Title: Progress

[VoidCat]

Born post 9/11,
Came to adulthood during a pandemic.
Grew up in financial uncertainty.
My generation has the most
Mental health problems
Of the living generations...
I am only 18
Yet I've seen so much injustice
Told to turn the other cheek
Stay quiet everything is fine.
But I can't stay silent...
I must stand by
And fight for equal rights.
Things may be better
Then they were before
But there's still room to go.
Last year I begged
My family to drive me
To a protest on racial equality.
But they refused
So I watched the news
As peaceful protests turn to riots
Wishing I could join.
I listen now as people debate
LGBT rights.
All the LGBT people want is
To be themselves.
But how can they
When they're viewed as less then?
When will y'all ever learn
That we are all human?
Still y'all debate the rights of so many
Not only racial equality and lgbt rights
But those of women, the disabled,
And mentally ill.
Soo many people I want to help
But I feel so drained
And tired of trying
To figure out
How to fix a broken system.
I can't fight
When I have no energy.
I am surrounded by the media
Of so much injustice
And apathy is a coping mechanism
Cuz if I care more then I'll fall apart!

 

[VoidCat]

My generation has the most
Mental health problems

On mental health problems and Gen Z to back this claim
Gen Z more likely to report mental health concerns

 

[Samael_Khan]

Born post 9/11,
Came to adulthood during a pandemic.
Grew up in financial uncertainty.
My generation has the most
Mental health problems
Of the living generations...
I am only 18
Yet I've seen so much injustice
Told to turn the other cheek
Stay quiet everything is fine.
But I can't stay silent...
I must stand by
And fight for equal rights.
Things may be better
Then they were before
But there's still room to go.
Last year I begged
My family to drive me
To a protest on racial equality.
But they refused
So I watched the news
As peaceful protests turn to riots
Wishing I could join.
I listen now as people debate
LGBT rights.
All the LGBT people want is
To be themselves.
But how can they
When they're viewed as less then?
When will y'all ever learn
That we are all human?
Still y'all debate the rights of so many
Not only racial equality and lgbt rights
But those of women, the disabled,
And mentally ill.
Soo many people I want to help
But I feel so drained
And tired of trying
To figure out
How to fix a broken system.
I can't fight
When I have no energy.
I am surrounded by the media
Of so much injustice
And apathy is a coping mechanism
Cuz if I care more then I'll fall apart!

Great poem!

One line that intrigues me is "And Apathy is a coping mechanism". I wonder how common this is as I certainly can relate. Willful ignorance is also related to this because we might purposefully not investigate issues surrounding us because they will overwhelm as and we wouldn't be able to deal with them.

 

[Samael_Khan]

On mental health problems and Gen Z to back this claim
Gen Z more likely to report mental health concerns

Thanks. This is interesting.

I think that the generation today is more sensitive today than before (I do not mean this in the bad way). But then this might also be a cultural thing in the western world. Certainly the lack of face to face communication and technology has lead to loneliness and brought about problems that might not have been there before, such as depression.

 

[VoidCat]

Great poem!

One line that intrigues me is "And Apathy is a coping mechanism". I wonder how common this is as I certainly can relate. Willful ignorance is also related to this because we might purposefully not investigate issues surrounding us because they will overwhelm as and we wouldn't be able to deal with them.

Exactly...there are some issues I purposely ignore and not dig into cuz If I do its just too much

 

[VoidCat]

Thanks. This is interesting.

I think that the generation today is more sensitive today than before (I do not mean this in the bad way). But then this might also be a cultural thing in the western world. Certainly the lack of face to face communication and technology has lead to loneliness and brought about problems that might not have been there before, such as depression.

