[astrodust]

This is what happened in Japan in the mid 1990s when it firmly entered the post-industrial age. There's an entire sector of society that's given up on getting ahead because the old model of employment is broken, and there's no point in fighting to get ahead since there's no winning.

Console games and ramen noodles until you die.

[flukus]

It seems like there's a limit to growth and Japan were just the first ones to hit the limit. Everyone else has just cheated the limit with "artificial growth" via immigration.

[astrodust]

You might be right about that. Japan has been pretty hostile to immigration, so it's probable that's a significant factor here.