First World problems are issues that only the well-off, first world society have to deal with. Issues that those in second and third world countries see as privileges. In the U.S., I think these issues have taken over our society. We are more focused on gluten free diets and healthy, active lifestyles rather than whether we have enough food to feed our children. This is a good thing. We are able to, for the most part, feed our people (go to www.feedingamerica.org to learn about hunger in America). However, having such different issues from the rest of the world has left us without the ability to understand other problems and with the privilege of fighting over these problems.
Yes, privilege. We get to, as a society, fight over these issues. "We're not tolerant enough." "Transgender people need to be able to use the bathroom they want." "We're not open enough to new ideas." "We need to let people be who they want to be, no matter how quirky." "Blacks are still being discriminated against." "Women need equal opportunities and equal pay."
I believe it's important to understand that people have different problems and different views of the world. When we stop realizing that, we start to fall apart as a society. These first world problems are tearing us apart.
We need to come together to recognize that there are different people in the world and there are different issues. America's bathroom issues and equal pay for women, to me, are unimportant to making sure the world is peaceful and taken care of. Let's address the corruption and drug trade in Central America that's ruining the ability for thousands of people to have a decent meal to feed their families. Let's attack the human trafficking epidemic that's affecting the entire world including big cities and small towns right here in the U.S.
I understand these first world issues we face here in America do affect people and are important to talk about. But I think the fact that 1 in 6 endangered runaways are likely sex trafficking victims requires more of our attention than a 20% gender pay gap. (I can get into why that is another time.) Our society puts so much effort into making sure we are tolerant of each other and less on whether our kids are going to have a well-rounded education including a focus on history and civics. While people are starving in Ethiopia, people in America are arguing whether kale smoothies are healthy or not. While kids in North Korea have no rights, kids in America are worried about having free college.
Let's realize that there are other issues that need to be dealt with and not just our own. Once we realize that there are other issues that affect the world, maybe our own issues won't be as pressing. Maybe our issues won't divide us as much and maybe we will start to understand each other better. We can only hope.