It's the fact we are more interconnected that leads us to be more sensitive...we are connected to more people then any generation in the past thus open to more problems and issues...at least in my opinion not any evidence to back it up

 

[VoidCat]

@Israel Khan in the United states Gen Z (I think the generation naming thing is only an american thing) is the most racially diverse out of the other generations before it. As for LGBT issues...there aren't many statistics but in my high school graduating class you couldn't walk ten feet without passing someone who was lgbt.
Edit:
Found this on lgbt and gen z https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/02/24/gen-z-lgbt/

 

[Samael_Khan]

It's the fact we are more interconnected that leads us to be more sensitive...we are connected to more people then any generation in the past thus open to more problems and issues...at least in my opinion not any evidence to back it up

It seems that we live in a paradox though. Yes, we are more interconnected than ever, but we are interconnected through barriers which is online technology, and that means less personal face to face connecting. It is like living in a concrete place most of your life without going outside to experience nature, it will mess you up. And humans don't just need words or sound to connect with each other, we have more senses than that.

 

[VoidCat]

It seems that we live in a paradox though. Yes, we are more interconnected than ever, but we are interconnected through barriers which is online technology, and that means less personal face to face connecting. It is like living in a concrete place most of your life without going outside to experience nature, it will mess you up. And humans don't just need words or sound to connect with each other, we have more senses than that.

Still...we are exposed to more diversity through technology. That's the point I was trying to make

 

[Samael_Khan]

@Israel Khan in the United states Gen Z (I think the generation naming thing is only an american thing) is the most racially diverse out of the other generations before it. As for LGBT issues...there aren't many statistics but in my high school graduating class you couldn't walk ten feet without passing someone who was lgbt.
Edit:
Found this on lgbt and gen z https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2021/02/24/gen-z-lgbt/

That makes sense. It is the same in South Africa. We had Apartheid and society is much more mixed than before and we now have the Gay Pride parade every year to celebrate the LGBT community.

 

[Samael_Khan]

Still...we are exposed to more diversity through technology. That's the point I was trying to make

OK. That is true.

 

[VoidCat]

@Israel Khan the reason I bring up the diversity thing is it shows why my generation at least here in the US is so involved in activism...now in regards to sensitivity...we are also exposed to negative news constantly online and added to fears of mass shootings along with other things...it makes sense to me my generation would be more sensitive in some ways...of course what I write here applies only to the US I dont know what kinds of issues South Africa got going on.I doubt y'all have mass shootings to the extent we do...

 

[Samael_Khan]

@Israel Khan the reason I bring up the diversity thing is it shows why my generation at least here in the US is so involved in activism...now in regards to sensitivity...we are also exposed to negative news constantly online and added to fears of mass shootings along with other things...it makes sense to me my generation would be more sensitive in some ways...of course what I write here applies only to the US I dont know what kinds of issues South Africa got going on.I doubt y'all have mass shootings to the extent we do...

Mass shootings are child's play to us. We are the third most dangerous country in the world:

South Africa ranks as third most dangerous country in the world | Newcastillian Online News

Gang killings, raping of babies to raping of elderly women, murders, gang rapes, killing of farmers, violent protests, we are WAAAAAYYYY ahead of you guys in those things. These crimes are daily occurrences. We are even the rape capital of the world:

Surge in sexual assault and violence has led to South Africa being dubbed 'the rape capital of the world' | South Coast Herald

People fear their own family over here.

The sensitivity seems a bit weird to me though because just ten years ago people weren't so sensitive. Just check out comedians from then such as Chris Rock, and the jokes they make then are what people condemn now. How did that sensitivity rise so rapidly over just this past decade? In South Africa we don't have that sensitivity because we joke about every single thing. That is our coping mechanism. Just watch what Trevor Noah says about South Africa and you would get the idea.

But the growing sensitivity isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just mustn't overstep itself.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

The sensitivity seems a bit weird to me though because just ten years ago people weren't so sensitive. Just check out comedians from then such as Chris Rock, and the jokes they make then are what people condemn now. How did that sensitivity rise so rapidly over just this past decade? In South Africa we don't have that sensitivity because we joke about every single thing. That is our coping mechanism. Just watch what Trevor Noah says about South Africa and you would get the idea.

