If you are in your 50s plus…

[Anonymous]

Not at all. I think people like to romanticize the past.

All the BS about moco going down hill makes me just shake my head at the stupidity.

Schools in the 80’s were insane, crime was higher than pre-COVID.

I do shake my head at all the handout we chive corporations and how corrupt the police are but it’s not worse than before I just was unaware.

[Anonymous]

explosion of various sexual identities - is the only one that I shake my head at, and it seems to be starting earlier and earlier.

The other stuff was always there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you look at the explosion of various sexual identities, rampant mental Heath issues including ADHD, depression, Autism and Anxiety, violent crimes including school shootings but too numerous and disturbing to list individually, and think WTF is happening and why?

Yes, I do, but I don't wonder why it's happening. I think I know why, and so do most of us in the 50+ category, who came of age in the relatively normal 70s - 80s - early 90s, if we really dig deep enough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:explosion of various sexual identities - is the only one that I shake my head at, and it seems to be starting earlier and earlier.

The other stuff was always there.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the recognition, acknowledgment and development of treatments for mental health issues is a good thing. I also think the explosion of sexual and gender identities is good. I think they existed but people were forced into polars rather the continuum that makes more sense. It is a good new world in that regard.

The other things are disturbing. It’s like we care less for our neighbors. Even when I hear things here like people hating on little kids who knock on their door to play with their kids and when I see people not helping their neighbors you can see the distancing where we were once a community.

The school shootings bother me most. Not only the guns and the needless death of kids. But what does it take for a kid or kids to get to that point and What is it that changed that we’ve gotten to this point and how are we missing the signs? I was particularly disturbed by the Ethan Crumbley case where pareants refused to take him home. The parents rejection of sound professional advice is something that has become so common and so different from when people respected those with special training.

Ethan is the perfect example of "not my kid" and "it takes a village" gone awry. These parents want their problems to be everyone else's problems. Period.

My friends and I had two working parents, we were latchkey kids, and none the worse for it because we were taught responsibility. Our choices were a job (once a certain age, which happened to be 12 - and that was not a bad thing, at all) or sports or a regular school activity. It taught us how to do for ourselves, and add to the greater good, instead of detracting. "Make yourself useful", was a common mantra in our house, and it is was for the better, long term.

No one had labels, and no one was coddled. Once that started, the place went to sh*t, and hopes for the next generation went out the window. You can make whatever assumptions you want (a la DCUM) - but we hurt no one, and we learned a life long lesson of responsibility for oneself.

[Anonymous]

I worry about America's decline. It's happening a lot faster than I thought it would.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the recognition, acknowledgment and development of treatments for mental health issues is a good thing. I also think the explosion of sexual and gender identities is good. I think they existed but people were forced into polars rather the continuum that makes more sense. It is a good new world in that regard.

The other things are disturbing. It’s like we care less for our neighbors. Even when I hear things here like people hating on little kids who knock on their door to play with their kids and when I see people not helping their neighbors you can see the distancing where we were once a community.

The school shootings bother me most. Not only the guns and the needless death of kids. But what does it take for a kid or kids to get to that point and What is it that changed that we’ve gotten to this point and how are we missing the signs? I was particularly disturbed by the Ethan Crumbley case where pareants refused to take him home. The parents rejection of sound professional advice is something that has become so common and so different from when people respected those with special training.

Agree with all of this.

Very glad we are more aware and sensitive to LGTBQ and mental health.

The gun culture is out of control. Cosplay gone wrong.

And everyone seems so self-absorbed and just out for themselves. Community cohesion is waning.

So some good changes, some bad changes.

I am also in this camp. I agree with both pps. The erosion of community is disturbing. I think WFH will continue that trend.

+4

I do think that the loss of community was inevitable, because some people are extra needy, and that ruins it for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I worry about America's decline. It's happening a lot faster than I thought it would.

Boomers ruined the environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do you look at the explosion of various sexual identities, rampant mental Heath issues including ADHD, depression, Autism and Anxiety, violent crimes including school shootings but too numerous and disturbing to list individually, and think WTF is happening and why?

I am 49 and my husband is in his 50s. One of our kids has autism. Autism is not a mental health issue unless there is something comorbid-it's neurodevelopmental. I do think it is on the rise and I wonder. I think depression, anxiety and ADHD have always been in high numbers and am glad people are getting treated. My mother is verbally and emotionally abusive and when in old age she finally got on meds, she was nicer. I think my grandmas would have different people if they had meds and therapy.

