To think younger adults are too compliant.

[antelopevalley]

We all know things have been hard for lots of people over the last three years, but so many younger adults have been shafted. From high house prices, to very high rents for substandard accommodation, cuts to schools, high student debt for poorly taught courses, closure of so many public services that supports young people struggling into adulthood, and increasing homelessness.

But the only pushback I really see is on social media where "boomers" get blamed. While in life they are getting jobs, working hard and trying often against the odds to make their life better.

Why are they so compliant? Why are they not rioting? Or at least organising against the rich? Why so little evidence of any kind of fightback?

Do you ever think before you speak or are nasty stupid comments just on auto pilot for you?

Do you think all young people just twerk on TikTok? You don't think that most likely they have to work much harder than you did?

Let me guess. Your generation could actually afford to have property. A degree actually got you somewhere. The basics and necessities were accessible to someone working full time.

And now you spend your days spewing crap on Mumsnet..gotcha.

Interesting debate, and I think a PP has touched on one of the issues - which worthy cause does one pick?

I’m in my 50s and would protest but have commitments. My DS is 28 and has strong anarchist leanings but he feels that every cause and issue is carefully manipulated and came to the realisation that “You can’t fight City Hall”. My late DP did hunt dabbing, the Poll Tax riots etc. In his 50s his bitterness that nothing changes no matter what route you take to try and effect change gets hijacked and manipulated and the outcome always leaves somebody dissatisfied.

So many causes that are touted as vital seem petty in others eyes, and this is exploited by TPTB to retain the status quo while appearing to support causes that won’t undermine their power and economic stability. It’s almost as if we’re the pawns in a much bigger game and divide and rule is one of the rules.

So I don’t blame the younger generation for following the survival of the fittest and trying to make small personal progresses.

And if the only message being offered is to “be kind” and respect everyone’s feelings we’re all at stalemate. It’s not truthful, it’s not honest, it will change nothing, but at least we won’t have nasty messy riots. 🙄

The media and the Tories are amazing at making us feel like nothing we do will make a difference.

Hard to feel like anything will change when people vote the way they do in this country, and it has catastrophic consequences. Hard to feel like our vote matters when many old people voted for Brexit without having to stick around for consequences, despite younger people being against it.

At this point we're all just planning to watch the world burn tbh.

Has anyone reminded you that you're probably taking about Gen Z. Us millenials are in our 30s/40s and have children/families of our own.

It's infuriating when people refer to millenials as young people when we're fast approaching middle age and 99% of us aren't posting stupid dances on tik tok.

Its not just the Tories and the UK, we aren't exactly seeing Europe on fire are we?

The problem is, peaceful protest is ALWAYS ignored, so take the Brexit protests, we were all very well behaved, 1m plus people going about their business quietly, no threat to the Govt or society... place in the "ignore" pile.

Poll tax riots, Paris Student riots, Yellow vest movement, Suffragettes? these were not ignored and if those Brexit protestors had smashed up & burned central London, they'd have been a totally different outcome.

Yes @Blossomtoes there is a sharp rise in support for the tory party once over 45, who knows if that will remain the case, i'd still bet on a Tory win in 2024.

Because while the world around them is in pretty poor shape, many of them are sheltered from the real impact by their good health, continued access to the things that matter to them, their social lives, virtual lives, still living in the parental home, often with extra support from the 'boomer' grandparents they despise. They have jobs and disposable income. Day to day life is fine, so other than a little lip service to the cause of the week, they've no motivation.
Those who are really struggling, vulnerable, from deprived backgrounds have enough to worry about just getting by without diverting their energy and limited resources into fighting the fight.

But most European countries are not facing the same issues as Britain is.

Some European countries have always been poor and are now still poor. Some like Nordics have always had a good quality of life and still do.

The rapid increases in wealth inequality, degradation of public services, etc is pretty unique to Britain as we are heading towards a similar place where the USA is..privatisation, capitalism huge wealth inequality.

The poll tax riots seem to me to be a good example of lip service paid to popular unrest.

The aim of the poll tax was to transfer the burden of rates which “unfairly” burdened property owners to every citizen, instead of re-evaluating unfairness in that system, taking into account that property owners have an asset that has the potential to accrue profit.

