Even though our current generation is generally better off than ever before, some problems in today’s society should be addressed if we want to prevent these things from wreaking havoc down the road.
Furthermore, persistent betterment is essential if we wish to continue flourishing in the future.
Being misled by authorities and media
One of the issues in today’s society is being misled by authority figures and media platforms.
I’m not saying that everything that gets portrayed in the media is bad, or wrong for that matter. But we can’t deny that just like some people we meet in our daily lives, the media platforms have their hidden agenda a lot of the time.
They want to make money, and one way of doing so is by bringing sensational news that isn’t always true or gets enlarged to the point of being unbelievable. The point is, that they have a hand in keeping you in front of the television, reading the news, or scrolling on social media platforms.
Would that be possible without exaggerating the available information, or by reporting all the boring, yet true events that happen in existence? Probably not. And that’s why we can be misguided at times by authorities and the media because they benefit from the public being misdirected, or being misinformed.
Poor role models
Role models are individuals we look up to such as our parents, movie stars, and other famous people. We often base our values, goals, and even our mannerisms on those people we consider to be role models. In short, they’re incredibly impactful regarding who we grow up to be, which is especially true when we’re still young.
But what are young kids seeing nowadays? Celebrities say obscure things while being drugged out of their mind. Either by alcohol or through other drugs. People are selling their soul and body on OnlyFans, or by showing revealing pictures of themselves on Instagram.
Sure, people can do what they want to as long as it doesn’t harm others, I agree. But I don’t think that this kind of behavior sets a good example for our youth, nor do we want our children to act this way. But that’s what they’re seeing on the internet and television these days, so that’s what they’re typically going to take inspiration from.
Poor upbringing and parenting
Our upbringing and parenting have several problems that cause even more difficulties in our younger and current generation.
Before, parents were strict, and taught their children values, how to behave appropriately, and what’s truly essential in life. That required a big time investment in the kids, which the parents gladly provided.
Nowadays, that isn’t always the case anymore. A lot of children get to do whatever they want without any repercussions. But if we don’t teach, and adjust them from a very young age, then where does that leave them when they get older? The answer is immature, hedonistic pleasure-seeking individuals without the capacity for respect, loyalty, and delaying gratification.
Not to mention that a lot of folks want kids, yet don’t want to sacrifice their own lives, or their free time to raise them. But that’s simply not possible. We have to dedicate so much time and effort to raising a kid that we can’t do everything we want to do ourselves any longer.
That’s why each one of us should think things through very carefully before attempting to get kids. Because while it’s certainly beautiful to raise a child successfully, and to see them grow into well-functioning adults, it’s also a big sacrifice. And you forfeit a part of your own life, spare time, and being able to do what you want to for being adequate of raising a respectful youngster.
Not knowing what’s truly meaningful in life anymore
These days, we typically have the notion that the only thing that matters is having a lot of money and material wealth, regardless of the manner we acquire it, or what degeneracy we have to perform to get it.
And while money is important, because it’s the currency we use to acquire resources to survive, and having no wealth means we’ll get even more issues, it’s not the be-all and end-all. We’re more than just our wealth, and what good is having a lot of money when we have no one we love and respect to share it with?
We’re social animals, and that means we need to interact with others to feel fulfilled and meaningful. That remains true even for introverted people. Building meaningful relationships, respect, self-actualization, and chasing in addition to achieving goals. Those things are critical for our well-being.
Clout chasing
Most people are obsessed with chasing fame and popularity these days, frequently in an attempt to gain money or more power. The sad thing is that a lot of individuals lose their way, or go insane in the process because they disregard more important components such as their self-respect, self-worth, and self-esteem.
And while we all want to be valued and loved by others, I don’t consider it to be normal, nor feasible to be liked by everyone out there. Now the question becomes why we have this desire to be liked by everyone, even though they’re not in our lives directly, and have no impact, or any say in it.
In my opinion, we place far too much importance on what others think of us, especially those we don’t even know. Part of it can be chalked up to the desire and need to be loved, but the other problem is that we seek too much external validation instead of learning to love ourselves and gaining the confidence we need to thrive.
Seeking an excessive amount of external validation
Because we’re overly sensitive and insecure because of all the seemingly perfect images that others portray and share on social media, we attempt to feel better and gain confidence via external validation.
Unfortunately, even when we do get validated by those around us by sharing beautiful pictures of ourselves that are apparently perfect, that’s still not enough. That typically drives an even larger hunger to feel confirmed.
That’s not surprising because feeling loved and approved releases dopamine, which can be considered the happiness hormone that makes us feel better by improving our mood.
But that creates a vicious circle that’s almost impossible to get out of. It’s normal to want a loving and supportive word from those who care about us from time to time. That’s something we all need to feel fulfilled and valuable. But it’s abnormal if we let people we don’t know control our existence and influence our mood. They don’t even know us, so why would we care about their opinion in the first place?
