Cripes. On a friday night in, with a bottle of vino to take the edge off, this Gen-Xer's existential dread is reawakened. Thanks.
"While I’m not denying other generations had it rough — I wouldn’t have wanted to come of age during the Vietnam War, or the stagnation years of the 1970s — at least things eventually got better."
It didn't get better. Those of us who endured endless jobhunts for £1 p/h, yuppies, and AIDs, all under the threat of nuclear incineration, learned cynicism and to keep our eyes open.
Aye, it's entirely possible I'm guilty of looking back with rose-tinted glasses at an era which I didn't myself experience. But I guess the question becomes: did you have hope that things would get better?
That's where I'm stuck. I don't see things getting better. I see them getting worse -- and to an extent which, to be truthful, frightens me.
I'd offer apologies, but the blame lies not with this generation or after. But whereever the evidence points, and I'm loathe to trot out the easy 'boomer', it must surely be towards wealth and moronic privilege, 'class'.
To get a good sense of this phenomenon, read the first part of The Executioner's Song. Life in the 1970s for a violent ex con was immeasurably better than it is now for a college-educated zoomer.
It's a long book, so I can summarize it quantitatively:
Gary Gilmore was a violent felon released on parole in 1976. In less than six months, Gilmore got two jobs, went on multiple dates, and was able to get an affordable car loan for a Mustang. For a new college-graduate, one of those accomplishments would be nothing short of heroic. Doing all three would make you a prince.
Well that was sinister (unfortunately I cannot disagree). I just wanted to point out that saying younger people sacrificed experiences to protect the elderly and/or immuno-compromised during the pandemic is a flawed narrative, at least in my opinion. If we were still in 2020, or 2022, then yes, I would have agreed, but in 2025 we have the data and knowledge to say that these young people were also protecting themselves (even if doing so involuntarily). Covid is a risk for everyone. There are many children who have long covid, and the rate of heart attacks in young people has grown significantly since the beginning of the pandemic, to give just a few examples. We can still say that they felt that confinement was a sacrifice, but saying we should recognize the sacrifice they made is like saying "...because they were doing it for others, because there was no risk for them" and it's not true. It also protected them. And it's a shame our governments collectively gave up on protecting them because on top of everything you said, there's also the matter of the number of people affected by covid and long covid, which will live shitty lives because of that too.
Man, this makes me so worried for my two young kids. As an elder millennial, I too assumed that things would get better, and as you've pointed out, they haven't. I suppose the only thing I can say is that having grown up in Canada, moving to Australia in my early 20s, I haven't had it TOO BAD. But I think that young people in both the UK and US really have an uphill battle. Perhaps it's time to take up arms.
So should we expect political violence or some sort of minor revolution, or are we the frog in the pot who simply will never realize it because these things occur gradually?
Cripes. On a friday night in, with a bottle of vino to take the edge off, this Gen-Xer's existential dread is reawakened. Thanks.
"While I’m not denying other generations had it rough — I wouldn’t have wanted to come of age during the Vietnam War, or the stagnation years of the 1970s — at least things eventually got better."
It didn't get better. Those of us who endured endless jobhunts for £1 p/h, yuppies, and AIDs, all under the threat of nuclear incineration, learned cynicism and to keep our eyes open.
We see you. We feel for you.
We don't know what to do either.
Aye, it's entirely possible I'm guilty of looking back with rose-tinted glasses at an era which I didn't myself experience. But I guess the question becomes: did you have hope that things would get better?
That's where I'm stuck. I don't see things getting better. I see them getting worse -- and to an extent which, to be truthful, frightens me.
Personally, yes. I thought it'd get better. Nerdish and insular, I thought I'd be wearing a biege jump-suit and flying a jetpack by now.
You still can if you *believe* hard enough.
I'd offer apologies, but the blame lies not with this generation or after. But whereever the evidence points, and I'm loathe to trot out the easy 'boomer', it must surely be towards wealth and moronic privilege, 'class'.
To get a good sense of this phenomenon, read the first part of The Executioner's Song. Life in the 1970s for a violent ex con was immeasurably better than it is now for a college-educated zoomer.
Can you send me a link please, just so I know I’m looking at the right thing?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Executioner%27s_Song
It's a long book, so I can summarize it quantitatively:
Gary Gilmore was a violent felon released on parole in 1976. In less than six months, Gilmore got two jobs, went on multiple dates, and was able to get an affordable car loan for a Mustang. For a new college-graduate, one of those accomplishments would be nothing short of heroic. Doing all three would make you a prince.
Another belter! Thank you Matthew.
Well that was sinister (unfortunately I cannot disagree). I just wanted to point out that saying younger people sacrificed experiences to protect the elderly and/or immuno-compromised during the pandemic is a flawed narrative, at least in my opinion. If we were still in 2020, or 2022, then yes, I would have agreed, but in 2025 we have the data and knowledge to say that these young people were also protecting themselves (even if doing so involuntarily). Covid is a risk for everyone. There are many children who have long covid, and the rate of heart attacks in young people has grown significantly since the beginning of the pandemic, to give just a few examples. We can still say that they felt that confinement was a sacrifice, but saying we should recognize the sacrifice they made is like saying "...because they were doing it for others, because there was no risk for them" and it's not true. It also protected them. And it's a shame our governments collectively gave up on protecting them because on top of everything you said, there's also the matter of the number of people affected by covid and long covid, which will live shitty lives because of that too.
Man, this makes me so worried for my two young kids. As an elder millennial, I too assumed that things would get better, and as you've pointed out, they haven't. I suppose the only thing I can say is that having grown up in Canada, moving to Australia in my early 20s, I haven't had it TOO BAD. But I think that young people in both the UK and US really have an uphill battle. Perhaps it's time to take up arms.
Yeah, Australia is still — at least, in comparison — called the Lucky Country for a reason!
I’d move there, if not for the fact that I have zero heat tolerance.
So should we expect political violence or some sort of minor revolution, or are we the frog in the pot who simply will never realize it because these things occur gradually?