My intention with this video was to explore the mental and emotional aspects of what Gen Z is going through-not because I think “sniffing flowers” or meditating will fix everything, but because sometimes, starting with small, personal changes can help us build the resilience we need to tackle larger systemic issues.
At 20:11, I said:
“I’m not saying that if you just stop thinking about your problems, they’re going to magically disappear-far from it. These issues that we face are real and actually do require our full attention. Still, I believe that our best chance of creating lasting, positive change in the world is to first create lasting, positive change within ourselves.”
I’m not suggesting that we should ignore these issues or ‘just meditate and you’ll be fine.’ I know that demanding more from our leaders and pushing for a better world is crucial, and I’m with you on that-personal change isn’t a substitute for collective action.
At the same time, I believe that focusing on what we can control (e.g., our screen time, our attitude, and how we show up in our relationships) can help us find the resolve and clarity we need to take on bigger battles.
Building ourselves up doesn’t mean we stop fighting for change-it means we prepare ourselves to do it more effectively. We can care for our mental health while simultaneously pushing for a better world.
It’s been over a year since I first wrote this video, and honestly, my views have evolved since then. Looking back, I see that some of my takes on postmodernism, “I don’t dream of labor,” and the American Dream were oversimplified. I also regret not presenting a more comprehensive view of Dr. Jean Twenge’s research. I cut out a lot to keep the video engaging for the algo, but in doing so, I don’t think I did her argument justice. There’s so much value in her work that I didn’t capture, so if you’re curious, I highly recommend her book “Generations.”
I really appreciate all of you for pointing these things out and helping me grow. If you have any ideas or suggestions on what you’d like to see next, please share-I’m all ears. Thanks again for being a part of this journey! ❤️
I think you did a great job at touching on a lot of relevant points, its only a 20 minute video, idk how people expect more info to fit in it
Also maybe an increased proliferation of advertising media- something designed to literally make people feel bad and lacking. (It's highly targeted now, too. So the advertisers know what it is you feel you lack and can make sure you see advertising only for that. Hits the subconcious hard.)
This is one of the most relevant and inspiring videos I’ve ever seen. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for sharing a piece of reality that some of us have a hard time admitting.
I think this video is beautiful! I think you really touched on some crucial aspects of why so many of us feel the way we do, and what we can do about it. Of course, economic challenge is a huge part of this. But I think everything you hit was spot on. Thanks for the great perspective.
Gen z is constantly focusing on themselves, whining and expecting everyone to take care of them. They are annoying as hell to anyone. Start thinking about what you can do for others. Then you will gather self esteem and purpose.
This video avoids discussing the elephant in the room, increasing poverty. Young people are stuck in debt, on low salaries which do not allow them to purchase a humble home and sniffing flowers and meditation will do nothing to solve their economic woes. In fact, it does the opposite, it encourages them to accept the status quo without complaining or demanding a fairer economic system from our government, banks and corporations. The 'just meditate and you'll be fine' is simply not fine. Gen Z and everyone who cares about them will need to demand better from our leaders. Encouraging young people to do nothing to improve their economic situation is actually a way of mentally neutering them.
THIS^
The end of the video was one gigantic COPE
100% this! Any video on this topic not addressing this issue is clown shoes level terrible! They're hopeless because they know the American dream is DEAD and not really a possibility for them!
It's also from a very US experience and Eurocentric perspective. People need to rebuild communities and advance struggles against the economic exploitation of the landed and capitalist classes against those who work for a wage, regardless of income. A new world is possible, get organised!
🚩
This would be the same young people that made Apple executives filthy rich so they can raise prices in California making it unlivable for anyone not super rich.
So well said.
What also happened in 2012 is the price of housing and rent skyrocketed. If you can't move out, or get your own place your life gets put on hold until you can get a job or a partner that can financially contribute. Now throw in employment issues and low wages and you've screwed over multiple generations of people who don't already own a home.
Money printer go brrrrrrrrr
I gave up on that too. However, I know that I'll find a partner.
Forget about "owning" your home. You own nothing.
In europe, you can t even find a partner anymore!!!!!!!!
@@patriciavandevelde5469 i actually found a partner in Europe! Problem is tho I'm in America 🤣
I bought a second house in January. Price was up about a third from when Joe Biden came to power. 2012 was not the only time of massive inflation. You get what you vote for.
"Why is Gen Z so hopeless" BECAUSE THERES NO FUCKING MONEY TO KEEP ME ALIVE, ITS HARD TO HAVE HOPE WHEN YOU CAN BARELY FUCKING LIVE, DONT YA THINK?!
work
YES!
There is no way to be happy in America without MONEY...
Everything is tied to money - that is the big problem...
Today's world is run by computers - you can't "talk" your way into a job like in the past..
Hiring managers see your resume before they see you - the REAL person.
@@melonusk6120 yeah, but even when you have a degree no one is hiring, hard to get money if you can't find work.
@@avocadosanxiety you can always start from the bottom, take any job you can and work your way up. Waiting for a suitable job for your degree is ludicrous in this economy
you live with your parents relax
The lengths people will go to not say "it's the economy" is amazing.
Because it is :)
@brodiepace1719 I guess, though what you're saying is unrelated, it's mostly capitalism.
@@brodiepace1719 dude how is it our fault we were born in a terrible economy LMAOOOO it is literally impossible to even rent a studio apartment right now working a full time job. Want to go to school? Fork over the money. Don’t have the money? Work a job, but you’re going to need a place to stay for either of those. How do you think that will be acquired?
@@monke5403 Also in a time where corporations have succeeded in eroding the rights of workers, and companies are trying to adopt the gig model as much as possible to treat what are effectively employees as contracted workers to fuck them even further. Boomers suffer from mind rot not understanding that they grew up in a time where the American economy was subsidized by the 70+ times the CIA was caught bribing or deposing leaders of small nations so we could extract their natural resources at great expense to their populations keeping our goods and services cheaper. Don't ever let a boomer tell you your attitude is the reason you aren't successful. The price of both agricultural goods and services has gone up by a factor of 5 over the last 40 years and minimum wage has just now in the last 9 years finally gone up by a factor of 2 and than back to stagnation.
@@monke5403 Who said that being born in a terrible economy was our fault? Nobody.
What he's saying is to take responsibility for the things you do have control over instead of blaming problems on other people. Why? Because what blaming does is put power and control (and thus responsibility) over to other people when they were never going to fix it for us.
It is important to recognise their role in making your life as miserable as possible. They did this to us, and we are struggling to live. There are limited avenues for action, given we are trapped. So, while it is hopeless, we must utilise every avenue of action because that's the only way to widen those avenues and assert control.
"why is gen z giving up???"
"NO MATTER HOW MANY HOURS I PUT IN I CANT EVEN PROVIDE MYSELF AND MYSELF ALONE WITH THE MOST BAREBONES NECESSITIES"
"it must be the smartphones"
Gen Z: "We're the only generation who ever have experienced poverty!!!" Must be cause they don't teach reality in schools anymore. /Gen X
@@elenhin thing is, despite working a qualified job, you still end up poor :D I mean, I can probably buy a new fridge with my salary easily, while my parents wouldn't be able to do this, but I literally don't care - just the amount of money one has to come up with each month to not lose roof over their heads is insane. And then you're surrounded by people who get apartments and even land/houses for super cheap from their relatives and then you really just give up or even go homeless as there's no point endlessly paying rent to landlord or mortgage for 10+ years to a bank.
@@elenhin yeah man, that’s why an entire generation is so depressed. not the fact that we’re faced with the simple fact that we probably won’t ever be able to even fulfill the american dream unless we just sell our souls to suits, and some of us won’t even be able to get there even after doing that. yes schooling sucks. but pretending like that’s the only issue is beyond out of touch. we’re in a world where we’re being exploited constantly with nearly nothing we can do about it. moving past that, those of us studying computer science or even just in the know on ai are absolutely fucking terrified. chatgpt is a good tool but the company behind it seems like it doesn’t care about safety precautions and that scares me to no end. not only is my future not bright but its not even guaranteed. if and when ai gets good enough, how many of our careers are going to be void? how many lives uprooted? because you already see it happening. not only is the present depressing but the future seems almost hopeless. creative arts are becoming less valuable as ai becomes more sophisticated. i can’t think of many industries where ai won’t be implemented in the future.
we aren’t just complaining about poverty. if you believe that’s the case then leave the discussion because you are nowhere near well informed enough to participate.
@@elenhinyou have to be extremely simple minded to have that be your conclusion. For the past couple decades, at least since the boomers, no future generation has had it better than the previous mathematically, this means the generation coming after gen z will definitely have it worse unless there’s massive changes. You see how stupid it’ll be for older gen z at that point to then mock the next generation when they rightfully complain about living standards being way worse?
Close your phone, stay away from the internet for 1 week, i dare you. You'll be left bored and forced to focus on REAL things. Therefore most likely improving both your mental state and physical state (Hobbies, work, money, love) etc... it's all out there, in the real. The real balance of things is in the real not online.
im in gen z i rememeber the early 2010s where screens werent a part of life yet. Back then id rather play with my mates outside, play sports, get in mud, and go for a swim. Over the last 10 years this has all gone away and its kinda scary
Playing in the mud is my most precious memory as a child for sure
true, social media was barebones back then and most of the games i played were simple and mostly PSP then just youtube and facebook. now its entirely different.
Fair point, but have you looked outside? How many gentrification projects have removed playgrounds and parks, new constructions have absolutely ruined the old lakes and such and made them private property, and the only place kids can go hang out in is in the mall... The world has changed in 10 years, and there are no safe spaces for kids... So d'uh little Jimmy will be rather playing minecraft with the mates, coz going to the local sandbox is not an option, coz it's gone...
Same. My childhood couldn’t have been that much different than now can it? It’s like a distant memory and I’m 25 lol
“Learned helplessness”
I got that from my bosses and supervisors. They repeatedly made my feel useless, broke anti harassment policies targeting me with whatever I did, and eventually drove me to suicidal ideation.
I went to HR; they did nothing; so I quit.