Being overly sensitive
We’ve been raised so soft, without experiencing many struggles or difficulties, that we’re overly sensitive to the sentiments of others. That’s also due to having so little, almost even too little, to worry about.
Another factor is our egos. Our feeling of self-importance is regularly so large that we think we can regulate other people’s speech, and that we can forbid them from telling things we disagree about. But everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it’s not up to us to determine what they say, and what they don’t. As long as it’s not deliberately offensive and punishable such as hate speech, discrimination, or racism, that is.
But being too delicate isn’t all that great when we know that people have wildly varying personalities, and as a result, different values, thoughts, and ideas. Even though it should be noted that people are more alike than different. And if we can’t accept different perspectives, or get insecure whenever someone doesn’t agree with us, then that’s a recipe for disaster.
Too fearful of other people’s opinions
Another one of the problems in today’s society is that we’re frequently too fearful of the opinion of those around us because of the combination of being insecure, too sensitive, and needing an excessive amount of external validation.
But what’s even worse is that we’re commonly scared of the opinions of those we don’t know personally and have never seen in our lives. And if we’re that anxious about what another person thinks of us, then it’s impossible to get anything done or to achieve something of value.
We must learn to be ourselves, regardless of what others think of our behavior. If you act authentically, then the right people will automatically stay, while those you don’t want in your existence anyway will sort themselves out by leaving you altogether on their own accord.
Too concentrated on material wealth
Material wealth is seemingly the only thing that matters to most folks today. While we need money because it gives us access to resources we need to survive in modern society, it’s certainly not the only thing that gives life meaning.
There’s an endless amount of evidence that it’s not the only thing that matters since millionaires and even billionaires are getting depressed by the dozen while having all the money in the world they’ll ever need to sustain themselves.
We’ve become more selfish, less empathic, and been taught to be self-sufficient by chasing money. Unfortunately, you can’t buy happiness, although it can aid for sure since it’s extremely challenging to be content when you’ve got all these extra difficulties popping up as a result of having too little money.
Everything needs to be fun
There’s too much emphasis on enjoyment and the fact that everything needs to be fun these days. It’s perfectly normal to seek out pleasure, and we want to do the things that we love, rather than carrying out the stuff we dislike.
Still, that’s not how life’s set up. Sometimes we need to do the things we disliked before, or because it’s a part of something we do enjoy. For example, you might enjoy boxing, but not doing all the cardio that’s required to get through training or fight. Still, you’ll need to do things you don’t enjoy from time to time to become better at that thing you do enjoy, and because those things can be essential to do well in life.
Going to work, working out to be healthy, and not eating certain delicious foods to stay in shape isn’t always fun, nor something we wish to do. Yet, it’s necessary to maintain our well-being and to survive.
Life has become too easy
Due to the surge in technologies such as the internet and artificial intelligence, and because times are relatively safe in most places, life has become almost too easy as a result.
But easy times create weak men, while tough times create strong men. And even though times are great when everything’s going well, that doesn’t lead to growth since there’s no incentive to improve.
While we generally dislike struggle and painful events, they’re also necessary to grow as human beings and to become more capable in the process.
Unable to delay gratification
Being able to delay gratification is required if we want to achieve anything worthwhile since good things rarely come easily. We’ll have to work hard, put in a lot of hours, and apply our common sense if we wish to attain our dreams and goals.
Unfortunately, we’re less capable of delaying gratification than our ancestors. We need to be rewarded immediately, or we lose interest, or won’t pursue that given thing anymore. As a consequence, our concentration and discipline have greatly waned. This makes it even harder to go after something for a longer period.
And while our senses desire, and even crave to be satisfied instantly, that would simply make us a slave to our senses. But people are more than that if they’re capable of and willing to discipline themselves while learning to control their impulses. For instance, if we were to eat unhealthy food every time we were hungry or feeling sad, then we wouldn’t remain healthy or in shape for long. Eventually, it would end in debauchery and disaster.
Little respect for each other
Since there’s such an increased focus on individualism and doing well for ourselves, it’s gotten to the point where the only important person is ourselves, while disregarding the rest of the population.
There’s nothing wrong with chasing after your own goals and dreams, but it doesn’t hurt to be respectful and caring about the issues and well-being of those around us. It doesn’t cost anything to be nice to one another, and it helps brighten each other’s day.
Intentionally hurting the feelings, property, or physical wellbeing of our peers isn’t respectful in the slightest, and just reveals a weak, juvenile character. Yet, that’s considered “popular”, “tough”, and even “normal” at times.
