In the late seventies/early eighties we grew up believing we were going to die in a nuclear holocaust. Have you watched “The Day After” and “Threads”? Way worse on a child’s psyche than “Don’t Look Up” because doesn’t depict survival in an irradiated apocalypse of pain, wounds, death, and deprivation: everyone just gathers for a nice dinner and instant obliteration.

We Gen-X coped with the grim possibility of nuclear death, and then coped with death by AIDS, and then coped with the ever-increasing reality of global environmental failure, from ozone holes to acid rain to the heat death of the planet, and then coped with being kicked in the teeth by massive financial failures again and again and again.

Things have been worsening ever more rapidly my entire damn life and there’s no sign of it ever letting up. Yet somehow, still coping. I don’t think young people have it any worse than Gen-X has had it.

Grumble, woe is me, get off my lawn, etc.

They don’t, but Gen X had Boomer or Silent generation parents who mostly refused to relate emotionally. So punk, angst, grunge made its way into public communication instead.

Gen Z is lucky in a sense to have mostly Gen X or younger parents, who are like, yeah, it sucks, I feel you.

This is validating for Gen Z is a wonderful way and I hope that everyone complaining about emotional entitlement can come to understand that while it may be uncomfortable for them because they don’t speak the language, it is not a weakness, it is a strength.

   > it is not a weakness, it is a strength.

How so? They're all so depressed, and hopeless. What part of that is strong? How is that beneficial?

They are looking at the problem. You can’t solve anything if you pretend it doesn’t exist.

They haven't solved anything, and it appears there is no desire to solve because then they would stop being victims. It's just too comforting to be able to blame any shortcomings on something other than your own effort. Don't believe me? Find one that takes full accountability for themselves rather than blame society/parents/Elon/Chad from school etc. Nothing is ever their fault, have a conversation with them if you don't believe me. I talk to them everyday and it's an almost universal mass psychosis.

They are young. No generation is perfect, and they may yet fail to address it.

But still, if the issue isn’t even recognized then the only way it might be addressed is accidentally. At least they have a chance to look it head on.