🌸 people are very, very miserable (sadly) - part 2 🌸

As I sit in one of many Caffè Nero branches (whilst it pours outside with rain, perfect weather which fits my current mood - depressed as usual), I muse on the topic of misery yet again.

In part 1, I discussed issues surrounding the transition from education to work, cost of living, work and the lack of 3rd places; the main factors which contribute to misery in modern life.

I genuinely feel that we are going through the motions, reliving the same day again and again. We get used to the routine but it becomes very mundane with little room for change. This is now modern life, existing to work in order to survive. Not to live, to SURVIVE.

I don't know about you; I am tired of getting up 5 days a week to commute to an office building which is practically falling apart. In my 6+ year stint of work so far, I always get burnt out after the 1 ½ year mark. It's either the job becomes boring/unfulfilling or I have problems with toxic behaviour, mainly from managers (and now I've discovered an additional reason, inattentive ADHD - another topic of interest I will talk about at some point in my podcast and YouTube channel). I spend each day wondering what the point of life is, questioning why I get up to do mundane tasks (such as inputting data into a spreadsheet, I loathe spreadsheets unless I can draw on them) which have no real meaning.

Seriously, what is the point? Most of what we do doesn't matter anyway. Nobody asks to be born into the world. However, we should have the right to euthanasia (although I would say this depends on mental wellbeing and overall clarity).

A lot of people feel the same way, drained of time and energy due to completing tasks which serve little to no purpose in life. As stated before, I am not anti-work (considering that I was born into a working class family with parents who grafted from their teenage years). I just feel there should be more to life than work. The constant rushing on public transport, unpredictable delays, unrealistic expectations and multiple workloads tire people out. We are having to perform everyday to please managers who for the most part don't care about us - don't see us as human. We are tools that are exploited, dumped when no longer useful. The work/life balance for some (dependent on job) doesn't exist. You spend at least 5 days on the minimum working, putting in long hours for a company. You feel inadequate because you are unable to meet required deadlines, receiving criticism every turn of the way.

People need time to spend with the ones they love. People need to explore hobbies, invest in passions and travel the world. Yet for most of us, these are just dreams.

So, let's get into some more factors which contribute to misery.

INCREASE IN CRIME

You may notice that crime is normalised (at least in the UK, it is). I don't get surprised when I see news about stabbings, sexual assault, robberies, drunk driving, GBH etc. There is also the continuous issue with mass illegal immigration affecting the UK; before you say anything - I have no problem with anyone who genuinely wants to better their life or make a valuable contribution to the country (my mother and aunt are two prime examples; immigrants from Jamaica who came to the UK to work and create better opportunities for themselves). The main concern that the British public have relates to the individuals who fail to integrate with the culture; disrespecting the land as-well as the people. There is an old saying: in Rome, you do as the Romans do. This means when you travel to another country (regardless of purpose), you treat it with respect. You mind your business (by not getting into others' personal space, god I hate it when people enter mine), clean up after yourself, learn the culture/language/customs. Just don't ruin the experience for those around you let alone yourself - no wonder certain countries don't like immigrants/tourists.

My outlook on crime has changed a lot more since the unfortunate murder of my cousin (which took place on December 2021). I never expected to be affected by the circumstances of knife crime but here I am, questioning what will be done since little action is taken. We are living in constant fear everyday, not knowing who can hurt us. Our justice systems are a joke: these days if an individual commits a severe crime such as murder for example, there are barely any consequences. Rather than a harsh punishment, perpetrators get a 2nd chance to re-join mainstream society despite high risk of re-offending. Using my cousin's murder as an example, the individual responsible had a short sentence due to "good behaviour". Although deported, he is free. Free to do as he pleases. My cousin doesn't have freedom as he is dead, six feet under in a coffin. Where is the justice for him, his friends who cared about him, myself and the rest of my family (especially my aunt who cannot work a traditional job due to long-term depression and stress)? Because let me tell you, it ain't here. The Government and local authorities don't care. As much as independent organisations try to intervene, the lack of funding makes their goals unachievable. It seems that crime is rewarded in a sense in Western countries - from experiences others have had, crime is penalised in the East.

As crime is now part and parcel of living in a big city (a similar quote uttered by a certain politician who is a disgrace - if you know, you know), we now have to implement our own precautions. Emergency alerts are activated on my phone and watch, this way if I am in imminent danger, my emergency contacts get notified and know my location. I also have a doorbell with a camera attached to the front door; checking who comes in and out of the premises. The reason for this was due to an unfortunate experience where a drug addict sat in the chute right outside my home, the one place where I should be safe. I couldn't use the chute for months until a lock and key system was installed; paranoid over the possibility of being attacked with a weapon. Although I called the police, they did NOTHING since I wasn't hurt. All they said was neighbourhood watch would patrol the area. Did that happen? NO.