It is weird. It's quite interesting to watch movies and shows from the 2000s, for example, which was a very raunchy, trashy decade. It was the decade of Girls Gone Wild and celeb sex tapes. Those movies and shows (like Two and a Half Men) would not be made now. It's strange how quickly things have changed just since I was a teen, and I'm only 31. I'm not a fan of it. Pop culture is still trashy and vapid, but now with a layer of hypocrisy and self-righteousness to go along with it.

 

[VoidCat]

Mass shootings are child's play to us. We are the third most dangerous country in the world:

South Africa ranks as third most dangerous country in the world | Newcastillian Online News

Gang killings, raping of babies to raping of elderly women, murders, gang rapes, killing of farmers, violent protests, we are WAAAAAYYYY ahead of you guys in those things. These crimes are daily occurrences. We are even the rape capital of the world:

Surge in sexual assault and violence has led to South Africa being dubbed 'the rape capital of the world' | South Coast Herald

People fear their own family over here.

The sensitivity seems a bit weird to me though because just ten years ago people weren't so sensitive. Just check out comedians from then such as Chris Rock, and the jokes they make then are what people condemn now. How did that sensitivity rise so rapidly over just this past decade? In South Africa we don't have that sensitivity because we joke about every single thing. That is our coping mechanism. Just watch what Trevor Noah says about South Africa and you would get the idea.

But the growing sensitivity isn't necessarily a bad thing, it just mustn't overstep itself.

I knew y'all had a lot of problems which is why I chose to be ignorant cuz I didn't want to get overwhelmed thinking about it since I can't do anything but I didnt realize it was that bad!

 

[VoidCat]

It is weird. It's quite interesting to watch movies and shows from the 2000s, for example, which was a very raunchy, trashy decade. It was the decade of Girls Gone Wild and celeb sex tapes. Those movies and shows (like Two and a Half Men) would not be made now. It's strange how quickly things have changed just since I was a teen, and I'm only 31. I'm not a fan of it. Pop culture is still trashy and vapid, but now with a layer of hypocrisy and self-righteousness to go along with it.

Ima make a thread on this... See what others think tag y'all both...first things first- Dinner. Then Ill make thread

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Ima make a thread on this... See what others think tag y'all both...first things first- Dinner. Then Ill make thread

Sure. I need to eat dinner, myself.

 

[Samael_Khan]

It is weird. It's quite interesting to watch movies and shows from the 2000s, for example, which was a very raunchy, trashy decade. It was the decade of Girls Gone Wild and celeb sex tapes. Those movies and shows (like Two and a Half Men) would not be made now. It's strange how quickly things have changed just since I was a teen, and I'm only 31. I'm not a fan of it. Pop culture is still trashy and vapid, but now with a layer of hypocrisy and self-righteousness to go along with it.

We are the same age so it is interesting that we have the same view.

Thing is the funniest shows to me were Two and a Half Men, South Park and Comedy Centrals standup. They still are. So I cannot relate to the new sensitivity because I have hardly ever been around people who get easily offended. Back in the day (can't believe I am using that phrase ) making fun of racial quirks, racial stereotypes, uncomfortable current events and the like was common and a staple of comedy. But its purposes was to make social commentary and it was a place where we could be comfortable addressing the tough issues. Now people on social media do not even understand that nuance of of comedy and easily take offense from things that they do not even understand the context of. It is like society is getting dumber.

 

[Samael_Khan]

I knew y'all had a lot of problems which is why I chose to be ignorant cuz I didn't want to get overwhelmed thinking about it since I can't do anything but I didnt realize it was that bad!

It is so bad, and it is mostly committed by people of your generation too, so by teenagers and young adults. We have had multiple cases of teens raping babies and elderly women, being gang members and killing each other and theft. The protests are mainly started by this demographic as well and often times it includes some people who are being violent.