Can We Solve Dread and Disillusionment

There was a lot of doom to read this weekend. The New York Times wrote about how lost younger men are. Not children, men, men who cannot figure it out or get started or whatever else. This is attributed to how society is evolving related to social media, the inability find work and access to porn and video games. Don't come at me, this is from the article. 

The Wall Street Journal had a negative piece about the current state of being an employee. The short version is that people like what they do but dislike their bosses, companies or both to a point of dread and disillusionment with a lingering uncertainty about what AI means for people starting their careers. 

The comments on the Times article included some of the differences between what kids and younger men did in the old days versus now. Certainly, parents were less involved in minute by minute activities. I was in the generation of getting on my bike and being gone all day, back in time for dinner. If that's not dead, it's certainly very rare. I've long had a theory that the advent of MTV was a very negative thing in this context. Kids just sat around watching videos, eating shitty food and then video games came along to make it worse. Yes crazy theory, I'll own that but still. 

The comments on the WSJ article in part blamed political parties (and a perceived bias of the writer) and tried to offer suggestive input while being a little unsympathetic to the plight of younger workers.

The obstacles to simplicity and happiness are many. We looked at health insurance yesterday as another example, and we discuss problems with Social Security all the time. Geopolitics seems to have deteriorated dramatically too. Now, think about whether any of this is being accurately portrayed in the media. I have no idea what the answer to that question is. Maybe all of this is being sensationalized or maybe it's worse than we're being told. I have no idea. 

I also have no idea how to fix any of these problems from the top down. A big talking point for us is the idea of solving or preventing our own problems, not waiting for "someone" to fix it. We are here for a finite period. It seems like a terrible waste of that finite period to simply wait for "someone" to fix what's wrong or otherwise stewing on how unfair something is.

There wasn't a good spot to tuck this in higher up but the proliferation of drug commercials from big pharma is appalling. The objective there is to keep people buying drugs, not to actually make anyone better/healthier. Part of the problem one way or another is the massive increased rate of depressed people who are on medication for their depressive state. The CDC says that the number of people who are depressed increased by 60% in the last decade. 

To the extent the Times is correct about how much time younger dudes are spending inside playing video games and watching porn, it's no wonder depression rates in that segment have increased. The Ford Foundation notes that "hundreds of common prescription drugs, including some birth control pills, blood pressure medications, corticosteroids, and painkillers, list depression or suicidal thoughts as a potential side effect" which likely contributes to depression issues for middle aged people.

The worst of this might be blaming the "other" political party. The government isn't going to fix it. Our problems are bigger than the duration of our political cycles so instead of trying to prioritize solutions, they prioritize getting reelected. 

That means it is up us to make the most of our time finite period. There are no assurances of success when you try to prevent or solve your own problem but I believe we derive value and self worth when we try. I also am a big believer that people want to help people who are clearly trying to solve their own problem.

It all ties back to how we take care of ourselves. There are no absolutes but less junk food, more exercise and more prudent sun exposure will reduce the need for medications which will in turn reduce the incidence of depression. Less junk food, more exercise and more prudent sun exposure will also directly reduce the incidence of depression. Again, there are no absolutes but there is zero downside to getting healthier. 

One of the comments on the Times article talked about volunteering which is another drum I will always bang, along with health. Actively volunteering provides purpose and meaningful social engagement which probably also have a seat at the table for trying to address these problems from the bottom up. 

It is up to us to make the most of our time here. 

The information, analysis and opinions expressed herein reflect our judgment and opinions as of the date of writing and are subject to change at any time without notice. They are not intended to constitute legal, tax, securities or investment advice or a recommended course of action in any given situation.