What is up with our generation?

The simple answer is everything is transactional. If you need help and assistance with things that you need, of course I’ll get a call saying, “Damn, I missed you,” and . . . I need a favor! (Of course). What happened to randomly texting people and asking how they are, whether they’re alive or dead? God forbid the answer be the latter; then you can expect a prompt R.I.P.

That turned dark; oh well. C’est la vie. Even as I type this absurdity, I realize one thing: maybe I should have been born 50 years ago. When sending letters was the only way you could communicate, each stroke of the pen was cautious, purposeful and monumentally important. Go back to your school days, when teachers would make you write out letters and emails on paper, and you would laugh at the stupidity of it all. Why were we supposed to redundantly write letters on paper when we could just text people? What about the promises that you made your then-best, now-ex-friends?

Did you take the pains to write a letter inquiring about the well-being of your beloved friendships? Or did you choose to doomscroll for hours and comment on random strangers’ reels? Things that they will probably never read again. Which brings me to my next point—I dislike social media vehemently.

Welcome to our new vertical—Weekly Vent Out!! Cue the hooting- woo woo). Expect to be bombarded by heavy opinions bordering on the edge of judgement but never crossing the line:)

The social media curse

Now, I know how dependent this generation is on apps like Instagram and TikTok, but how the heck are we supposed to go about our lives when another twenty-year-old is already buying herself a G-Wagon and has become a multi-millionaire while you rot away in bed, preparing for semester-end exams? How about that sixteen-year-old who dropped out of school to pursue a career in modeling and is now a proud owner of thirteen mansions? Damn, why would anybody have time to text each other? Everybody’s busy achieving somebody else’s dream.

Friendships are hard to maintain because you’re easily replaceable; it’s all about the status quo. I wonder what gave people the idea that people can be accessed in rotation or they can always keep backup friends at their convenience. Lord, even I struggle with this question every day.

Are friendships really fading away?

Aren’t they? Who has an hour to put in when all of us are busy with our constantly evolving ideals of personal and career growth? What about the friends that moved abroad and have to deal with a new country, a new life and new friends? The glamour of attaining the unattainable is attractive indeed, but what about the past?

At some point in life, you also realize that ‘Change is the only constant of life,’ which now tragically means you have to make appointments to see even the closest of friends. Remember where we started? Everything is transactional? Even maintaining friendships requires a maintenance fee. Go out for lunch? Heavy hole in your pocket. Don’t go out for lunch? Heavy hole in your heart.

Gen-Zs are the pioneers of the social revolution

Is a great way to say, “God, we’ve degressed from actual community-loving creatures to doomscrolling zombies.” HOWEVER, before you start aggressively typing out paragraphs on how social media has helped others, let me beat you to it.

There are so many instances of people coming together to rise up against challenges and promote a unified sense of being. Humanity hasn’t died; it’s just been replaced by masked crusaders in hopes of making it big. Since everything is generic, who is even unique anymore?

We love the idea of someone, not the person themselves. . . and then you wonder why vulnerability is a dying art.

I want to know instances from your life that have shaped you to be better. Let’s build a new community. Drop your thoughts in the comments.

Till the next one!

Weekly vent out: How to deal with grief?