Renters already paid rates incorporated into the rent. Did landlords reduce rents to reflect the additional burden of the poll tax? Did they heck. So win win for those with property assets while those without were slapped with extra costs regardless of their ability to pay and could be criminalised if they didn’t.

Changing it to Council Tax after the riots was a sop. Back to doing it on property value - but renters still bear that cost, not the owners.

And it was dressed up as a necessity to support councils and the community so how can one possibly object - services need to be paid for.

Same overall outcome, dressed up in language designed to appease the masses and stop the mayhem.

So it’s easy to understand why there is no trust in activism to change things - the outcome always maintains the status quo - the rich get richer. The poor get poorer and weaker. Hard to fight on an empty stomach with children to feed.

these were not ignored and if those Brexit protestors had smashed up & burned central London, they'd have been a totally different outcome

Brexit was achieved through a democratic referendum. Your London burning, tumbling statues and smashing up stuff is uncalled for

What about all these strikes at the moment? I imagine "younger adults" make up a large portion of those striking. Is that not political?

Years of indoctrination by an increasingly opinionated and politicised school system?

Being trained to believe everything they are taught at school (and by "experts" in general - I hope they don't end up too disappointed with all that!) and rewarding them for parroting these narratives and punishing them if they don't.

Generally, a society (as promoted by media, anyway) that seems less tolerant of (and more inclined to punish) people having their own opinions and leading their own lives. You have to be actively anti-racist, pro-trans, against climate change etc etc. You can't just quietly go about your business without people demanding you do this or say that or wear a badge or display a flag on your social media.

If Mumsnet is to be believed, parents (Hi) falling in line with every little thing and failing to challenge schools (out of sight, want an easy life etc).

It sounds exhausting to me. But, when you're young and need to get on, the punishments for failing to comply are terrifying. Maybe when they have built some security for themselves (increasingly difficult) and they realise the adults have sold them down the river, you'll see an almighty backlash. Maybe.

They can’t survive it all and riot too.

Young people do not even vote as much as older people

And whose fault is that?

Rioting would obviously be ridiculous, but I've got little patience with anyone, no matter what their age, who can't get their face out of their phone long enough to go and vote

The OP smacks of “somebody needs to do something” and looks to the younger generation with criticism yet as others have pointed out, when they do they are ridiculed and punished. Quite the Paradox.

Often it’s because they have been set up by organisations with underlying agendas to do things that actually serve the purpose of making protest and dissent unpalatable to the general populous - throwing soup at art anyone?

Ha. Voting.

When you look at the manifestos and the track record and there’s barely a fag paper between the contenders?

I dutifully voted with gritted teeth in the last election just to try and effect change. I might not bother again.

I agree ILoveeCakes

But I don't understand how we got to this point as a society What made us lose our ability to be sceptical and challenge narratives. When did this happen?

Perhaps your son should start asking that question to his peers and get a few rallies organised.

Possibly when anyone trying to do just that by pointing out elitism and global corporatism became conflated with David Icke and the right wing. It shut down debate and nuance because certain assumptions are made about motivation - it can’t possibly be that one is questioning greedy people of all stripes, there must be an underlying and most objectionable subtext - and when accused of that, decent people will naturally recoil.

Perhaps if the majority of the younger generation got off their arses and voted things might be very different.

elitism and global corporatism became conflated with David Icke and the right wing

Anyone who believes global corporativism and elites is about right wingers is deluded

Well yes but when a series of threads on the Covid board started digging into the subject the howls of outrage got all seven chapters deleted. Yes, some of it veered into batshit territory and there seemed to be some strategically placed de-railers, but any analysis of the WEF or anything if that nature was thrown out because some things were attributed to right wing propaganda so the baby got thrown out with the bath water big style.

A decent number of those who can think critically keep their counsel, as they CBA dealing with people mouthing off at them and "correcting" them.

So, unfortunately it can be difficult to tell who can think and how many there are.

We used to just accept people having different views and leading different lives - and you'd talk about something else. Increasingly, people seem to want to come into your business and criticise the way you are leading your life and telling you you are wrong. Personally, I try to let people think and do what they want.

@ILoveeCakes

Precisely.

I have been an activist for many years. Ridicule and punishment is inevitable.

A decent number of those who can think critically keep their counsel, as they CBA dealing with people mouthing off at them and "correcting" them

Indeed. I certainly don't engage IRL. Lots of preachy people about