Now, while I feel a bit better, I find social media is drawing me back into this cycle of not knowing what I want to do. Hell; I go out for a walk and I can hardly find anyone who isn’t glued to their phones.
Technology has connected us yet in many ways driven us farther apart than ever before.
Yeah it's a real trip when you do literally everything you are supposed to do to fight personal injustice and every avenue just comes back "sorry buttercup, suck it up" ... learned helplessness is inevitable when you're taught things by people from a different world who refuse to acknowledge that, no, actually, no one gives a shit anymore and no one wants to offer help.
Corporate and HR God don't get me started ... I'm sorry fam.
as a 09 gen z who is already making so many plans for the future and the aspiration for who i want to be, i just feel more hopeless for the future. society is decaying, the things ahead of me is so uncertain, im afraid of how bad inflation would be in the future, and the world is changing rapidly, so fast, *too* fast
just because last generation is the worst, we should not blame network
@@CactusNyaNya things are already hard, and inflation is just going to make things harder. cost of living has increased by 68%
@@CactusNyaNya the proof is already here
I love that phrase… “I don’t have a dream job, I don’t dream of labor”
If you love what you do you never have to work a day in your life.
@@stephenvoss6092 Work with what you love and you will never love anything again.
@@stephenvoss6092 Myth; Clown saying. Don't repeat it.
Let me guess .... they were "spoiled" in childhood and, as a result, they have no courage or ambition.
It's a really obnoxious statement when you think about it a bit, although really effective at staying unemployed from those $20+/hour jobs though.
"numb myself into not caring" - this is soo true. honestly thankful just to realize that i'm not alone in this.
you cannot do that youre fooling yourself
the world rly did end in 2012
yup, we are on overtime at this point.
I knew the Mayans were right. I said it before the world doesn't end just like that it ends slowly and 2012 was the start of the decline.
It's be actually better if it ended upruptly, that means we can see and fight the problem, a slow decay is harder to detect and way way more painful. Apocalypse was playing 4D chess.
And yet I was born in 2011, Im 13 and I have dealt with a lot, and my dream job is president, because I WANT CONTROL and I WANT TO HELP, but… idk if I can do it… the world might be too big…
@@jimx45it’s not apocalypse, it’s the new world order. It’s only 4D chess if your worldview is severely limited.
@@oahts5906 agreed.
we are going towards the dystopia described in Admirable New World + 1984.
I’m 15 and I can definitely tell that the people who use their phone more seem to be sadder and tend to not talk to others in my school, a lot of those people I know used to be talkative and full of life.
I am 35 and I (as well as others) have witnessed the same thing about myself. My job (designer) is mostly online, so most of the day I spend time on the phone, talking to clinets, arranging projects and what not. So socializing has become harder and harder (without any booze, that is). I can't even remember when was the last time I genuinely laughed. You bring me any "Try not to laugh challenge" and I can easily win them all. I wish we could go back to 2005-2010 era when we already had social networks and stuff, but at the same time, no smartphones. We could still chat to others online, but nobody would spend their whole day in front of a PC. We would just arrange meetings and hang out. Another solution would be disable mobile data and wifi for everyone, that way people would spend less time rotting their brains in a screen and enjoy reality more.
You’re a smart 15yr old to notice that
I am 50 and years ago before the internet and cell phones life was way better! There is no substitute for human interaction. Also most young people have no interest in critical thinking due to an easy answer on a cell phone and gaming. GOD made us to interact with each other and grow in the knowledge of GOD.
its also called teenage hormons..
Time to get a old school flip phone.
this video is basically "those dang kids playing with their phones all days"
Forget rent/ house prices, forget prices going higher while wages stay the same, forget wars, forget climate change, forget the biggest inequality since ever.
Those kids are not looking forward to the future because of phones.
LEGIT 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣.
The phone is 100% phones.
Not because most of us can't find a FCKING JOB let alone one that pays decently and won't exploit us.
I have white hairs at 23 but that's probably because of my phone as well... Not because I'm stressing every single day for the past few years because they economy is straight up FCKING ME
shaddup, eat yer bugs, own nothing and be happy. -WEF protocol agenda 20-30
Forget the fact that humanity is under attack from all angles. Poverty is a disease. They are making us all sick. I didn't forget 2020, and how many they took out, in one way or another. Yet it continues, and no one is talking about it. How would they know what to do?
So when you mention the biggest inequality ever, you mean how men in the western society are mistreated and discriminated against or the other inequality you're imagining in your head?
Did you completely skip the part about "learned helplessness"? If you're suffering about things you can't control and you're stomping your foot into the ground and insisting things "shouldn't" be this way, you're screwing yourself. You have to focus on YOUR life, the things you CAN control.
I think the hopelessness comes from the expectation bar being raised every year with each generation. I mean the capability of technology keeps getting higher but it hasn't exactly led to the betterment of the average person's life. In fact, the more technology progresses, the middle and lower classes are expected to do more with even less. A normal person wouldn't be able to handle all that, when all they want to do is to live a happy life.
That's less technologies fault and more the companies refusing to price their products for regular people
Factually speaking, the average genZ in the WORLD is way better off than a generation ago. AMERICANS, however, are worse off, mainly because the post WW2 windfalls wore off sometime in the 1990s. It is Americans who are suffering while the rest of the World is happier than ever.
@@michaelnurse9089 the cost of bein the worlds police and finacially supporting ALL of Europe and Isreal socialist "Utopias".
@@michaelnurse9089 As an Australian I disagree. over here housing, food, fuel and the prices of other essential things have skyrocketed.
@@montecarlowithdawningornam1817 Well, you're right that it's not technology but the companies. But it's not because of the pricing, it's because of a lack of regulations and laborer protections caused by capitalist ideology having gone to far. Capitalism obviously isn't sustainable long term, and back in the day people all agreed that it needed to be heavily regulated and be beneficial to consumes and laborers. But then there was a cold war and a bunch of anti communist propaganda produced ideas about a free market, extreme individualism, neo-liberal ideologies, and so on. What we're seeing eating the US now is the backlash of that, many Americans still hold these unrealistic ideologies that hold up capitalism as some sort of religion rather than the simple tool it is, then you end up with a society willing to exploit and abuse everyone in the name of profit. But life is pretty nice in large parts of Europe that are not yet subjected to this extremism, where capitalism is still balanced out by a strong democratic state. Sure, it's being corrupted and captured here too, but not to the extent that the US has been, at least not yet. But at the end of the day it doesn't even matter, capitalism as a system that depends on infinite growth in a closed system will destroy itself anyway, so if we don't stop it then reality will, it's dead either way.
Well, the depressing thing isn't wishing for all the things others have in the internet. It's depressing to just wish for what your parents had and being unable to reach that, despite trying harder than they ever had to.
It's depressing for them too. It's a parent's dream to see their children living comfortably, to be successful.
@@SupraSav I'm not so sure about that. I think there's a very large portion of parents who have been so caught up in their own personal successes, or failures, and generational trauma, that seeing their children succeed makes them feel inadequate. There are far too many parents who had kids because they felt they *should* rather than because they *wanted to.* It resulted in either resentful parents, or parents who treat their kids like accessories. Children became extensions of their own lives, instead of independent persons. We see a ton of this reflected in "family RUclips" channels, and the massive amounts of kids who go to school hungry, and neglected. It's far more than people acknowledge.
Definitely, I think a **loving** parent wants to see their children succeed. I just don't think actually loving, good, parents are the majority, unfortunately. I think a lot of older generations took the path before them, and burned the bridges behind them. They aren't satisfied if anyone else has it the same as them, let alone easier.
@@Solonneysa Yeah when your parents take every little thing you do as an attack on their character, you kinda can go a little insane. My mom was that way and my dad never said anything and its lead to me having terrible mental health and self worth
Then our parents are scum. If they were truly loving, they'd be trying to improve every generation. Not make things worse with each generation.
Is it really that hopeless these days? You can still make a lot of money on the stock market these days and you can get information more easily than ever before
I've learned that life has no meaning; that isn't necessarily a bad thing. All it means is that the life you have, right now, is your opportunity to give meaning to your own life. That doesn't mean you have to find a meaning, find a purpose, etc. I think that it just means you have to personally learn how to value your own life.
I've realized that nothing truly matters, and despite it sounding so depressing, it was actually freeing. It felt like rather than having to devote myself to what seemed important, I got to choose what I thought was important or what mattered to me. I don't really know how to explain it but it really makes life easier. I like to use the analogy of an empty canvas. A white empty canvas has no value, no meaningful art on it, nothing; but the purpose of this canvas is for the artist to paint it, to make something out of nothing. Us humans are meant to paint a path for ourselves, and just like painting/art, we're all going to have tough times, heavy struggles, easy times, and happy moment.
It saddens me that people just give up. They say life is either too hard, there is no point, or that we're all going to die anyway. What a waste of a life. We were all born into this world to give purpose to our own life. It's the only opportunity we have to experience something. There was never a reason to live other than just to experience it fully, and embrace every moment whether good or bad.
This might sound silly but I've learned this from many things. From my own experiences, family, friends, teachers, etc. Just like Ameer, I also enjoy nature. It makes me feel at peace, and reminds me to enjoy life properly by embracing it and living in the moment.
Everyone's experiences are different but if I could recommend somethings to look into that have helped me, I'd give movies and songs.
Everything Everywhere All At Once - A movie
Porter Robinson (a musician) - Nurture Album or Worlds Album
Soul - A Pixar movie
Life never had a meaning it’s like an empty photo album and as we age it gets filled with memories that make who we are it’s our job to give it a meaning
I was born in 2003. Growing up I never had the things other kids had growing up around me. Such as a phone or new game consoles, until I got my first job in my first year of high school. So I definitely always felt left out just from that alone. I was born into severe poverty with parents who spent their days smoking weed and overall not really caring much about parenting me and teaching me valuable lessons on how to really be a man. I had to teach myself these skills. This was especially true after my sister was born. I'm about to turn 21. With no motivation, role models, inspiration, or any hope for a good future since I can remember, it's really difficult to keep working just to pay rent and bills. It feels like I'm letting myself suffer just to prolong my suffering further. I don't really know what to do or who to talk to. I made a small friend group in high school and we were really close for a long time. But this last year especially I've really just shut myself away from everyone due to my mental health not allowing me to socialize the way I used to be able to. I go to work, come home, and never socialize with anyone. I was always the one who had to send the first message like "Hey, we should hang out today / tomorrow." But if I am not the one who is making the plans, they refuse to reach out to me even once after months of not speaking. Some people will think: "Well you just got to be the one to start the conversation." I understand that, but it would be nice to just one time to get a "hello" or something purely out of their willingness to engage in conversation with me, because we're "friends".