I will admit I thought I was so with it because I always knew there were plenty of people who are gay and I embraced gay marriage and was glad people could come out and be who they are. I have to admit I have a lot to learn about all this transgender stuff and I would lying if I didn't admit I was surprised by the number of kids my kids know who are born female and identify as male. I had no idea this was as common as it seems to be and I have a lot of learn and am a little confused by just how many kids struggle with this.

The school shootings thing is so disturbing and I am so sick of the power of the NRA.

[Anonymous]

I don't think it's an explosion. If it's your focus, I think that's on you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the recognition, acknowledgment and development of treatments for mental health issues is a good thing. I also think the explosion of sexual and gender identities is good. I think they existed but people were forced into polars rather the continuum that makes more sense. It is a good new world in that regard.

The other things are disturbing. It’s like we care less for our neighbors. Even when I hear things here like people hating on little kids who knock on their door to play with their kids and when I see people not helping their neighbors you can see the distancing where we were once a community.

The school shootings bother me most. Not only the guns and the needless death of kids. But what does it take for a kid or kids to get to that point and What is it that changed that we’ve gotten to this point and how are we missing the signs? I was particularly disturbed by the Ethan Crumbley case where pareants refused to take him home. The parents rejection of sound professional advice is something that has become so common and so different from when people respected those with special training.

Agree with all of this.

Very glad we are more aware and sensitive to LGTBQ and mental health.

The gun culture is out of control. Cosplay gone wrong.

And everyone seems so self-absorbed and just out for themselves. Community cohesion is waning.

So some good changes, some bad changes.

I am also in this camp. I agree with both pps. The erosion of community is disturbing. I think WFH will continue that trend.

+4

I do think that the loss of community was inevitable, because some people are extra needy, and that ruins it for everyone.

I think one part you are missing is we are now recognizing how damaging personality disorders are and many of us are learning about boundaries. We are more wary of our neighbor because of that one personalty disordered neighbor who took advantage and always asked for favors with such ease, but was never available when you needed her.

My sister is like this and she moved to a part of the country where people pride themselves on community and being neighborly. It has been fascinating to see how she has burned through genuinely nice neighbors. It took them much longer to finally set limits with her or avoid her than it did when she lived in big cities. The less friendly well educated city folk smelled her selfishness right away and after the first time she took advantage they were quick to dump her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you look at the explosion of various sexual identities, rampant mental Heath issues including ADHD, depression, Autism and Anxiety, violent crimes including school shootings but too numerous and disturbing to list individually, and think WTF is happening and why?

Yes, I do, but I don't wonder why it's happening. I think I know why, and so do most of us in the 50+ category, who came of age in the relatively normal 70s - 80s - early 90s, if we really dig deep enough.

Why do you think?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I worry about America's decline. It's happening a lot faster than I thought it would.

Boomers ruined the environment.

And enabled misinformation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do you look at the explosion of various sexual identities, rampant mental Heath issues including ADHD, depression, Autism and Anxiety, violent crimes including school shootings but too numerous and disturbing to list individually, and think WTF is happening and why?

Yes, I do, but I don't wonder why it's happening. I think I know why, and so do most of us in the 50+ category, who came of age in the relatively normal 70s - 80s - early 90s, if we really dig deep enough.

Why do you think?

Well a combination of factors obviously, but...

- The continuing erosion of the nuclear family, most specifically that there are too many homes in which a father is not present, or known, or around to guide his kids in moral development
- The loss of the common belief in God and the general societal understanding that we can know truth and good/ bad, as God alone has revealed to us
- A vision of the world to replace God - promoted in large part by schools - that the world is plagued by systemic injustices and an emphasis on identity-based differences, rather than harmony, repentance and forgiveness, and unity
- Sheer laziness, manifested in communication with other humans via social media, etc, rather than human presence
- The emphasis on the need to be entertained and "happy" at all cost, with any emotion contradicting that being unacceptable and something to be medicated or dealt with in some other artificial way

I could go on, but that's the general gist of it. All of us, again, who came of age before these profound changes in society know at level that this is true.

[Anonymous]

I posted above and amend my answer to include fearing people with attitudes like ^^.