Since we were kids, we were constantly told that working hard was the key to success, the American Dream. Maybe when our parents and grandparents, that was a much more achievable goal, even if it was never a reality to begin with. But even if it were true, it’s certainly unachievable now. This has spurred a young Tennessee man to ask on social media what their next step should even be!
TikToker Wes (TikTok/blandwes) shares the trials and tribulations Gen Z faces despite everything, and the dissolution that comes with it. “We’ve been in the Middle East my entire life, but the living conditions at home have gotten worse,” Wes says. According to him, college is “useless,” people are struggling to afford homes, and there is a constant threat of unemployment.
Instead, what Wes argues is that what he was “taught by my parents and grandparents” just no longer applies. Whether parents and grandparents all over the U.S. want to admit it or not, it was far easier to afford a home then than it is now.
“All of our money goes to outside resources,” Wes continues, “and the goal for these outside resources hasn’t even been accomplished.” As examples, he says the U.S. hasn’t helped the Middle East achieve “freedom” and hasn’t succeeded in spreading democracy. Instead, Wes argues, the U.S. has just “dragged” other countries down, including ourselves.
Wes then asks numerous poignant questions, like why isn’t the U.S. worried about “domestic problems.” Why isn’t the U.S. caring for its own citizens? And why aren’t we focused on helping the next generation?
Gen Z Shows Solidarity and Shares Their Worries
Given the response in the comments of Wes’s TikTok video, the feeling is not only mutual but deafening. Many commented on the current state of the U.S. and the ever-growing wealth disparity.
One commenter shared, “I think the worst part is asking my parents for advice and they have literally no idea what to say.” The responses in the thread make you wonder if they all had the same parents. Many shared their parents’ offering ‘wise’ words like “that’s just the way it is” and “welcome to adulting.”
Another commenter called for the death of billionaires via guillotine to be “the answer.” Several TikTok users shared the same sentiment.
And one commenter stated, “I pray Gen Alpha will be ok,” after saying Millennials and Gen Z were thrown to “the dogs.”
Others called out foreign advisors as an issue, as well as the construction of all the data centers and the threat of AI. But it goes further than that when regular people can’t even afford higher education or health care.
