Do you think the world has gotten worse?

[divinemistress36]

Do you think the world has gotten worse or does it just seem that way cause of social media? I feel the world was better in 2014 than 2024

 

[noname223]

In some ways better, in some ways worse. Since you posted it in the politics subforum. Yes, politically the world is way worse compared to 2014. And I am scared of what is happening in the next decade. We still have at least 4 years of Trump ahead.

 

[divinemistress36]

In some ways better, in some ways worse. Since you posted it in the politics subforum. Yes, politically the world is way worse compared to 2014. And I am scared of what is happening in the next decade. We still have at least 4 years of Trump ahead.

And him and Elon probably pay Congress

 

[cantThinkOfName]

It's worse. How much varies on who you are and where you are

 

[Jack_Nimble]

It's worth noting that world poverty has steadily been decreasing for some time now.

World Poverty Rate 1981-2025

Poverty headcount ratio at $5.50 a day is the percentage of the population living on less than $5.50 a day at 2011 international prices. As a result of revisions in PPP exchange rates, poverty rates for individual countries cannot be compared with poverty rates reported in earlier editions.

www.macrotrends.net

 

[Gustav Hartmann]

1989 was the best year I experienced.

 

[enduringwinter]

Compared to the 2000s and 2010s, worse yeah. It's way harder to get a job, rent a place, even discounting inflation we pay more for less, infrastructure and services are worse, there is more surveillance and control, way less upward mobility and opportunities.

Taking myself for example, it's way easier and faster for a poor person from the third world like me to grind and get a decent job and move to a better place by merits of my skills. I am doing it right now but the sheer wait and bureaucracy are literally killing me.

 

[RoyalBengalAutistic]

No

 

[Pluto]

 

[Rymrgand]

If we compare it to, let's say, the fifties, the world is generally better everywhere, as far as I know.

But if we compare it to 2014, as you said, it's obvious that the far right is getting more and more popular in most of the west, and it's pretty scary. If we are lucky, this new wave will end before something serious happens and new and better democracies will be born from this crisis. If we are not lucky, tho...

 

[Forever Sleep]

I feel like it has. But, maybe that's just nostalgia kicking in. Not that my childhood was all rosie but in general, I feel like the world is a lot more hostile now.

For example, school children weren't murdering one another in my day. I can't remember any reports of knife crime in my two decades worth of education. Maybe it was there but, not like today. Apparently, there are on average, 4 incidents a week in the UK now. That's pretty messed up.

I've definitely noticed a marked shift since covid. Maybe we just all got more used to isolating and distrusting one another. I contribute to that. I'm not exactly sociable or a help to my community. I just stay in my own lane as it were.

My Dad reckons the 1950's were the nicest. Maybe we all look back more fondly. Especially if we feel out of touch with modern values etc.

I just don't know though really. Some things I feel are better. There's likely more equality now. I don't think I would have enjoyed how narrow my options would have been as a women decades ago. One of my teachers- who was my Dad's age was literally rejected from a course of study, despite having the talent for it (in my view) because she was a woman and so, 'wouldn't have the strength for it.'

It also seems kind of crazy that homosexuality was illegal at one time. Plus, suicide too. That was only legalised in 1961 in the UK! I think there's probably good and bad really.

As to whether we're just going through a rocky patch before things ultimately improve, I can't really see that. Maybe that's the worst thing of all. I really just envisage things getting worse in a lot of ways. Which makes me grateful I didn't bring offspring here to experience it.

 

[divinemistress36]

If we compare it to, let's say, the fifties, the world is generally better everywhere, as far as I know.

But if we compare it to 2014, as you said, it's obvious that the far right is getting more and more popular in most of the west, and it's pretty scary. If we are lucky, this new wave will end before something serious happens and new and better democracies will be born from this crisis. If we are not lucky, tho...

I agree. People have gotten meaner against those who are different. The hate is really starting to show now

 

[Rymrgand]

I agree. People have gotten meaner against those who are different. The hate is really starting to show now

I'm precisely now reading a book about how promoting evil (and not the evil itself) has become a powerful way to obtain economic, social and political benefits. There are a lot of cases like that, from corporations mocking their clients in social networks to be viral, to rapists sharing the evidence of their crimes with their friends, to politicians making publically jokes about discriminating people to get votes.

It's pretty sad that being an asshole is considered "cool" now, mostly because it's supposedly connected with being strong and smart, and being kind and tolerant is like being weak and naive.

But like they say in that book, it's better to be naive with good intentions than a piece of shit.

 

[OptingOutSmiling]

Definitely worse, in my home country things like unemployment, violent crime, corruption, cost of living and lack of proper education have all gotten worse. Where I find myself now, things like human trafficking and enslavement are actually real and happening. I thought social media was maybe exaggerating, but that is not the case. Humans are killing the world and humanity with greed, cruelty, and zero conscience, and it's all a downward spiral.

 

[returntostardust]

Hm politically yes, definitely, at least compared to earlier 2000s. But before 2000s and looking at world history, there were way worse moments than what we have now, so it could be better, but could be way worse as well
I think it's super subjective and depends on which feature of life we are talking about, without even mentioning that it also heavily depends on individual experiences.