But I suppose even that's too much to ask from them.
Bit of a rant here. I'm really sorry for all the complaining. I just needed to get this out.
I'm 24 and I've noticed that this is a common feeling nowadays and worse, it's reinforced by social media. Ignoring has turned out to be the most popular power move in social relationships, as if it makes the user more socially powerful. "Being chased" is also an obsession, pretty sad what people are turning into.
@@thiagosantosbrito3493 no, it's the fact that we all feel doomed from the system we were placed into and therefore feel as if we are static and never able to move forward.
This would be depressing if you were 35 or sth, but you are 21. Society cripples individuals via school&university, but you got the entire life ahead of you. You think of these "friends", but you don't realize how many millions you are compatible with, and would be actual friends irl if you lived closer geologically.
As for inspiration or role models, look in the past. An endless hall of legends.
As someone who told their teacher in highschool that they expected to be dead before 30, I can relate... alot. Family did their best but we were pretty alone, from our mental health issues to our finances and more. I've only in recent years been able to break the cycle of infinite survival mode, so there's a few things I'd like to pass on:
There are better friends you'll meet, there are better people, I promise you.
Where and how? You might meet a fair few online, but you can meet them in person too. The trick I've found is not only just being open to engage with others, but also going out and pursuing things that are purely of interest to you. Taking value for yourself first, others second. And if that value is helping others, more power to you! Because...
"Be the change you want to see." Cliche and corny, I know, I know,... but most cliches hold value in their sentiment, and this is no exception. You can make things happen if you're willing to believe in it, be patient with yourself when it doesn't happen, and importantly, *allow yourself* to make the effort, to fail and try again and grow as you go.
There's so much more than can fit in a YT comment, but if you're willing to take one thing away from me here, I urge you: Please, don't lose a decade of your life like I did shutting it all out and waiting to die. Take those values you wish were real, and be that person. You're a hard worker and committed to what's important to you, you're so much stronger and likeable than you'll ever feel in isolation.
Serious, try going to church. Look for a nice Baptist or protestant church near you. Jesus has never let me down.
The job that fires you that same moment upon the notice, doesn't deserves loyalty.
His IBM example was poorly chosen. IBM was a failed company. Many of us had, for decades, been praying for its demise.
What's stopping people from trying to join? There's tons of layoffs in Google but the amount of people signing up isn't dropping.
@@jimx45 How many of them are loyal or expected to be loyal?
@@nowlwane9623 Wasn't your statement on the matter of will people still join a company that is laying off people in droves? I didn't think it would matter to the company if people no longer had loyalty in your company AFTER you fired them, what would be the point. They wouldn't care about your loyalty if they already fired you.
You are so lucky to be born today with so many opportunities. 99.99% of humanity had to Really struggle and be born under terrible conditions and worked hard generation after generation to get the wonderful things you have access to now and all you guys do is complain you dont have dream jobs with perfect bosses disregarding what everyone has had to do even now to keep working hard to get progress. You lazy ungrateful generation is going get a wake up call here soon i bet at the rate you are going.
The biggest issues plaguing my generation as a Gen Z fellow...
1. Careers
- Just look at the job market, its growing in competition without stopping and even if people say there are more qualified jobs than employees, the amount of people getting into those jobs is low
- Certain roles are faltering, lots of them are either being underpaid or overworked or being wiped out by automation/AI
- Unemployment is still a major concern and most people don't end up keeping their first job for like 40 years
2. Relationships
- Social media has skewed standards so bad that potential partners either seem too perfect or people are too nervous to even give dating a chance
- Add to that the amount of us that have mental issues and those of us that are not fit for a relationship due to our mental state, either you get a bunch of lonely people or people that are in toxic and doomed-to-fail relationships that further the cycle of steering away from love
- Too many people have been ingrained to look for expectations over the basic necessities and people have stopped making compromises, which just leads to more misery, life is all about compromises and learning to grow with someone who might not be a perfect match or soulmate is a compromise too
- Some people have even just retired to AI boyfriends/girlfriends or given up entirely on love so the amount of us that will raise a new generation is low
3. Economy
- Incomes aren't increasing but the standard of living is, just look at the housing market and consumer goods prices and gas prices
- So many people are in student debt and the federal government is doing nada to relieve that
4. Social media
- I'm gonna include the Internet in this, but literally this is the worst thing Gen Z could have ever been exposed to
- So many people have lost confidence, gained skewed perspectives of life and people, and become chronically addicted or attached to technology
- This just boosts insecurity and does nothing to fix it, either the insecurity from attention-seeking by posting or the insecurity from seeing all these "rich and successful, happy" people who are insecure themselves and faking their lives on social media
5. Health
- Now this is where most of us fall into alignment, especially with mental health
- A ton of us have mental health issues stemming from betrayal, bullying, genetic conditions, etc. and even though there is mental health awareness, most of us have not found solutions or even accepted them
- As for physical health, there are a lot of us that do minimal exercise, while others struggle with food and even sleep
6. Climate Change
- Global warming is just ramping up and past generations have screwed us over completely, we will be left to deal with the aftermath of potentially 50% of all animal species going extinct, increasing natural disasters, food scarcity with so many people turning away from agriculture, etc.
- And ofc pollution and littering are still going on, while carbon and other emissions are showing no slowing down
7. The future
- Tbh at this point I'd be lucky to get into a stable relationship let alone get to the point of having kids, which would be another pain in the ass to even afford, why raise another human being if you can barely provide for yourself? That's just misery for everyone...
- I have 0 faith in the job and housing markets, I'll be lucky to find income stability and a good place to stay
- The world's already fucked over by past generations of people, so we are just adding to it 🤷
I didn't read it. Make a video instead. That's too long.
@@pleasestopcreatingmoresent3328 I wrote my thoughts for other Gen Z people to relate or start a conversation with me about, if you can't even be bothered to read a couple bullet points that are neatly spaced and numbered, idk what to tell you...
@@ibidknight ...
Everything is meaningless without God. Post modernism tried to kill God but God is far bigger than all of that. You can't invent an iPhone come up with a scientific theory and say that there is no God! That is a lie from the enemy. The fact the Christianity is still so large in the world tells us that. Yes the faith is declining but that is not because of the lack in belief in God it is the lack of wanting to involve yourself in community anymore. Hebrews 10:25 (read it) Also read Ecclesiastes. This Generation is hopeless because of the new outlook on life and yes because of the screens because the overload on lies from the enemy. It is not that God is not real because when you look into history it is proven time and time again that there is a God and His name is Jesus! (Also Yahweh) People want to act like there is no God and His concept is just something that held us together, but you must all realize that this is a lie! God is our creator! God gives us the greatest love! Jesus did exist! The prophecies were proven and there is no reason to be hopeless! God is GOOD!!!! DONT DOUBT GOD AND HIS PLAN!!! Romans 8:28 says "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes" DONT LOOSE FAITH! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WIN THE RACE!!!
@@pleasestopcreatingmoresent3328 Boo fucking hoo... "its too long" oh the horror...Just better off watching and listening than trying to read and understand. Your comment really proves of how people become so lazy to read a single simple 7 reasons comment and it takes like at least 4 minutes. You're not reading a 300 reasons comment only 7 pal. But sure, you really took your sweet time to write a comment whining that you don't want to read a comment for 4 minutes and prefer to watch a video that is just all annoying talk. Grow up.
Mankind has starved his soul while fattening his ego.
feminism pushed man into competition instead of cooperation
@@nyahhbinghiYes! And the racial divide in America is actively promoted to distract us from the actual battle between socioeconomic class!
Cooperation and solidarity is bad for our jailkeepers, and they'll do anything to keep us from realizing that.
@@nyahhbinghi Look to nature, you will find your answer.
The caveat is humans ability to communicate clearly, which should guarantee cooperation every time.
@@patrickwinn2389not by a longshot. Blaming everything on feminism is the most ridiculous thing I’ve read today
@@oahts5906 Women are the silent drivers of society. A man who has a woman to care for, and is cared for by, is satiated. He has someone to protect, cherish, and live for. This is why single men commit most of the violent crime, they dont have a woman to set their standards, so they just act like a wild animal.
I'm a millennial. I've been disabled my entire life. The smart phone didn't cause me to give up. The fact that those in authority around the world have proven themselves incompetent and show that they do not care for those around them has caused me to give up on society.
ok. are you going to build a parallel one?
They aren’t incompetent. It’s deliberate. They are creating the conditions to have utter control over the world population in a mere couple of decades.
*Hugz to you from a disability carer of the aged who also is a millennial*
I learned some time back the whole world can burn itself for all I care, I got my own things to do. Authority's reach only goes so far in my life so by all means let em make fools of themselves, we still have the rent to cover and bills to pay no matter the newest crisis fad, as when it goes another takes its place just like the circus act it is.
Im an M too. This sums it up.
life is constant labor and joy, trying to feel pleasure all the time only produces anxiety. Reel based social media helps creating people with messed brains accostumed to constant gratification, condition that expands to other areas of life.
13:22 - that is such a good point. The constant awareness that there's always a foreign child prodigy out there better than you for literally any skill can be really demotivating and something that people didn't really have to think about back when all anyone had to compare themselves to were the people in their community.
Being the fastest runner in your village is so much more feasible than being the fastest runner in the world.
I'm almost 50 now, proud Gen X guy who decades ago said screw the system and don't label me. I spent my life trying to understand people through observation and music, trying to understand them.
About 7 years ago I got divorced and started digging into Philosophy and Psychology, of anything to help understand myself.
