this post was submitted on 19 May 2026
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[–] GalacticSushi@piefed.blahaj.zone 66 points 6 hours ago (5 children)

I think it's mass anxiety caused by uncertainty across the board.

Political uncertainty as far right and authoritarian movements pick up speed in various democracies.

Labor market uncertainties due to companies tightening their belts in the face of economic uncertainty, and trying to replace workers with AI.

Economic uncertainty due to wars disrupting energy and supply chains and the looming specter of recession/depression.

Geopolitical uncertainty due to several ongoing wars and several tense situations that could devolve into actual conflicts, not to mention the major paradigm shift happening where the US is actively ceding its position as a global leader to China.

Climate uncertainty as we refuse to address climate change and burn mountains of coal to power plagiarized chat bots.

The weirdest part is everybody is for the most part pretending everything is normal while silently being anxious on their own.

[–] cmbabul@slrpnk.net 19 points 5 hours ago* (last edited 5 hours ago) (1 children)

Honestly glad it not just me that realizes everyone is pretending

[–] Sanctus@anarchist.nexus 21 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

Honestly a lot of people around me are not pretending when you talk to them. They acknowledge it. They just dont know what to do on an individual level, trapped in their individual situations.

[–] queerlilhayseed@piefed.blahaj.zone 10 points 4 hours ago* (last edited 4 hours ago)

That's been my experience as well. A lot of discussions that used to be an occasional hypothetical now happen more frequently and are a lot more brass tacky:

  • what do we do if the federal government collapses / splits? Flee or hunker down? Either way, where?
  • How are we going to get food and water over the next few years?
  • how do we keep ourselves and our neighbors safe from the snatchers?
  • how do we maintain supply lines for medications over the next few years?

We are all long on questions and short on answers. but the questions are bubbling up to the surface more quickly as more people catch on to the fact that the US is out of control. Donald Trump is literally building a bunker compound, or trying to anyway. He's not leaving that office without a fight. The situation on the ground in the US is bad right now, but it's going to get a lot uglier before it gets better.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Those are symptoms not the problem.

The problem is we're densely packed and scarce on resources. Humans adapted for that, because we populate insanely fast and would constantly hit the limit that land could support.

The downside is that adaptation was us killing each other in the absence of natural predators.

It's all wired up inside of us, like the same neurochemical that causes group/family bonding making people (especially men) have very strong negative feelings about anyone they weren't exposed to when young, because those groups didn't make the cut for "in-group".

None of this is new and it shouldn't be shocking.

The oligarchs have been exploiting it for centuries. Everytime there's one dude with everyone else's money, he's always pointing to an out-group member and blaming them.

We don't have time to treat symptoms anymore, we need to fix the actual problem: oligarchs.

[–] wakko@lemmy.world 4 points 3 hours ago

we need to fix the actual problem: oligarchs.

the problem is, nobody is angry enough yet to do what needs to be done.

there is no peaceful solution to this problem. as soon as the oligarchs stop deserving to live in houses with unbroken windows and unburnt lawns, we'll be ready for the solution.

[–] West_of_West@piefed.social 10 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

I told my wife i was feeling really anxious today. I think that freaked her out more than anything. She was like, "but you dont get anxious!"

Well damn love, today I am.

[–] MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 2 points 3 hours ago

It's the opposite for me. If I told my spouse I was feeling relaxed and calm she'd start to get worried.

[–] OriginEnergySux@lemmy.world 3 points 4 hours ago

Well fuck me, that'll do it