Not trusting each other
I do agree that we shouldn’t trust everyone blindly, or at the slightest whim. But that doesn’t mean that everyone is out to get you, nor that there’s no one worthy of our trust and respect.
You should be capable of trusting your best friends and loving family. And if you can’t, then you’re in dire need of some new company that you can confide in, and that wants the best for you.
If people’s hidden agenda is to use you for their purposes, while disregarding your safety and health, then you’re better off without them. That’s why we need to learn to figure out someone’s real intentions.
It does hurt to let go of the people we love. But sometimes, we simply have no choice other than letting go of those we found out to not be as caring and trustworthy as we thought they were.
Too easy to spread false information
Since this technological revolution, and because everything has to be equal these days, it’s never been easier than now to spread false information. Either intentionally, or due to being misinformed.
Just consider all the wrong information that gets shared via the internet on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram, for instance. It’s riddled with data that’s straight-up factually wrong, yet shared with such confidence that most don’t even question its validity.
Yet, that’s what you should always do. Employ those critical thinking skills while judging for yourself, even if it is coming from a trusted and reputable source. People are not infallible, and can still make mistakes, even if they want the best for others.
Everyone gets to voice their opinion
While it’s technically good, and a sign of a well-functioning democracy that everyone gets to voice their opinion, it has some downsides as well.
Before, straight-up wrong, hateful, and ignorant comments and opinions didn’t have a chance to be spread into the world. Those sentiments got filtered out, or people simply didn’t pay any attention to those thoughts.
But fast-forward to our current timeline, and even the most ignorant, or straight-up toxic people can attract a crowd of like-minded individuals by sharing their ideas on the web. This makes it so easy for them to connect, and stick together.
That’s why I consider it to be everyone’s duty to tell the truth and point out wrongs, and straight-up lies. If not, society will devolve even further, without people being capable of knowing what’s true and what’s not. We need to be able to base ourselves on the objective truth in addition to empirical evidence to get the best results.
Sexism in today's society
I believe that sexism is less of an issue in today’s society than it has ever been before.
I’m not saying that women never face discriminatory behavior, or sexist actions and attitudes. But so do men. And it’s simply wrong to generalize and punish all men or women for the despicable actions of a small percentage of their gender.
And while women may very well face said behavior more often than men, I do believe that women get away with exhibiting the same, or similar actions way more frequently than men.
Women are accepted in the workplace and are free to pursue every career path that they so desire. Sure, certain jobs such as engineering, construction, and electricians are primarily considered career paths for men. But so are jobs such as nursing, kindergarten teacher, and secretaries considered mainly career paths for women that are dominated by females.
And that’s not even a bad thing, because women and men have different personalities and preferences on average. As a consequence, both genders typically desire a different line of work.
Even more, the popular myth that is the pay gap has been debunked for a long time already. Yet, many folks refuse to accept it because it doesn’t fit their narrative, or because they’re straight-up ignorant.
Social issues in today's society
Substance Abuse
One of the most common social issues in today’s society is substance abuse. Consuming too much alcohol, or other drugs such as cocaine and weed, for that matter, are prevalent in our modern world because they’re so easy to acquire these days.
Needless to say, that’s incredibly dangerous for the other citizens since they inhibit impulse control, logical thinking, and coordination. That’s why drunk driving, or getting into fights while intoxicated is so dangerous. Not only for yourself, but for the rest of society as well.
Discrimination
Even though there’s less discrimination these days since people are more open-minded than before, and we’ve become a lot more mindful of what we think and say, bigotry is still not eliminated. To be fair, it will probably never be gone entirely since bad and ignorant folks will always exist.
Women have become fully integrated into the workforce, there’s less racial discrimination happening, and male and female pay is identical if they’re doing the same job equally well.
Violence
While we do have rules in place to reduce violence and to punish offenders of our human rights, there are still vile things happening such as wars, rape, and armed robberies.
Nevertheless, I do think that life has become safer than before and that there’s much less hostility going on due to our current regulations that protect its citizens. Some places will indeed be more dangerous than others, and those areas are potentially getting even more unsafe as time goes on.
But as a whole, I think we’re doing a fine job decreasing aggression. Still, we should educate all citizens on ethics such as respect, and equal rights, and that everyone can have their own opinion, even if it’s different from ours.
Inequality
I don’t believe in equality of outcome since everyone has different capabilities that are limited by our genetics, but I do believe in equality of opportunity. And that’s still not always being met in today’s world.
Yet, everyone must get the same amount of chances since that would benefit not only the individual, but also society as a collective since each person becomes more competent, and gets to do what they enjoy.
And when people get to practice what they like and care about is when they will deliver the best quality, and be most productive. Just because everyone has different strengths and weaknesses doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have the right to choose what to attempt, and what to pursue.