I now age two Gen Z kids, one still in middle school and I'm close enough to their friends to see how they view life. It's saddening and concerning.
This was a great video, for so many reasons, and honestly you should have at least 10x the subscribers that you do.
Thank you for posting this up.
I'm over 50 and having worked in marketing management I can assure you #2 is completely true. 98% of all corporations are in business for one reason only: To make as much money as possible for the CEO, top shareholders, and other executives. Workers don't matter at all. This can be an illusion to some workers because they may like their direct manager, they may even meet the CEO and find that person friendly, but this does not change the fact that greed rules all. Employes exist to have labor extracted from and will be discarded when no longer needed.
You are also correct on #3. You have almost no power. At least not in a political-economic sense.
Well, I'd call people naive if they assumed otherwise. I totally get that companies go for profit - that's the only metric that measures success in the market, so I'm not mad. Of course I'll also get the maximimum out of the employer, where I can. If the job market is good, expect to be compared and played against 3 other competitors. This just goes both ways: Whoever has the advantage will use it. That's the way it is at the market.
Germany, where I live and work, has quite nice Social Security Systems and employee-friendly laws, which balances this fight a little.
In the end however, the concept remains the same. The one with the advantage will leverage it. Everybody who tells you otherwise, didn't understand the game.
hell, they refer to anyone not in the c-suite as “human capital”. if you’re into economics or have been around any large scale business this should be obvious.
I’ve never felt more hopeless than when I realized that I only have one day off from work every week, yet I still can’t provide for myself
And work 8 hours every day. I see my coworkers more than my family. Still get paid way too little to barely survive. I cannot even afford to get married.
8 hours is normal though. I used to work 12 hours a day and commute another 2 every day, usually 6-7 days a week. After switching to a 40 hour week I can appreciate I have so much free time while also accomplishing a lot workwise.
Both ways though, we should all get paid enough to support ourselves.
"We can be like Sisyphus, and change things within our reach to create meaning" (loose quote because I am bad at transcribing)
I'm pretty sure Sisiyphus rolling a boulder up a hill with no hope of ever finishing it was a divine punishment for him transgressing constantly against the gods. If a situation that is explicitly designed to induce frustration and hopelessness seems hopeful to you, I dunno.
Have you ever read 'The myth of Sisyphus'? Not the actual myth but the philosophical book about absurdism; it uses Sisyphus as a way to describe absurdity, since what he is doing is quite literally meaningless. I personally haven't read it but I think when he talks about Sisyphus I think he's talking about that book more than the actual greek myth, but maybe I'm wrong
@@TheLethargicWeirdo985 even still it doesnt really fit the theme of his narrative. The overarching point of sisyphus is "futility" but its direct odds with "create your own meaning and perservere" its literally a paradox.
“Man's feeling of homelessness, of alienation has been intensified in the midst of a bureaucratized, impersonal mass society. He has come to feel himself an outsider even within his own human society. He is trebly alienated: a stranger to God, to nature, and to the gigantic social apparatus that supplies his material wants.
But the worst and final form of alienation, toward which indeed the others tend, is man's alienation from his own self. In a society that requires of man only that he perform competently his own particular social function, man becomes identified with this function, and the rest of his being is allowed to subsist as best it can - usually to be dropped below the surface of consciousness and forgotten.”
― William Barrett, Irrational Man: A Study in Existential Philosophy
@@spakentruth Yes. But to quote a passage from Thomas Sheehan’s Making Sense of Heidegger, He has this to say about our encounter with the groundless metaphysical abyss which remains silent (absurdus) to whatever question we ask about why we are here at all.
“It does not suck you into your death-it neither kills you nor encourages suicide-but rather in a “positive” way (and this is the wonder of it all) throws you back (abweisen) upon your mortal self as a groundless engagement-with-meaning. You cannot make sense of the absurd-trying to do so would itself be absurd-but you can make sense of everything else as you stand there with your back pressed up against your death. You now see that, against the encompassing dark, you sustain a fragile bit of space within which things appear as meaningful. You realize that, despite its groundlessness, your mortal understanding of meaning is the thin line separating you from absolute nothingness.”
Its not about if its a paradox but to embrance and find solance of the paradox .Rather than fall into nihilism, my engagement with meaning, even the question of meaning, is the small light in the midst of darkness. My engagement with Being is precisely what annihilates nihilism. There is no making sense of the absurd. But I can make sense of everything else.
That the Walton family foundation produced the study is irony of the purest form.
it wasn't better when we punished girls for reporting SA... I hate MAGA and fake Christians. They just do not understand.
“Check your premises” - Ayn Rand
@@fitsodafun _You get it sir. It's all about earning power. Underemployed part-time minimum wage earners are asked to have "hope" and raise large families ? Come on !_
Indeed. The same Walmart who taught their employees how to apply for government assistance programs.
INDEED
Yes good God what a mess. I held out getting a smart phone until last year. I nearly couldn't function anymore. It is a life requirement now. iPhones replaced God I guess.🤨
I’m 25 years old. In my early 20s, I had severe depression and panic attack disorder due to things I couldn’t control. However, I’ve learned the hard way that I need to be easier on myself. I think if I had watched this video back then, it would have helped a lot. But hey, I’m sure it will help others a lot.
Thank you, Ameer, for this.
Anyone can go to heaven even though we are all sinners. Jesus Christ became the one and only holy sacrifice for our sins. He was resurrected 3 days after He was sacrificed. This means that if you simply choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior for your sins, you’ll be saved guaranteed! Do not listen to other church goers who says you gotta do this and do that to go to heaven.
You Do Not need to do the following to go to heaven:
1. Repent of your sins
2. Follow the commandments
3. Water baptized
4. Go to church weekly
5. Do good work, but we shouldn’t take advantage of this & do bad things.
6. Pray the rosary, do the catholic sacraments & traditions.
Jesus Christ did all the hard, holy labor for us.
We need to believe only.
You’ll ❤ turn out fine. 😊
Stoic philosophy helped me a lot
I have come to 2 realizations in life that now give me more joy than ever imaginable.
Just to cut it short, get rid of ALL of your expectations for everything. The soda will taste slightly different tomorrow than it does today.
Live in the moment, do not regret anything from the past but grow from everything, take something good from everything and never fear the future.
Until you know you failed the exam, don't worry about the hypothetical IF.
I truly believe, if you can get to such a state where the expectation for everything is so low or nonexistant, that no matter the outcome it can only be good, or at least not as bad if you were let down.
...but what happens when you notice something getting worse? Do you just ignore it and embrace the reduced quality experience of today, and again tomorrow, until whatever it is has become unrecognizable from what it used to be?
There's a balance, sure, but we do need to have some expectations. If I say I'm taking your house, you can't just smile and think about getting used to living in a tent.
@@llIlIlllII It's not black or white, life is constant labor and joy, trying to feel pleasure all the time only produces anxiety. Reel based social media helps creating people with messed brains accostumed to constant gratification, condition that expands to other areas of life.
The trap in “living like a dog” is becoming complacent with current issues and ceasing to fight or work for a better future. That’s how you can turn homeless and very ill, if you’re not also balancing the taking the day as it comes with a healthy planning and preparing for one’s future.
This feeling of hopelessness and powerlessness is exactly why I refuse to watch or read any kind of news. What's important to me and my life will reach me through friends and family, the rest doesn't bother me. It's mainly negative events that I can't influence either way and keep me in this spiraling mindset of "everything is getting worse". I need something positve to keep my will to life. I may be ignorant, but at least I'm happy.
limiting your exposure to world news doesn't make you ignorant. it lets you focus on the things that are important. the news love spreading negative news becuz that's what draws in the views and the money. we humans are literally not evolved to have this much information crammed into us, especially ones that we can't influence.
❤ Good on you.
Wow, that's literally exactly the same way I see everything too. Realised a long time ignorance is bliss, and that sometimes it's the healthiest thing to do for you. I live so much more in the moment and while I lament so much in this world, I try to make my reality, and the people who are important to me, as good and happy as possible. It's really helped me
and that's why shit don't change, you have to have the guts to face up to evil and then tackle it. the only reason this sick system keeps going is because it tells the individual you can't change it...
@@markc1234golf So what can we change?
To play devil's advocate, it's becoming abundantly clear that happiness from materialism, even on the middle class level, is a dead end.
Absolutely
In terms of the smartphone issue - I think you're almost entirely correct. I'm 31 years old and I remember a time before smartphones, but that doesn't meant a time before the internet... I think the problem is internet addiction, and what the smartphone did was it made you connected to the internet 100% of the time (except for when you're sleeping), whereas it used to be that you had to be at home in order to access the internet on your desktop PC / home laptop, and when you weren't at home - you'd be outside spending time with your friends, and everyone would talk to each other without distracting themselves with their phones, because mobile phones were still "ordinary".
That's a good way to put it. The internet was the vice, your smart phone was basically taking that vice and making it accessible 24/7. So if the internet was heroine, your phone is basically like having a drug dealer in your pocket who will give you whateber drug you want at any point for free.
Good luck quitting that addiction.
it's just a symptom, we are disconnected because we are in a constant survival mode because we are set up by the system to COMPETE instead of Co Operate ! It is really that simple. system is run by psychopaths and it funnels more of them to the top all the time whilst people with empathy helplessly watch and know not what to do
@@kaufmanat1 I think technology like the internet provided an outlet for people to live their shittiest version of themselves even if that version, to them, seemed the best. I banned Instagram in my house and I told my daughter there was no way in hell she was allowed view it, use it, interact with it or even talk about it in the house. It's a vehicle for lies (fake lives) and shame (why are you not as beautiful as me) and disingenuous grifters (nowadays called 'influencers') to make a buck. She's 16 now and thanked me for my stance a few weeks back. A good friend of hers killed herself by hanging because some dicks mocked her relentlessly on Instagram over a 2 year period. It wasn't my daughter's friend's addiction to phones or the internet that killed her, it was how this "heroin" allowed others to abuse her anonymously, without consequence and without relent. Now that AI is the new buzzword and folks are waking up I give social media another 5 years before it will be regarded as a technological blip where we all got hoodwinked for a time and then woke up.
