To think that adults are much less resilient than they used to be

[louease]

First of all I'll admit that I'm on the older side of 60 so the weight of my belt onion could be effecting my judgement on this.

I see a lot on social media including here where people say they are upset at words they read on a screen, that they've been triggered, or that it should have a warning attached.

Are we making the world harder to live in by trying to make it too comfortable do you think?

What's the answer, do you think?

A concerted effort to make people's lives less comfortable? Would that help?

Definitely

I'm with Ricky Gervais on this.

Even though I think he's a prick most of the time

Do you think it would benefit people to be less comfortable? To be upset or triggered and have to internalise their sadness?

you need to remember that the world has changed considerably in the last 20 years. We are all exposed to more information and content than ever before. And some of that is disturbing, emotional and upsetting.

We could have avoided that in the past without the internet etc so I don’t think trigger warnings are an issue if it protects someone vulnerable from seeing something they don’t want to.

I think we just expect better. That’s a good thing.

I was going to say YABU, and it is good people can talk about what is worrying them.

But some of the younger generation appear to not be able to cope with hearing views that disagree with theirs.

No, I think people are as resiliant as they have ever been.

But as with every community, they all have their own rules and tolerances, at least with online communities you can move on and out far more easily than in a physical real life one.

However, when people are isolated, and online is your main way of socialising, I think your tolerance becomes quite restrictive and echo Chambers are easy to stay in as they are familiar, comforting and self reinforcing.

I think they can be they just choose not to be

I’m the same sort of age as you. Everything about life is far more intense and full on than it was when I was young. Starting at about 3 years old. Not surprising people are more stressed.

'But some of the younger generation appear to not be able to cope with hearing views that disagree with theirs.'

I think this is very true - and the description of an opposing view as 'literal violence'. Every tiny obstacle is magnified to become some huge great thing which then becomes someone else's responsibility to fix.

Belt onion? I have tried to think what this might be but have failed sorry.

Yes, the world is far too comfortable these days.

Let’s go back to the time when people suffered in silence and shame. When they had to self medicate with booze or pills or kill themselves to cope. That’s much better than people being able to name what upsets or traumatises them, even if it seems silly or inconsequential to you.

In my experience it’s not young people getting upset and throwing tantrums when they hear views and ideas they don’t agree with. The ‘people had a stiff upper lip in my day’ brigade are the worst offenders.

Well said.

I see so many memes shared by clueless people about how much better it was in the 1950s when living conditions were poorer and life expectancy was lower. There were far fewer opportunities available to normal people. We'd eat lard and tripe and we'd be routinely beaten by our husbands. And you definitely didn't want to be black or gay! Sounds great! Fire up another meme!

If it's a Simpsons reference I like it.

"It was the style at the time...."

I agree OP.

I remember as a child my mother and her friends uttering in hushed tones about Mrs X having a nervous breakdown.

In the past people with mental health issues were given a wide berth. Now we listen to them. And they are able to make contact with the outside world due to social media, when in the past even picking up the phone would have been too much.

Twas ever thus. It's just more visible these days.

People have never been able to hear views they disagree with. It's just easier to express that now.

In lots of ways yes but I'm in my 50s and life is much harder to navigate these days. Jobs are workplaces are a bloody nightmare. Gone are the days of pitching up at 9, hour for lunch then leave at 5. You can't just have a job. You need to be passionate and on a career path....

I say this to my 80 year old Mum and she looks at me like I am talking martian.

Totally agree with this. And I'm part of that younger generation.

YANBU OP.

I disagree.

I think people used to listen to speakers and then disagree with them. Not the wholescale 'cancellation' that seems to happen in some places (eg some universities).

'Let’s go back to the time when people suffered in silence and shame. When they had to self medicate with booze or pills or kill themselves to cope. That’s much better than people being able to name what upsets or traumatises them, even if it seems silly or inconsequential to you.'

But being open about issues doesn't seem to be helping does it? We appear to have an epidemic of young people unable to deal with life even on a very basic level, who have way more opportunities to be open about their trauma. Their feelings are validated as never before, but it's not making anything better.

Call me old-fashioned but I think one of the essential issues is that people are too inwardly focused on themselves rather than looking up and out towards others. I’m not saying that people’s worries and fears are not justified, just that altruism is a good antidote to introspection, and we all feel better when we are part of something bigger than ourselves.

You mean we fully expect the government to be held responsible for fixing everything and then blame them if they can’t !!!!!.

There seems to be a lot of older people who are actually very comfortable now that like to say this sort of rubbish. I think every generation has had some things harder and done things easier. It’s a shame that the older generation can’t see that and believe they’re the only ones to have had it tough, and therefore everyone’s a snowflake now. It’s quite ironic that many of the older people I know talk about the youth of today not being resilient whilst complaining about quite a lot. Their complaining is obviously justified though. 🙄

SOME things easier.