Homelessness
In some places, homelessness is still a severe issue that needs to be resolved. And giving everyone opportunities to improve their existence and to gain the required money to buy a home is certainly part of the solution.
But we can’t simply leave those who are unfortunate out on the street. They deserve shelter just as we do, as it’s a human right to have access to housing.
They indeed need to be willing to accept help and to actively improve their lives too. But it’s hard to get into a better position if you don’t get the needed opportunities to take advantage of.
Climate change
To be honest, I don’t know all that much about climate change. I don’t have much knowledge of how much worse it’s gotten in recent years, and if it’s entirely the way it’s painted in the media.
Yet, it’s essential that we maintain a healthy world, and we should acknowledge that the glaciers and sea ice melting combined with carbon dioxide and other gas emissions raising temperatures isn’t a good thing for the environment.
It’s something that we need to figure out, especially in our current time when our technological capabilities have, and continue to evolve so rapidly and exponentially. We shouldn’t destroy the world since it’s a requirement for us, and other lifeforms to exist.
Overpopulation
Overpopulation is another concern because we’ll run into trouble when the human population rises too much so that it surpasses the capacity of the ecological setting to provide for our environment.
While the world population is still growing, it’s at a slower pace than before. This decreased amount of growth is mainly due to the fertility declining in multiple countries.
Logically, we’re weary of overpopulation since that would lead to chaos and hunger since our capacity to provide all citizens with food and shelter would be exceeded.
Poverty
Poverty is a historical difficulty that’s seemingly impossible to settle. That’s due to multiple reasons, and not just because they’ve been unlucky, or didn’t get any opportunities, although that can most certainly be the case in many instances.
It also has many other causes such as how skilled we are, the number of chances we get, whether we want to work or not, if we’re smart enough, and if we’re willing to work ourselves up in the hierarchy, …
But we still need to try to reduce and eliminate poverty. Not just for the sake of those living in poor conditions, but also to reduce violence, and to give everyone equal chances.
Racial injustice
We’ve made huge strides regarding racial injustice in the last century, although I don’t doubt that ethnical unfairness such as racism and discrimination is still happening in many areas.
I can’t speak for every place in the world, but those who are discriminating based on skin color or place of origin are far and few in between where I live, and luckily so. I’ve always found it incredibly foolish to judge someone based on where they were born, or what color their skin is.
It’s up to everyone to promote equality of opportunity, regardless of gender, skin color, and place of origin.
Exploitation
Exploitation means being unfairly taken advantage of by someone else. While it is wretched, it’s something that has always happened in the world by bad people, and that’s no different today.
Sure, certain rules in place prevent, or limit the amount of exploitation occurring, but we all know that some circumvent the rules and that some stand above the law.
And while nobody stands above the law technically, the reality is often very different. Those with power, or money, which is also might in a sense in our materialistic society, usually get away with more than those who are poor or have no social status.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Is our society broken?
Whether our society is broken or not depends on our interpretation, yet there are certain indicators that society is falling apart such as the general lack of respect, empathy, cooperation, being intentionally misled, and poor parenting becoming more prevalent.
Of course, this is generalizing specific issues, because certainly not everyone is a bad parent, disrespectful, apathetic, and so on.
Do we live in a sick society?
Some argue that we live in a sick society, while others say we don’t. But important to note is that it’s no measure of health to be well-adjusted to a profoundly sick society.
Our modern society has a lot of good things going for it, such as incredibly improved technology, better healthcare, and living in a safer environment.
But having more resources at our disposal doesn’t mean that humanity is getting better as a whole. We’re often far too obsessed with chasing money, clout, and engaging in debauchery while being willing to forego everything holy to achieve it. We’re willing to be disrespectful, ruthless, and even drop our established values and beliefs to get what we want.
But isn’t it sick that we’re willing to give up everything that makes up our character just to gain some power, fame, or money? I think it is.
Is it normal to be sick of modern society?
It’s normal to be tired of modern society, or at least certain aspects of it, since there are multiple things wrong with today’s society.
The blatant lack of respect and empathy for each other combined with the degradation of values, ethics, and self-respect is enough to break even the most mentally tough-minded individuals into becoming sick and tired of our current society.
Again, this is a generalization, since not everything is bad, nor is everything going poorly. But we’re constantly being bombarded by stimuli and information from all over the world by technological revelations such as the television, news, and the internet.
That is why our senses become overloaded more easily than our previous generations, without much capability to prevent all that data from invading our personal space in this modern society.
Final note
While there are most certainly some critical issues in today’s society, it’s not as bad as some people portray it to be.
Yet, I feel like meaningful values such as our morals, ethics, respect, and empathy are degrading overall.
That’s enough reason to worry since these are the foundations for a cooperative and peaceful society. I recommend everyone to improve themselves while refraining from exhibiting disgusting behavior at the same time.