I grew Up in the 2010s and i Had nowhere near this addiction. Nurture, Not Nature. I got my First Phone with 10 (2019) but that i still went outdoors 75% of the time. Gen X as well but especially Millenials cant parent properly and thats how Gen Alpha grows Up with RUclips kids
@@kaanpleb so i guess we have addicted millennial parents with addicted kids
I'm 16 and over the course of a couple of years I have realized how badly the world is plunging into overstimulation and depression. All people do is numb themselves and anger is a symptom of all of that. All I do is try my best to keep my mental health in shape.
You are hope my friend
same bro
dont worry its not actually as bad as everyone makes it seem, just dont make bad choices (like dropping out) and you'll be fine its really not that hard to live a good life.
You would have loved the 90's-00's if you skate. Btw, most 16 years old are brainless, so you are way ahead of them in maturity.
Delete all your social media, spread the word and watch the world change if you are reading this and listening.
As an older millennial, I feel for ya guys. You have it rough. My generation suffered in different ways; the transition from no Internet, no computer, to suddenly being instantly connected to every other person in the world has been a crazy ride. The ways in which we suffered, we kept bottled up. Whenever we tried to advocate for change, we got accused of being entitled, that all of our problems were caused by avocado toast (which by the way, is cheaper than bacon and eggs but don't bother engaging with boomers on that one). We were told to shut up, and be thankful for our minimum wage jobs. The great recession only reinforced that view. So we sat on our hands and stopped talking about it. We were afraid to speak up. But I see all the things that Gen Z and Gen A are doing and I gotta say, y'all are a courageous bunch. Keep doing what you are doing because it might not feel like you are making change happen, but you are doing something that my generation did not; you are talking about it. Keep on truckin and keep on touching grass guys!
Very illuminating narration for a 70 years old father (me) who has a gen z son. Now I think I understand much about my son: his mood, introvertness, his behavior, don't care for or any hankering for consumer goods, very little interest in girls.... Thank you.
He’s a normal guy.. it’s not easy for young men. I’m 28 and I see it in people my age too. It’s not a good time for young people.
All of that is very normal amongst gen z men.
The best thing you can do whether or not your son admits it, is to be there for him and be as supportive as you can as the father figure in his life. It can mean the world to someone. I respect you for taking the time to understand the struggles of this generation, and I am sure your son would be appreciative of it as well.
34 year old here. Single, no interest in women(dating apps are cancer). Just be there for your son. Make sure he is busy with a hobby. Personally, I have found cars and computers. In the winter I play with computers(and video games) and in the summer it's cars. I enjoy my simple, quiet life. No drama, no crying, and logic prevails!
@@cliffordjordan9577I’m 28 too used to be ongoing and a happy person but man I’m in a melancholic depression now the society is sick and people are falling for the selfish and individualistic society that is killing us.. I dodged suicide so many times but now I’m completely hopeless..also knowing what the future that the elite globalists WEF preparing for us..is making more sick than ever since 2020..hope that humanity wins for me I finished my part lost my brain in the process also being raised in third world country in a F*up family made it 10000 times worser..I’m in tears and pain for what it’s happening all around the world wars division hyper inflation genderism..once you see their deception you can’t go back living with a filter..average persons thinks I’m crazy when they can’t see the truth anymore..fed up lies and those are leading us straight to hell by empowering more the stakeholders of megalithic companies
He is very normal, most of the guys I know of my age (25) are so damn similar, otherwise they have to gather at one of their parents house.. and attempt to have a good hangout..
If they’re “moved out”, there’s no way you’re hanging out because they’re about to lose their apartment every second they moved out of their parents
im 16 and i noticed how much sadder people were when i moved out of my city into its suburb. people tended to spend more time inside and on their phone and its honestly rubbed off on me
Go and start walking around the block every night. Greet the neighbors you do see, stop and chat.
@@5060northernmama I’m legit the only one that does that. Although I do it in the morning and the afternoon. I’m also a teen so i really only see older people never people my age ://
Everything is meaningless without God. Post modernism tried to kill God but God is far bigger than all of that. You can't invent an iPhone come up with a scientific theory and say that there is no God! That is a lie from the enemy. The fact the Christianity is still so large in the world tells us that. Yes the faith is declining but that is not because of the lack in belief in God it is the lack of wanting to involve yourself in community anymore. Hebrews 10:25 (read it) Also read Ecclesiastes. This Generation is hopeless because of the new outlook on life and yes because of the screens because the overload on lies from the enemy. It is not that God is not real because when you look into history it is proven time and time again that there is a God and His name is Jesus! (Also Yahweh) People want to act like there is no God and His concept is just something that held us together, but you must all realize that this is a lie! God is our creator! God gives us the greatest love! Jesus did exist! The prophecies were proven and there is no reason to be hopeless! God is GOOD!!!! DONT DOUBT GOD AND HIS PLAN!!! Romans 8:28 says "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes" DONT LOOSE FAITH! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WIN THE RACE!!!
@@5060northernmama they don’t go outside. And yes I do frequently go outside I physically can’t stay inside. I get around my town by bike. As of writing this, the last time I was in a car was 2 weeks ago. In a suburb. I have a life especially involved in my town board and am working on getting a job at the local water station.
And yes it is absolutely horrible compared to the city
Yeah, because of car dependent infrastructure and transportation, third spaces are far away, or they’re expensive or etc. If you don’t have friends living in the same community or have something to do outside, there’s not much to do other than taking walks outside, which is also boring if it’s a cookie cutter suburb with barely any natural scenery to look at
While it’s true that they feel a sense of hopelessness I have it for a legitimate reason, at 14 years old I was diagnosed with autism, and throughout high school my growth was stunted by the schooling system not knowing what to do with me, so here I am, 22 years of age with no job, no career, just playing games while living in my moms house, no dad because of course not, why would someone like me have their dad? But yeah, needless to say, I’m pretty hopeless right now
haha autism
This video avoids discussing the elephant in the room-- the increasing state of poverty and personal debt. Most individuals today are stuck in debt, on low salaries which do not allow them to purchase a humble home; meditation and mindful dogma (although in vogue) will do nothing to solve our economic woes. In fact, it does the opposite, it encourages them to accept the status quo, rather than complaining or demanding a fairer economic system from our government, banks and corporations. The 'just meditate and you'll be fine' is only a method to cope in the present, not to enact change toward the future. Gen Z and everyone who cares about the future will need to demand better from our institutionalized powers. Encouraging young people to do nothing to improve their economic situation is effectively a way of mentally neutering them away from a solution -- Thus, the cycle of quiet quitting.
I think this is bc he lacks experience. Hes young and most likely is finanically stable one way or another and therefore surrounding socially by ppl who are in the same catagory as him but he did make a lot of good points. And the point you made is worth noting as well.
@@SheBrewRoyal using sisyphus as a metaphor for perserverence is misguided bc the act of rolling the rock up the mountain was part of his eternal punishment. No matter what he did the ball would roll back down the mountain and hed be forced to repeat the task again.
I was forced to get a smart phone a couple years ago when my flip phone went belly up. I leave it home.
@@sammyjoe2390 its called "smart" because it combines the functions of several devices, such as a computer, a camera, a music player, and a telephone, into a single device, not because it takes any intelligence to use. jeez how old are you
get another flip phone
@@erykando flip phones also are computers with music players and cameras. it's 'smart' because it is internet-connected and networked to extensive infrastructure for data collection. 'smart fridge' 'smart thermostat' 'smart doorbell' 'smart tv' what do they all have in common? internet-connected and piped to data collection/transmission infrastructure.
@@erykandoit’s called smart cuz you gotta be dumb to buy it
@@oahts5906 crazy how convenience equals dumb to you, you prob walk around with your groceries around the store instead of taking a shopping cart because it would be "dumb" if yall expired assed are not ready for change then dont be a part of this world
Me: "Wealth distribution is at an all time high, housing is practically unaffordable, the job market is atrocious, I'm one missed paycheck and surprise expense away from being homeless, and instead of the taxes I pay going towards anything to actually help mitigate literally any of these issues, they go towards endless wars overseas so that billionaires can profit off of slave labor and exploitation." Ameer: "Have you tried not caring?"
Have you tho? The root cause of some problems will take decades to be fixed. You can just patch it up for a year or so and get yourself a shovel to dig it to the core. Sometimes we are way too weak to do anything substantial, but we are always strong enough to buy some time and wasting the strength in pursuit of something substantial will just lead to disappointment.
@@snehanshu6228Damn dawg, that’s depressing af
I was really impressed with the analysis of the societal factors leading to hopelessness. I was severely let down when it came to the "solution", which is basically just to turn off the noise. That only allows the systems in power to continue unabated and doesn't address general societal unrest about the situation. We want a different world, not one where we bury our heads in the sand when uncomfortable.
You want to provide the solutions to the hard issues but can't find solutions to your life.
I've got a bit of advice for you thats less dumb.
Only care about what you can possibly be responsible for or control. If its totally outside of your ability to affect, its the same thing as reading a book. Dont let it get to you.
Capitalism has gone into hyperdrive in the last decade, greed has washed away any social contract and i have seen the resulting collective psychopathy become almost universal. Society needs a conscious and i have seen that conscious nearly completely disappear.
Its not capitalism. Capitalism is just an economic systems. We have had capitalism for 200 years, the problem now is the incentive system rewards profitmaking by cost-cutting instead of innovation. When cost-cutting is your goal experienced skilled laborers is viewed as a cost instead of an asset. Look at your leaders you cant even get them to look at 8 years away much less 40 years from now. The political incentives are skewed towards rewarding give-a-ways and tax cuts not long term thinking. The fault does not like in our starts but in ourselves.
@@stephenvoss6092that‘s the end goal of capitalism brother. the “capital” is right in the name, it’s the most important part. the product is irrelevant, it’s a means to an end.
@@stephenvoss6092 you're spreading misinformation if you're delusional enough to think that capitalism isn't inherently an extremely flawed system that would inevitably end up with things being as bad as they are today.
