Do you think massive global problems will reduce our quality of life?

[shinynewshoez]

I can't see how it won't tbh. I think rich countries are fortunate, but quality of life will be downgraded to that similar to middle-income countries. More and more things we take for granted will feel like luxuries. Everything will become harder.

If we're really unlucky I think access to medicines will get harder. But I try not to think about this as someone who relies on medicine to stay alive and in my thirties. I'd like to live quite a bit longer if possible.

Are you concerned by how things are shifting in the world?

Not just luxuries.

Water, green spaces, food. GP and hospital appointments.

Natural resources and pandemics will change society.

Human organ farming and breeding centres will become more visible and commercial.

There have been "massive global problems" for thousands of years. People in the West, at least, are better off than they have ever been. Does nobody know any history?

So how do you realistically see society being different in terms of quality of life in 30 years time ?

@Hbh17 but the fact that we're better off now than in the past doesn't prove that trend will definitely continue upwards in the future. It might change direction.

Yes of course they will, they always have. The people who are most affected will be the poor because they don't have the financial wherewithal to insulate themselves from the fall out of various conflicts and crises. The poorer you are the more it will affect you. It has always been thus, and it always will be.

So you genuinely see no problems in the road ahead, then? You think we will trundle along comfortably?

Yes, the poorest will be hit hardest in every country.

I don't just think it will be poor people who are affected though. I think it will be basically everyone, except the very rich.

i don’t feel better off. Imo my life was better in the 90’s upto about 10 years ago.

I can’t get a Drs appointment unless it’s a phone call & even then it’s 12 days away, sane for dentist appt. Schools have gone downhill massively, everything costs a fortune, there’s little customer service, services are being cut, the roads are a mess, society is riddled with selfish people, roads are either gridlocked or covered in pot holes, I don’t feel safe walking home after dark (I live in a nice area) MH services are a shambles. Medicine & other shortages.

It's already happening.

Houses are smaller & smaller. People crammed in, too close. Lower quality food. We're facing a mental health crisis.

I think those with foresight and money will be able to insulate themselves and their families for a while but yes, I think quality of life will become harder to achieve especially for those who are less practical and less able to adapt.

Yes absolutely our quality of life will deteriorate, the west has relied on the exploitation of cheap labour particularly in the east. As their standard of living increases and they demand better wages the cost of the goods we import from their increases. I’m sure their are stats that break down the domestic inflation and import inflation the latter I suspect is a quite high.

Our wages aren’t keeping pace and we are already suffering as a result. The global economy is so intertwined no government really knows how to deal with it to manage their own domestic economy. We are at the mercy of the rest of the world now.

Throughout history, the impact of massive global problems on the quality of life has been a recurring concern. These challenges encompass a range of issues, from climate change and economic inequalities to public health crises and political instability. These adversities have the potential to reverberate across societies, sometimes downgrading the quality of life, even in the most affluent nations. Historically, wealthier countries have been fortunate in their capacity to provide a higher quality of life for their citizens. Yet, as global issues intensify, there's a prevailing fear that the gap between wealthy nations and middle-income countries could narrow.

I've got much less than I had 20 years ago and yet my wages have gone up five fold

I used to have a dentist, doctors, be able to put the heating on, have gym membership, go to restaurants and have cocktails, go on FOREIGN holidays

Can literally not do any of that now

That seems really significant as a change in lifestyle, because your wages have gone up so much

At the end of the day there are too many people 🤷‍♀️

We can sustain a reasonable standard of living for a reasonable number of people. What we cannot do is continue to have runaway population growth and provide for all of those people at a similar standard.

Runaway consumerism doesn't help either does it. Every industry is modelled around continued growth.

I don't think you understand how tough life is in middle income countries compared to HICs.

I lived in one in the 80's.

Was it a LMIC or a UMIC?
Did you live like an average local or like a decently-paid expat?
Did you work all hours to pay for your kids to attend boarding school because free state education stopped at age 8 or 11?
Did you go to church as often as the locals because you have no faith in the govt to get anything done or provide social support?
Did you have water piped to your home that was safe to drink?