My 2c.
Society doesn't care about young men. They're pretty much left to fend for themselves. Hopefully they have a good family structure, and a few good male friends. Without that they're toally adrift.
I learned this lesson when I got a flat tire driving across two states when I was 20. No one is willing to help. I guarantee a 20 yo woman would have no problem flagging down help, heck people would stop to help without being asked.
I'm 51 now, and I understand why more and more men are checking out. The grind isn't worth it. There's a reward system in play here, you grind at life and are rewarded. Grind in school and you graduate. Grind more and you get a degree. Grind more and you get a family and career and some big toys.
It seems that the amount of grinding men have to do is increasing, and the net rewards society bestows seem to be decreasing. I won't get into a shouting match on what the problems men experience are, you can fill in the blanks with your own experiences and biases, but all the men I know seem to agree that there seems to be less of an upside to sacrificing for the greater good than there used to be. As a middle aged man strangers I meet expect the worst from me, why should I try?
As an alternative you can spend your hours grinding away at video games and leveling up. And the games are getting better every year.
It seems to me that many young men are finding leveling up in games is simply more rewarding than leveling up in real life. I wish it weren't so, but here we are.
Historically speaking, civilization is built and defended largely on the backs of young men. When they check out, it can't be a net good for the trajectory of society.
Or maybe this is a win for feminism? Women finally have work equality and so men don't have to work as hard anymore.
I don't have answers. But the trend has been clear for a long while.
Society doesn't care about young men. They're pretty much left to fend for themselves. Hopefully they have a good family structure, and a few good male friends. Without that they're toally adrift.
I learned this lesson when I got a flat tire driving across two states when I was 20. No one is willing to help. I guarantee a 20 yo woman would have no problem flagging down help, heck people would stop to help without being asked.
I'm 51 now, and I understand why more and more men are checking out. The grind isn't worth it. There's a reward system in play here, you grind at life and are rewarded. Grind in school and you graduate. Grind more and you get a degree. Grind more and you get a family and career and some big toys.
It seems that the amount of grinding men have to do is increasing, and the net rewards society bestows seem to be decreasing. I won't get into a shouting match on what the problems men experience are, you can fill in the blanks with your own experiences and biases, but all the men I know seem to agree that there seems to be less of an upside to sacrificing for the greater good than there used to be. As a middle aged man strangers I meet expect the worst from me, why should I try?
As an alternative you can spend your hours grinding away at video games and leveling up. And the games are getting better every year.
It seems to me that many young men are finding leveling up in games is simply more rewarding than leveling up in real life. I wish it weren't so, but here we are.
Historically speaking, civilization is built and defended largely on the backs of young men. When they check out, it can't be a net good for the trajectory of society.
Or maybe this is a win for feminism? Women finally have work equality and so men don't have to work as hard anymore.
I don't have answers. But the trend has been clear for a long while.