The problem isn't capitalism, its crony capitalism with a hint of greedy corruption. There are people who have been in power for 30+ years and done simply nothing as they use insider knowledge to milk money while they can. If you're in power, then you don't make a fortune 10 times over unless you're doing something you shouldn't be. A capitalist society with an actual free market should be seen as a solution, instead of giving more power to these corrupt individuals.
@@stephenvoss6092 People want to cope and blame capitalism. I'd be riskier to say that the concept of capitalism is has been alive since the entire idea of making luxeries. You make things people want to buy. If people want your work, they will pay for it. If they don't, you starve. So do work that people value and create a product people want to buy.
This idea has been around since the concept of money.
Hi Ameer. I am a philosophy and social studies professor and I've been showing your work (this particular one) to my students since this was posted. I would just like to commend and thank you for this well-made exposition. It definitely resonates with the students of today; it gives a clear picture on problems relating to existential dread and postmodernism.
I'm sad to know it's not just me that gave up
Same
It's awful. I'm 24, and I have no idea what I want to do with my life. Any and all effort I put into anything these days feels worthless.
@@classichank60What is awful is that the society we knew is being destroyed by a lot of things. Freedom disappear more and more.
This popped up in my recommendations. This was well articulated in conveying what must be a largely murky, undefined mess to untangle! This needs more views!
This video is making phones the boogeyman while avoiding acknowledging systemic issues in society
Yes pretty much blame everything but the corporations and the capitalist system that demand profits and rewards the elites for keeping everyone else worse off unemployment is by design makes people desperate and allows companies to hire workers for penny's
being super stressed just to be a little less poor... or just stepping back, having your time, and not feeding a broken corrupt system.
Agree. Try not to cooperate with the system.
You can't if you are not rich, a criminal or a homeless.
Like the band Rush says in their song "subdivisions", "some will sell their dreams for small desires".
Instead of stepping back forever you can use that freedom learn how to position yourself at the top, otherwise being poor working for someone isn’t much worse
Honestly a very underrated channel. Im glad i got recommended this, great job dude.
"The fact that something will end is not a case to say that it does not have meaning. Because things have meaning while they are here. So be here… now." That's the most beautiful thing I have ever heard.
Everything is meaningless without God. Post modernism tried to kill God but God is far bigger than all of that. You can't invent an iPhone come up with a scientific theory and say that there is no God! That is a lie from the enemy. The fact the Christianity is still so large in the world tells us that. Yes the faith is declining but that is not because of the lack in belief in God it is the lack of wanting to involve yourself in community anymore. Hebrews 10:25 (read it) Also read Ecclesiastes. This Generation is hopeless because of the new outlook on life and yes because of the screens because the overload on lies from the enemy. It is not that God is not real because when you look into history it is proven time and time again that there is a God and His name is Jesus! (Also Yahweh) People want to act like there is no God and His concept is just something that held us together, but you must all realize that this is a lie! God is our creator! God gives us the greatest love! Jesus did exist! The prophecies were proven and there is no reason to be hopeless! God is GOOD!!!! DONT DOUBT GOD AND HIS PLAN!!! Romans 8:28 says "All things work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purposes" DONT LOOSE FAITH! FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT WIN THE RACE!!!
Well put together!
This is so true. Cards are stacked against us. Housing is unaffordable and you'd be a fool to try and buy something if you could get rug pulled (i.e., layed off) in a moment's notice then can't make your mortgage then good luck finding a new job with your anxiety causing a nervous break down and then ultimately end up moving in with your parents or just saying your ultimate goodbye.
Scary times.
And you wonder why doctors prescribe (hand out) Antidepressant pills like they are sweets.
I love that you're bringing philosophy and Camus to this conversation. I'm a Xennial, I discovered his work in the 90's, but he's a 1940-50s man. He cornered this 'life is absurd' narrative in a way that's still relatable today (wether its the existential version or the 'I'm watching too much news' version, which also brought people down, in any era where you had news to spread), but he's of course not the first one to observe how life can seem meaningless (his solution is action and revolt...). This question is Humanity-Old (we all die and life can feel absurd...) and every generation deals with it in its own way. The fact that GenZ and younger Mills were left alone with social media at such a young & crucial age (while older generations were barely getting a grip of it themselves...) is what makes it unique here: sharing with the online world whatever it makes you feel like and whatever solution you come up with to fill the void.
ie: the difference is Zs coping with the problem the same way as what causes it (in big part): more social media........ But I feel you guys. It's so hard to disconnect. And it's cruel because the gafas have invaded every -EVERY- area of life: work, play, community, commerce, relationships... and it blows everything in huge proportions, precisely because it's the addition of what most people feel, instead of creating a community discussion. And it makes us dissect every aspect of it in intricate ways, on multiple platforms, but not always with the best guidance.
But the pre 2012 world left us alone too (Xennials like me often quote the late 90s Daria cartoon to summarize this, and 19th century Romantics certainly feel you), and every generation says the one before or after them, is stupid. As for layoffs of the 80's, some heavy industries suffered it as early as the beginning of the 70s (oil crisis no.1). The matter of power balance in the workplace is also age old. And as you said, although the world we live in provides for beautiful freedoms, the set of trials that we face today (revenue gaps of all kinds, eco-crisis, lodging crisis, political dishevelment, seemingly immoveable capital forces, etc) is uniquely gloomy... Meaning original solutions are in our hands (they cannot be in anyone elses's). I say 'we', because even though I'm not Z, my personal situation places me on your side. Let's also remember that revolutions and social turmoils historically happen when & BECAUSE social contract is broken by elites and authorities. It's been smelly for some time now.....
Courage, people. Things have meaning because you give it to them.
"Become so very free that your whole existence is an act of rebellion"-Camus
Really, really, really crummy parenting. All these parents universally trying to be their kids best friends, and shielding them from anything approaching self reliance or personal consequences... is flat out disastrous.
WOW WHAT A VIDEO!! Love seeing all the work, effort, and passion behind this. :) THE EDITING, THE SOUND DESIGN, THE BEAUTIFUL SHOTS!
I totally agree that with so much going on in the world, we tend to forget that there's also beauty and meaning if we let ourselves see it! It's the yin and the yang.
And also to let go of the things we can't control. Only then can we focus on the doable and make a positive change within ourselves and the world.
Your end conclusion 'find a way to change yourself' is no different to the conformity and obedience speeches that seem insightful but are really just telling people to accept the futility of their complaints and 'find Zen' so that you don't notice the bad things.
People aren't more depressed "because of phones"; they're depressed because they can now **see** how the world's systems prevent any meaningful improvement in people's lives. They're depressed because they saw a moment of real potential change, i.e. work from anywhere during the pandemic, gradually pulled back again by employers who want the world to return to the same obedient and monotonous frame it was before.
And here you are telling people, "don't try to improve anything significant; just find one thing you think you can improve for yourself and that will be enough.'
The world doesn't need people to be placid in the acceptance of their fate in the status quo. What smartphones have really given us is the on-demand ability for mass communication. We need to be **encouraging** people to resist the things they find oppressive, so that others know they are not alone - because only together do we have a chance of making people listen.
Smartphones also allow us to make money if u use them right lol
True af
@@30nickk24 true. But a real "humanistic" society would teach people how to do that. We are taught how to _work_ but we are *not* taught how to *_succeed_* .
I think social justice engagement is actually very compatible with “focusing on what you can control” (ie choosing an action group, choosing to mobilise etc) and “funding zen” (you often need to keep grounded in activism so you don’t burn out). It’s just a shame that it’s never explicitly mentioned in these kinds of videos bc it’s not the first thing that comes to people’s minds - even if it is compatible with the recommended philosophy
@@Hou413 the limit of what you can control is defined by your efforts, not your starting point.
Wow, as a German (2004), I can fully agree too. What you said, is a global phenomenon.
This was maybe the best video I watched this year. The ending also helped me with my mental health problems. Thank you so, so much!
there's a good scene in "Man of Steel" where a young Superman is overwhelmed by his powers because his senses are all turned up to 11, and he has yet to control them. His earth mom's solution at the time was for him to "make the world small". This is the same advice I give to my teenage girls. Make the world small to what's directly in front of them, and tune out the rest. Naturally, putting your phone down greatly helps in that regard.
All the things I’ve been thinking about too, pretty interesting how these feelings seem to be mutually felt across a whole generation. Love these explainer videos!!
thank you :)))
This is a really great video - the production quality is awesome, and the message is really well thought out. We don't have to agree on all the fine details - the overall picture is very well done.
It's hard to put into words how I appreciate how well-written this is. There are a lot of videos that are just talking heads for 20 minutes about this kind of topic, but you actually researched and wrote about it, and edited it well.
I'm a 2000 kid, and growing up in the world since then I've lived a lot of what you've described. I'm not sure we're "quietly giving up" like the title suggests, but we are realizing how dysfunctional these ways of living are. Our generation will age, we'll get more power as the old people die, and then change will come. Slowly, almost unnoticeably. But surely. It has to. Good video
Uou think you're not giving up, but that's not the case with 2004 onwards people.
@Gjakdjruknownhpjs incorrect.
"Our generation will age, we'll get more power as the old people die, and then change will come."
I'm old enough to know that every generation since at least the 1960s has said this exact thing. Every one.
Let's make a world gen alpha and the next several generations a livable, place where they can connect with each other.
@@grubbr
The thing is, stuff does change. Just look at the accepce of LGBT+ people over the last 50 years. It's not better everywhere all the time and it's far from a sure fight but people have made substantial changes. Going even further back the fight for bipoc rights has made tremendous progress over the last hundred years (here in the US at least).
Tldr: things are not as static as they seem. They can get better or worse based off the actions of people and, even when wider change is beyond your reach you can work to carve out a positive space for the people around you❤
To all the people saying it's smartphones that caused this, haven't been paying attention.
Exactly, tired of this narrative.It's getting boring.
@@luana2778WEF agenda black rock and vanguard owning everything
Governments elite’s corporations ect???
@@lukawilliams4822 W E F agenda..
Because the real cause is - what, social media? - if so, to me that's the same argument. Please enlighten us, master.
