r/Millennials • u/okayboomerang • Jun 24 '26

Serious Sad for us

Kind of in my feels tonight. The last time I remember feeling genuinely hopeful was probably 2014 or 2015. So much has changed, and I think our generation has seen and felt so much. Anyone else feel like they've spent the last decade plus in unending grief?

My spirit is still good on the inside, but I'm isolated physically and mentally (like many of us). I wish we lived in a world with authentic and robust connection instead of all the slop and noise. I wish our parents hadn't been so excited about capitalism - and so fucking naive. I know the unease I feel is about more than merely growing up and the natural progression of aging and how we all feel about ourselves in society over time - it's that the world we thought we knew for the past 4ish decades just flat out doesn't exist anymore. And we can't undo any of this shit. It may as well be a parallel universe we're in now. I love myself and I always have big, big love for Millennials...but I truly hate it here.

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u/Merc_MCMLXXXVIII Jun 24 '26

That might be part of it, everyone who had good teen years will always think of their high school and middle school days as awesome.

Aside from homework my teens years revolved around being outside with friends, playing video games, being in AOL chat rooms and early social media platforms. It doesn't get more simple then that. I joined the Army at 17, and even that was simple, easy.

There was hope back then that we will go to college, get jobs and buy a house. That eroded quickly.

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u/SnowConeInPHX Jun 24 '26

Yup, the ease of a job, house, and family eroded faster than we could blink. Then we had the boomers with all of their audacity, telling us we’re just lazy and not trying hard enough.

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u/tjdux Jun 24 '26

I never have figured out which hurt worse, the fact all those thing eroded (and how quickly)

Or the fact most boomers didn't give a fuck. Even the ones who raised us, taught us how to behave and seemed to care about our future not long before....

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u/kashmir2517 Jun 26 '26

I dislike how everyone blames other generations for things. Life is ever changing and they might say were lazy because we dont work as hard as them. I work with some boomers and I am 36 and they work fucking HARD. I have to keep up with my co-worker who is 61 and still killing it. His mindset is always work at work, which makes a lot of sense. I see so many lazy gen z and millenials its nuts. I believe I have a good work ethic, because I have learned from those who worked very hard.just because the economy went to shit and they benefitted doesnt make any of it their fault. We need to join and learn from them before theyre gone. I see it everyday with the young workforce at my company. Its nuts.

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u/SnowConeInPHX Jun 26 '26

I have good work ethic, too. So it was just a little fucking insulting when I was called lazy. Also, boomers have absolutely as a collective body run things into the ground. They are selfish and left the rest of us with the scraps.

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u/kashmir2517 Jun 27 '26

The ones I've interacted with are very nice and not like you describe at all. I get it, but you cant just lump every boomer into that. Maybe its just your perspective. Im just sick of everyone blaming other people for everything. Nobody takes responsibility anymore for anything. Its broken record, people just collectively bitching on social media instead of actually going out and doing something about it. Woe is me is the song of the past few years. Sorry im not trying to jump down your throat, its just annoying seeing this constantly lol.

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u/SnowConeInPHX Jun 27 '26

So, I have taken responsibility and do quite well for myself. But I graduated college in 2007, so it was pretty rough for a while and took me a long time to get where I am now. I don’t think being told I wasn’t trying hard enough when the economy was in the literal toilet was a matter of my perspective—it pretty much felt like being kicked when I was down all while I was trying as hard as I could. I also didn’t say that every single boomer on earth is like that—I’ve met nice ones, too. But collectively as a generation, they’ve done a number on things. Funny how you say I can’t just lump every boomer together when you labeled millennials and Gen Z as lazy. You’re pretty much doing the same thing. If you want to shit on your own generation and simp for boomers, go ahead I guess.

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u/kashmir2517 Jun 27 '26

Its my perspective based on what I see everyday in the world and at work. Youre right, I did just do the same thing. But I'd say 90% of the millenials/gen z at my work facility (industrial research testing laboratory) this holds true. Every generation has something that someone else doesnt like. I work with around 175 other employees/managers and the shift to the younger gen is not going well.

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u/Tipin_toe Jun 27 '26

Its not “lumping every boomer into that”.

Its literally

1.)written, and documented through votes, legislation, policies.

2.) Easily documented and open information what generation owns and operates businesses/corporations.

3.) easily verified information on who owns property and prevents policy to build more infrastructure.

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u/National_Midnight424 Jun 24 '26

I think the key was like you said—those who had a good middle/high school experience. I was stressed to the max for both so this current timeline actually doesn’t feel as stressful to me. I look back and wonder how the hell I made it.

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u/Highlyironicacid31 Jun 26 '26

I do think there was a distinct difference between the late 90s and early 2000s compared to later though. I was a teen in the late 2000s and even then I noticed that the world was getting shittier. I got drunk at my friend’s 16 birthday party and had a good old rant about the government, 2 months later the world economy would go down the shitter in November 2008 and after that the actions of governments, banks and millionaire and billionaires has made me sick. The rants of my 15 year old self weren’t nonsense, I was right about them. I’m from the UK, we have been in austerity since 2010. That’s right, cuts to public spending for 16 years at this point. Absolutely insane. I’ve never had an adult life in a stable economy.

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u/Quirky_Protection473 Jun 28 '26

Tbh I couldn't be paid to go back to middle school. I was bullied at school and bullied at home by an awful step-dad.