[Vektorceraptor]

I guess I have to take a stand on this. I don't care about social media, I said goodbye to it a long time ago. It is even a problem to measure or evaluate the world based on social media.

So where does the feeling of people not feeling heard or understood come from? Well, firstly, because they like to be told first and foremost that this isn't true at all. You could say anything. But you overlook the simple fact that you didn't listen to the other person when you gave your reply. People neither listened to his reasons nor asked about them, nor were interested in them. Second, people who like to feel entitled or special have learned to simply ignore other people's problems. As Taylor Swift aptly said - 'shake it off'. This 'shacking off' occurs all the more, the deeper and more complex, i.e. more incomprehensible, your problems are to outsiders, so that an enormous effort is necessary to make them understandable. And also very compressed, because the time span of attention is also no more. On the one hand, it is often difficult to communicate, but on the other hand, interest in listening has also decreased. Thirdly, many people probably have similar problems and therefore intuitively avoid each other. Suddenly the company of others feels exhausting, perhaps demanding an imagined care that you cannot give because your own strength is not enough, or creating a fear of rejection because you need the care of others, but they also have the right to refuse this.

I could go on with many other reasons...

[jahnu]

So far all I’ve read are vague claims of oppression. I do sympathise that you don’t feel happy about something. Life can be a struggle and nearly everyone has their share of challenges. But based on what you have written so far I’m very unconvinced it’s anything much to do with western life because a) it’s terribly vague and b) sounds very familiar to stuff I’ve heard before from people just wanting to blame others for their own problems. I’m listening though so be specific and I’ll genuinely consider anything you have to say.

[Vektorceraptor]

Hey Jahnu,

I don't know if this of any interest to you. And it is in German too, so maybe even not understandable to you. But the findings are shocking. The majority of German people are afraid to express their opinion as it strikes them. So if you are interested in it or just want to look up how the "trend" feels in Germany, here a very actual analysis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOvG35T8NEw

[qwertthrowway]

Thanks for your comments I find your writing has some satisfying and interesting components to it. These are important observations— putting in words some of my own feelings of my own western society. I would emphasize also a feeling of decline: that there is a sense of helplessness with the state of society sometimes.