Speaking of our so-called police, they do a poor job of protecting us. They're busy arresting people for controversial posts on social media rather than doing their jobs properly. Lots of people are now resorting to self-defence or creating makeshift weapons that aren't considered illegal because if the police won't protect them, they have to protect themselves and their loved ones. I can't blame anyone with this mentality. I've considered getting pepper spray (although I believe this is illegal) or making some sort of concoction I can use when needed. Either way, it is important to stay vigilant in this world.

Young people these days are susceptible to crime. I see so many black boys in particular using the services my workplace offers. Lots of young people don't have a stable family foundation; most grow up in single parent households (often without a father). There are some who are NEET (a British term for people not in education, employment or training), some who have family involved with the system (whilst not trusting it at the same time), some without a 3rd place to go to and others idolising the "fast life" - one which involves dodgy jobs, quick, easy money and so-called "friends" selling them out when they're about to get caught.

Rappers promote this lifestyle, going on about guns, violence, money, drugs and "hoes" (derogatory term for women). It isn't the male rappers only, same applies to female rappers (although they also promote sexualization in very crude ways - now I ain't prudish but children shouldn't be exposed to such things). Let's be realistic, the above are popular. A rapper isn't going to get traction on YouTube or other socials by talking about education and employment are they? When young people end up in prison - it is hard for them to realise how their actions affect others. The lack of empathy for victims, the nonchalant attitude and the front they display to impress their peers makes them self-centered. There are exceptions where they can turn their life around (although where employment is concerned you are barred from jobs involving contact with vulnerable individuals due to a criminal history - this will come up in DBS checks) but most either end up back in the system or dead.

For as long as it continues, nothing will change. Instead of being the solution, we are the problem. We are blind to the signs and we don't care enough about others. We live in a selfish society where nobody looks out for each other.

SOCIAL MEDIA + MAINSTREAM NEWS:

Social media is grating. As I am in my late 20's, I've found that social media doesn't appeal to me anymore. Black on white layouts, short form content that distracts you, repetitive posts on topics you don't care about and manufactured drama. I am just done with it. Besides my YouTube channel and TikTok (which I am not addicted to oddly enough as I only use it for content creation + to get inspiration for art/customs), I don't use any other social media. I have instant messaging but not much; WhatsApp is for close family and friends I know in real life (+ colleagues I get on with) and Telegram is for online friends I've met on the Internet.

Social media used to have a purpose. It was about communication with those you were closest to and forming communities with like-minded people who shared common interests. With social media in the 2000's, people weren't as addicted. Apps didn't really exist (well, until the late 2000's after the iPhone was announced) and even so, internet speeds weren't as fast. Point is, people only had access to social media via a computer/laptop; there was more friction as extra effort was required to set up the page you wanted to visit. Because there was no pocket device, people had time to do activities that didn't involve hardcore tech usage.

Now with smart devices, social media is available at the palm of our hands. We are now constantly online. I never liked the idea of being online 24/7 as it reminds me of being back at my 2nd job - having managers calling, texting or e-mailing you several times for last minute tasks until you picked up. It gave me internal stress and also, people who constantly contact me every minute of the day are too clingy. I don't want that in my life, someone attached to me 24/7. I need my personal space, especially when I do an overly exhausting front-facing role 5 days a week.

Growing up in the 2000's, technology was present in my life but I didn't spend every waking moment using it. I still went outside, read books, created art and spent time with close friends and family. I grew up with social media at the age of 12 and had to spend years going cold turkey, weaning myself off. I highly regret joining because I developed an addiction, unable to last one day without my phone beside me. I was exposed to unsuitable content; children often have collective experiences of being groomed, being coerced into doing sexual favours in exchange for money or affection. Those who grow up vulnerable are more likely to fall for such things and it is sad. As for girls in particular, we are taught to alter our appearance in order to be accepted - we have to meet unrealistic standards in order to get attention.

With social media comes information overload. The posts, the likes, the comments, the reposting and of course short form content creates an endless black hole we can't escape from. Everyday, people are scrolling with no end in sight. Attention spans are decreasing, we can't focus on long form content such as a documentary or even other activities such as reading. We can't enjoy silence because we're heavily reliant on background noise. We lose cognitive skills as-well; relying on convenience for everything we do as we are too lazy to figure things out on our own. When was the last time you went on a journey without Google Maps? Oh, you never did that.