Great video, it discusses something most people don’t wanna hear. Too much freedom. It TOO is a bad thing.
I'm a millennial and I feel the exact same way, especially with what is going on in Gaza right now. I also feel worthless because everyone else is so much better at everything than I am. You nailed this video.
The vast majority of people in Gaza have wanted all people in Israel to be killed. They even teach it in their schools. Its a tragedy for sure. Very sad to watch. Let this be a lesson about what communities should allow to be taught in theri schools. We should teach love and acceptance, not extermination.
@@phillipreese6272 Why do we even care? There are million bad things going on around the world at the same time. It's not my problem.
@@phillipreese6272 Maybe you should read up on why Gazans have a gripe with the state of Israel. I'd suggest reading about the First Intifada and the Oslo Accords.
It's as if we have been conditioned to have feelings about everything, we shouldn't. You don't need to have feelings about every single little thing. Emotional overload.
As a reasonably intelligent, opinionated young adult I agree with this statement.
I think its more so that the internet was a massive shock to the world and people are still recovering. The mega sphere of social activity we've created is NOT what our brains are used to. Were used to chatting up 10 tribesmen per day maybe, not seeing what millions are saying & thinking all at once.
@@yesiam7481 Hear hear.
It's more about WHAT do we give our attention to, not about stopping the feelings
True, we never used to even know about events outside of our small town, let alone on the other side of the world, and now we're being made to feel bad about starving children around the world and all the other disasters, on a daily basis.
This part about learned helplessness reminded me of something I lived a few years ago. I had started my studies, I was back in with my mother and her boyfriend (whom I didn't like at all) the weekends and stayed in my dorms during the weeks. And, in the middle of my school year, my mother had to be hospitalized for months (she's all better now). And, well, during that time, I felt... weirdly numb. She was in danger, yet I didn't manage to panic about it, because, well, she was under the care of doctors and nurses, and there was nothing I could've done about it except buying her a plushie to hope make her feel a bit less alone in her small bed...
This behavior weirded myself out, but I didn't talk about it to anybody. I was sad and worried, but I couldn't bring myself to panic or to not think about my studies. And, I think it even led to her boyfriend speaking to my best friend's father about how I didn't care, which my best friend's father repeated to my best friend, who in turn repeated to me, and I felt bad about it. Everytime I look back on that, I feel weird. I know I didn't like my mother being in a hospital, but I didn't even seem to react enough in my own opinion...
'post-modernism' found the people unprepared for the 'burden' of being free to choose. unfortunately the collapsed/sabotaged education and the greedy consumerist society did not help a bit.
go back to your cave then
Great video. Voltaire also said "We should cultivate our garden" meaning we should focus on things under our control.
Brother, you gave me hope by voicing all the external problems we experience but implying that we cannot change the environment, the only change is within ourselves. Love from all over the world, brother, we need people like you.
no one talks to each other anymore. whenever I go in public everyone keeps to themselves and pulls out their phone in any situation where a social interaction might happen. there is so much social anxiety and fear. deep down we crave human interaction but don't want to put in the effort to create those bonds.
definitely! I believe we need communities where we can support each other and just have fun
Nah, whenever I go outside and look at people all I feel is disgust.
Parents in the grocery stores buying a whole stack of cigarettes' but telling their child "I don't have money for that toy".
Mothers allowing their daughters to dress like they are prostitutes.
Drunk losers in every corner who are traumatizing children because "drinking is fun".
Car crashes from incompetent drivers who are trying to drive QUICK because they are late for work.
People who mistreat their pet because they are much weaker than them and they need to vent.
And so much more...
Incompetence, arrogance, envy, greed, abuse, betrayal etc. .
You see all that in people nowadays, you rarely every see a person worthy of your respect. That's one the biggest reasons why people nowadays prefer to not interact as much as they used to in previous years.
As a 41 year old who still doesn't own a smart phone, I can tell you with 100% certainty that those things make people less happy. I spent my late 20's feeling like my friends were abandoning me for their new phones -- they were interrupting dates, taking precedence over conversation, keeping people up late and making them forget to look at people and smile as they passed on the street. People stopped asking one another for directions or the time, which was actually a surprisingly easy way to make friends sometimes. I wasn't alone in my dismay either -- there used to be an etiquette where if your technology got in the way of human interaction it was considered rude. I now live next to a college campus, and probably 75% of the students walking around are staring at screens as they walk around -- not the trees, not the sky, not one another -- even when they are walking side-by-side with friends. No one is interacting. In the early 2000's, when I was in college, walking with a friend who was completely ignoring you would've been heart-breaking, confusing, infuriating. Subconsciously, I think it still feels that way, we've just made it normal.
You are awake. ♡
Riiiiiiiiiiight. It's those damn phones! Them kids just need to talk to each other again and get outside and kick a ball around!
Give me a break. Maybe Gen Z's giving up because previous generations have done everything in their power to hoard as much wealth as possible leading to a new generation sooner or later being left with NO CHANCE of ever having financial security. I will never own my own home. EVER. And given landlords are free to increase rents as much as they like, I will spend an ever growing percentage of my income on rent. I already spend about 50% on rent. Within the next two years it'll be 70%. We are being forced to become serfs and watch as boomers and billionaires vacuum up all the wealth and land and laughing at us for not being smart enough to buy homes and invest 30 years before we were BORN.
Have you ever considered that the reason people prefer to be on their phones instead of talking to you is because you simply were not worth talking to?
@@wafflingmean4477
What a ridiculously hostile response. Of course the larger problems in the world are part of the problem, but there's people living in very poor hopeless regions of the world who are actually happier than people in western nations, exactly because their need for social interaction is satisfied, and they're not confronted with a bunch of rich beautiful people flaunting their "better" lives on social media every day.
Not to mention, the guy you're responding to is a millennial, most of us can't afford homes either. Most of my friend group is just saving endlessly as the housing prices keep drifting out of reach.
well your conclusion seems obviously biased and invalid cos 1) 100% certainty is never something you can achieve, and 2) you don't even own a smart phone.
This is akin to saying "as a hamster who never tasted fish meat, I can tell you with 100% certainty that this is the source of all of humanity's suffering"
@@Desmond-Dark
I'm not sure what you mean.
Thank you for taking the time to make these connections with our struggles as a generation and the hand that we were dealt. You opened the door to something that a lot of us are internalizing and spreading awareness of how normal it actually is can make a huge difference in our views of life. A lot of these issues that we are facing stem from things hardly within our control and the sooner we realize that, the sooner we can move forward and ensure the generation behind us do not fall into this trap. We need to stand together and remember that good things will not just happen. We have to put in the work and if your mind is in the right place, it will not be for no reason. Our purpose in this life is to uplift others and allow ourselves to be vulnerable with one another so we can learn from our mistakes. Not flaunt all the good things and leave the bad in the back of the closet.
Hey everyone, thanks so much for watching :) This topic means a lot to me and it’s something I've wanted to explore for a really long time.
Please keep in mind that I’m not a formally-trained philosophy scholar, so I’m aware there may be gaps or oversimplifications in how I define and explain these philosophical concepts. This video is specifically for those of us who, like myself, don’t necessarily have a formal background in philosophy. It aims to be an easy-to-digest, subjective take on Gen Z for those who might not be familiar with these topics. So to all the Lyotard, Derrida, and Baudrillard buffs out there, thank you for your patience!
If you have your own insights to contribute to the discussion, please share them below! I’m all ears for correction and constructive criticism. Thanks again for being here :)
C'est toi vantoan celui qui joue du piano en public et qui a l'oreille absolue ??
If this is the beggining Era where everybody spends time online , Game-Developers/ment and 3D Animators will rule this, and the next generation.
you have a really nice voice
Good job can't get any better than this.
The illusion of freedom is the biggest problem. People are less free than ever but given the illusion of freedom. One of the biggest problems is free people who go take selfies everywhere. I think selfies are the true problem. It wasn't phones as much as it was phones with front facing cameras.
Now people just want to see themselves on their phone. Now after covid the national parks n USA are being too busy. People trampling the plants, poisoning the wildlife, throwing garbage everywhere. Just to get those trendy selfies.
The solution is ban forward facing cameras? Make cell phones phones again
Thanks for adding the calming section at the end. I really needed it after thinking of the state of the world.
But I'm surprised that climate change wasn't a major topic in this video. Did you just not want to be too depressing? Everyone I know is going through a lot of pain knowing that life will be really tough in a few decades.
If we choose to have children, those children will probably have a really bad life and there's nothing we can do to change that. IME, this perspective is universal among my generational cohort. (I'm 26)
this video sucks literaly climate change, late stage capitalism, collonialism and the feeling that your goverment does not care for you are way bigger issues than "phone bad"
@@kanjonojigoku8644 in order: climate change is a fear tactic to reduce industrial production, late stage capitalism bad, whodafuq is colonizing nowadays, and the government is actively malicious, but phone is still bad.
He writes off climate change as being a contributing factor beginning at this timestamp: ruclips.net/video/c9mvcfVfbio/видео.html
(this was also the timestamp where I downvoted the video)
It's obviously a gigantic factor, it's just that he's pretending it isn't a gigantic factor.
you shouldn't think of climate change in this way, like some inevitable disaster that we are 100% sure is gonna destroy earth. It's pointless, people like to pretend we know the future when in reality nobody does. Yes, we can predict events to a certain degree but it's not 100% accurate every single time. People have been going on and on about the world dying for decades yet here we are, still living on earth. Let's not get too ahead of ourselves. You, I , and the smartest most knowledgeable person on earth will still never know what exactly the future holds or when exactly we all die. That just isn't knowledge we have. People have to quit acting like we know the future. It might get worse, it might get better.
climate change lmao
Do you think the climate 400 years ago was the same as today?
