Our generation has become a mass of self-absorbed, unfeeling zombies. We spend our time scrolling through social media, avoiding anything that might stir sympathy or any other genuine emotions. We chant little phrases like "do you" and we praise ourselves and our friends for having no feelings or preferences. Our dating scene is a joke; the one who cares the least (or at least seems that way) wins nearly every time. We can't be upfront or confront each other with our feelings when we are hurt or angry because we will be immediately labeled with vague words like "crazy" or "emotional."
Essentially, to feel is to lose.
So many of our lives play out like shallow TV shows starring bored sociopaths. We can have friends, but we can't ever expect them to be there for us in moments of crisis. We can "love" our friends immediately, and we can do a multitude of activities with them, but we rarely forge deep relationships with them. The idea of revealing our feelings and dreams to another person seems ridiculous and terrifying. Therefore, we take a million selfies and avoid self-disclosure. We have drama, but the drama has to be about a member of the opposite sex, and if we're sad about the situation it means that we're "weak." If you have feelings for someone, you never use strong words, and you can't ever use the word "dating" or "relationship" unless both parties have agreed to it... even if you've spent months acting as if you were a couple. Sometimes, you can't even tell other people that you've been seeing someone because the two of you have half-heartedly agreed to keep it quiet via a long, slightly confusing text exchange. At any moment, one of you can simply stop responding or disappear, and you can't be mad because, technically, you never labeled anything.
To be strong, in our culture, is to not care.
We wonder why we have anxiety, depression, and lack of motivation. We spend so much time pretending like we're OK with whatever answer we are given, with any sort of behavior, that we have checked out. We can't properly express ourselves or hold each other to any standard because so many of us are trying to move through life as painlessly as possible.
There are those who actually choose to let themselves care. I care, and I care a lot. I care about my friends and my family; I care about my degree and how the people around me are doing. I have genuine feelings of sympathy and empathy for people who are going through tough times, and I enjoy being there for them. I have found a beautiful group of people who are also tuned-in, and I give them all of my attention and effort.
However, they are rare. They are rare, wonderful humans who have decided that our generations anti-feelings attitude is cold and, to be frank, quite boring.
So many of us could lead much more fulfilling, passionate lives if we broke free of the dispassionate mold our generation has created.
To become upset or ecstatic about events in life is healthy and normal. We've simply trained ourselves to try our best not to let these heavy emotions take root.
We are a weak culture because we are afraid to feel. We are terrified of exposing ourselves or revealing that we do, in fact, care about what other people say or do to us. Acting like you can stand alone no matter what someone else does to you does not make you independent; it makes you an unfeeling doormat whose only retaliation is ghosting someone.