The same applies with mainstream news which is designed to get you to react negatively to events in the world. There is more political discourse over issues such as say, illegal immigration and these days, you can't have an opposing view as you will be crucified. Your friends will turn against you, your employer or colleagues will act differently (and you get pushed out of your job) and your family disowns you.

The problem with mainstream news is that it skews the truth. The media makes a profit through negative feelings. Rather than being unbiased, they paint one side as good and the other evil - causing discourse. You are given so many labels for having specific views, the words themselves losing context and meaning. Whatever happened to civil conversations? Agreeing to disagree? We can't even discuss other viewpoints without being called racist, fascist, a Nazi etc. These words lose context and meaning. I now choose to subscribe to independent journalists because I like to form my own conclusions to worldly topics. I much prefer hearing all sides rather then going with the majority because of social acceptance. I do converse with people who have different political beliefs. We may not see eye to eye all the time but we can have insightful discussions without going off on one.

LACK OF CULTURE, FREEDOM AND SELF-EXPRESSION

If you lived in the UK prior to the 2000's, you probably grew up in a place where it was great to be British. You weren't ashamed of where you came from and waved the Union Jack flag (or wore the distinctive colours with pride). You may have experienced the pub life, sitting down after a 9 to 5 to have a drink or a meal with the people who you liked and loved. You would've been accustomed to other aspects of the culture, church life or football for example. As stated earlier, we have an issue where the British culture is being eroded bit by bit; certain individuals who come here destroy the land and also import radicalised culture - the same one they are trying to escape from. People feel like they can't fight back and it is depressing. We sit and put up with it because we have no choice. Calling it out makes you right-wing, right?

Sometimes when walking around, I feel I am in another country. Others may feel the same. You don't recognise the shops, the array of businesses or even the people anymore. You don't have the opportunity to celebrate traditional holidays because they are offensive apparently. I mean look at advertisements on TV. Can't say Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays anymore. Can't refer to snowmen or even have a piping hot roast turkey with stuffing. Even if holidays are celebrated, they are more commercialised. Using the obvious example of Christmas, it is just materialistic crap on top of crap. You have shelves decorated with cheap tack everywhere going back as far as August, people pushing and shoving each other in stores during Black Friday to get sales on products (although it isn't worth it), the same songs and movies playing every year. There is no magic, no fun, no love. It is just ripped away.

Even our basic freedoms are going. Remember the pandemic? We had to stay in 24/7, only allowed out for essentials like groceries. If your job was deemed essential, you were still required to go in. When outside, you had to stand 3 feet away from the person next to you and to wear a mask at any one time. You were only allowed to pay for items with card; if you had a disability, were elderly or homeless there were no cash based alternatives for you. Government propaganda was all over the place, from billboards telling us to stay safe to the Prime Minister harping on about protecting the vulnerable (funny that considering the amount of parties he attended). Even mainstream celebrities claimed we were all in this together (High School Musical anyone?) yet they got to sleep in large mansions and gated communities, away from the peons (working class types like you and me). We were even expected to get up at 8pm every night to clap for the NHS, the only service which was appreciated by the masses. Teachers, nursery workers, supermarket workers etc had no special treatment. The whole thing felt like a modernized 1984 (referring to George Orwell's book). When I went for an afternoon walk with my dad one day, I noticed the changes around me. There was an eerie silence in the air, one which felt unnatural to me. I do love silence but this was unsettling, knowing that most places weren't as full as usual. The whole thought of having to adhere to the bizarre rules set by the powers that be really aggravate me, especially as it is one rule for us and another rule for our superiors. Everything is changing and not in a good way.

POOR WEATHER

Rain, wind, snow, ice, sleet, hail and clouds. The main weather that British people witness on a day-to-day basis. We have to still trek in it when going to work as the managers don't care if it affects us. When the sun doesn't come out, our serotonin levels decrease as-well as our Vitamin C.

When the sun comes out, I feel much better knowing that I can actually soak up the rays and take photos for my digital journal and scrapbook. And also, being in the sun makes me happier. I feel less depressed when I relax in parks, laying on the grass outside and knowing I am allowed to breathe without feeling suffocated. As for the rain, snow etc. - I feel low and just don't want to go outside. I just don't want to be anywhere but tucked in my bed, warm and protected. I guess the rest of you feel the same.

So, these are some of the reasons as to why people in this world feel so miserable. What do you think? Do you agree or have had some experiences where you feel a certain type of way? Let me know in the comments.

Well, I hope you have enjoyed reading this post. Sayonara, until next time.