Or that it will impact you more in 10 years, than the bs goverment laws which will use it as an excuse? (eco-timer on showers, water limit for personal consumption, unable to use it for herds or crops without license)
Phone bad, technology brings slavery, capitalism wants to extract your lifeforce (money = solidified lifeforce), yet you care about climate change which is the only thing you cannot influence at all
Omg. This is a really well-produced video, thorough and non-biased. 👍
Anyone can go to heaven even though we are all sinners. Jesus Christ became the one and only holy sacrifice for our sins. He was resurrected 3 days after He was sacrificed. This means that if you simply choose to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior for your sins, you’ll be saved guaranteed! Do not listen to other church goers who says you gotta do this and do that to go to heaven.
You Do Not need to do the following to go to heaven:
1. Repent of your sins
2. Follow the commandments
3. Water baptized
4. Go to church weekly
5. Do good work, but we shouldn’t take advantage of this & do bad things.
6. Pray the rosary, do the catholic sacraments & traditions.
Jesus Christ did all the hard, holy labor for us.
We need to believe only.
This was incredibly well made! The quality is in line with Vox and Bloomberg Shorts, all while being way more grounded from a younger person's perspective. I can't wait for your inevitable success, keep making these sorts of vids!
I'm a GenX single dad with a GenZ teenage son. I feel so bad for my son's generation. He is becoming all the negative things you mentioned. He was such a happy child up until 12 y/o. Then I got him an XBox and a cell phone and everything changed.
Read "Industrial Society and Its Future", that power process, and surrogate activity parts. Predicted 3 decades ago (including this vid)
Consider enrolling him or attending in an in-person community group if you haven’t ( sports, church, martial arts, etc.) This can help.
On that note, if I ever have kids, I refuse to get them a phone until they turned 18. No phones. It ruins them. No gaming, none of that.
Sell up and build an off grid cabin somewhere warm?
@@lateblossom 1). What about them communicating with friends? No phone will leave them ostracised at school, for one.
2). I tutor kids. I know 10 and 11 year olds who do very well with phone access, because their parents are active and engaged in their upbringing. One of the kids even got interested in electronics repair, and their parents got them several old phones to experiment on.
The kid does not use any kind of social media, and is impressively good at online safety.
Elder genz here, lemme break it down: ITS BECAUSE WE DID EVERYTHING THEY TOLD US TO NOT BE POOR AND WE ENDED UP POORER THAN WE WERE GROWING UP
Life in the US after the 2008 recession was significantly worse and most people fell a few rungs down the economic ladder or lost everything. We had it drilled in our head that the only way to escape poverty was to go to college, or you will flip burgers your whole life because all the union and manufacturing jobs disappeared so corporations can save themselves. We had the stress of our whole future on our shoulders since middle school to go above and beyond to have a chance to even go to college and have a respectable job.
Adjusted for inflation, a union job in 2000 paid as much as an entry level job requiring a degree today. And factoring the massive housing costs now or student loans, we are poorer.
Considering we mostly joked around and trash talked at base camp, THIS was the last thing expected you to create. And yet you've created a masterpiece. Good work ding ding!
LMAO thank you ding dong- I mean Nico haha
We need a revolution of political, economic and philosophical thinking and organising worldwide.
Maybe, but probably in the opposite direction of what you think.
@@roflchopter11 agitate, organise and educate my dude 😎
Nope to late
Revolutions in thinking don't happen because some enlightement happens. It happens because all people thinking "the old way" just start to die.
then read political theory. these problems were unfortunately predicted two centuries ago. hell, even tocqueville knew that america’s pursuit of the material over the theoretical would cause problems down the line. all of us know these problems exist in the material, but we have no concrete theory of their cause or any idea how to solve them.
Good stuff bro. Great voice for narrating.
So young and yet so full of insight and wisdom. WTF? This is the best of RUclips, where master communicators can reach a wide audience.
Okay, this is truly phenomenal. Thank you a billion times for making such a beautiful, wise and inspiring video. Please never stop creating, Ameer ! ❤
Thank you Meisha! I appreciate your kind words so much :)
WOW, my oldest son; Nick who is 27 suggested I watch your video. Your video was very well done! 😀
I don't remember ever agreeing with wage labor, imperialism and a world dominated by capital in general.
I'd rather bleed green than red.
Well, back in the fifties most people didn't agree to systematic racism
@@Greatwhitesloth then youll live your last days in a dying world, nothing will change as long as we allow unchecked capitalism to destroy everything we hold dear for a line to go up.
Nobody asked you
That's like saying "I didn't asked to be born"
No chicken ever asked to be served to be on my plate or someone agreeing to have cancer in their 20s but it is what it is.
Its how humans are that came to be this way. Restart the world a million times and we'll arrive to this situation in a little bit different conditions but very similar
I'm 44 and I have not dated once since 2012 and trying to get women to look in your general direction is an impossibility. A chad I never have been, but dating when I came of age in 1997 to 2012 I experienced a relatively decent degree of success with women and dating with a few dry spells, but all dating ended in 2012. If I had been born in 1999 rather than 1979, I believe I would still be a virgin at 44 in 2043. I can't even imagine how awful it must be for young men today; dating is a rite of passage for teens and the dating game is seriously screwed up for young women and teen girls and virtually nonexistent for young men and teenaged boys. The serious long term mental health and socialising consequences for both the individual and society are not truly going to be felt for some time.
Getting women to look at you is not how you find love, my man,
It's one of the best videos I have seen on the internet lately. It spoke directly to my philosophical spirit- this part of me I sometimes neglect. Thank you.
I was sitting in a waitingroom with 6 other people today and everyone was watching their phone... The moment they sat down, the phone pops out and there's no more engagement with their surrounding.
I love talking with strangers, I find it exciting. I did not always find it exciting, but had to learn it by feeling uncomfortable. I hope the new generation learns this as well.
I think that people are just tired from the stress of their lives and see phone usage as easier than talking with strangers, so people see it as more relaxing. The funny thing is that even when it’s uncomfortable (and I have a speech impediment, so it’s doubly so for me), have good conversations with strangers can be more rejuvenating than just about anything else. It feels like work at first, and there is risk, but it’s worth it, as you know. I feel like each new generation is getting a bit worse at conversation, which makes social media seem even more fake, because who are you if you can’t or won’t represent yourself in person?
They won’t and therefore their kids won’t
That's not the phone, that's people.
Back in the day we'd rummage through the magazines, grab one, and take a seat. If you didn't bring your own waiting material.
One day, maybe on their deathbeds, people may realise that they should have lived and appreciated the moment more, instead of stressing themselves out with endless information and data that did not contribute to improving their lives and happiness of themselves and others that are important to them.
Travel too has changed with this.
I'm old and I get depressed thinking about the future too.
one of the best videos I've ever seen 🧡
What you said in “Be here now” I believe is why for a group of millennials and Gen Z have stuck so doggedly to the idea and principle that Unus Annus laid out. That you can do anything, strive for anything, but even with that fire under, remember, nothing is forever, so this moment is so important, just as important as striving. That this came out only two days before the 3rd year anniversary of Unus Annus is… so fitting.
The clock is ticking, but that is okay, it will always be ticking, and that doesn’t mean that we must fear it.
Momento mori.
I hear the clock.
"be here now" was the tag line for Erhard Seminars Training (EST) in the 80's. still true as Ameer points out.
This was an incredible watch mate. Thank you kindly for your hard work making it!
Any time someone says, "so and so is THE go to expert" alarm bells should start going off.
Jean Twenge is a self-promoting grifter.
Compared to when I was growing up, there was the rise of Facebook, social media, reliance on dating sites and not getting picked with dating and relationships becoming more non-traditional. Plus, there were more phones and computers instead of people going out. And these are some of the things the caused of depression, anti-social demeanor, lack of motivation, hopelessness and all kinds of other negative things that are STILL going on today!! And by the way, we now got A.I.
So, get ready for more problems!!
Great video man. I hope you and everyone here make it in life
really fantastic work man :)
I used to feel so heavily obligated to feel a type of suffering, or express it, because it was so prevalent through social media. but like you said, worrying accomplishes so little, and learning to let that concern secede has done my mental so well.
love love the sound design in this too, great track picks, really supported the tone. also! don't know if that was an intended match-cut at the end between you at the lake/you at the train, but sooooo sick haha
cheers!
Thank you so much Brad :) and thanks for noticing the match cut hehe
this is such an eloquent, well-executed video that speaks so precisely to the issues that i feel everyone our age and beyond is dealing with right now. amazing job, and thanks for phrasing these ideas so clearly
This needs to be shared EVERYWHERE
This video is so underrated and deserves more views of what it’s worth in explaining the most complex generation in human history.
CNN and FOX need to air this video with no editing. every night for a year.
Dude this was sooo well made, the graphics, sound design, etc. So good Ameer.
thank you Simon!!
I've been there.... Seriously.... What I've learned? Working towards your dreams helps~ Being the change I wish to see in the world helps~ Seeking out things that bring me hope helps~ For each person these things are different. Self-actualization makes a huge difference in life. I learned this and now practice it daily while also coaching others on how to practice it themselves. For those who don't know who they are? I try to help them figure it out. These things helped me find hope in a better future, but I can still feel the weight of the chaos in the world.
This is your best work so far man, holy crap what an incredible video
Thanks so much! You've been here from the start, and I really am grateful you've stuck around
I can definitely believe this. When i was around 11-17 I grew up in a girls grouphome which is far different from the boys . We were not allowed outside, internet , anything that can connect to the internet , any music that wasnt godly or instrumental , any clothing that isn't godly. To say the less it was strict and it was an awful way to grow up. There was so much conflict at the house. When I would go to school I felt lost I felt more comfortable hanging out with my teachers and couldn't understand anyone's clothing trends or social media . Everyone was so different from me and it made me feel depressed because I couldn't connect. With all of that I don't have a positive outlook on the future I have had front row seats to how awful the US government can be and even then I can tell you I haven't seen it all . Did you know all those unhomed kids are stock piled at certain location . Hundreds upon thousands of kids are group together in trios in office cubicles and basically forgotten its not a lie. I got to spend some time there and the amount of luggage and trash bags filled with kids belongings is sickening . They have a gated parking lot so no one can see .The one in arizona is at least 10 stories tall with almost every floor filled. I am hopeless for the future even unfortunately more scared for my daughter. I believe there is nothing but destruction and control in the future. Sorry about the word vomit ...