this post was submitted on 20 Feb 2026
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Today I Learned

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[–] FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world 194 points 2 weeks ago (25 children)

Can you blame them?

The US is a fucking hellscape

I spend quite a bit of time there. I'm over several times a year and I genuinely don't know how people can live like that

There's a constant thin thread of fear, wrapped around everything, running through everything

People are afraid of the people around them. They're afraid of their government, they're afraid of the people who are supposed to be there to protect them, they're afraid of their employers, they're afraid of the unknown

I'm very careful not to take my charmed life for granted

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 79 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (6 children)

Having Trump as President is how I imagine it's like living with an abuser. A constant state of anxiety — never knowing when or where the next blow will come, but knowing it's coming. You stop planning for the future or enjoying the now and just focus on keeping your head above water one more day. The constant stress actually creates knots in my back that sometimes put me down for days.

And when he's finally out of office you didn't notice you've been holding your breath for four years and you just want to weep with relief at surviving and escaping.

[–] Blackfeathr@lemmy.world 43 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

As someone who lived with an abuser for almost 30 years, can confirm, this is very accurate.

[–] MagicShel@lemmy.zip 32 points 2 weeks ago

I'm glad you made it, mate.

[–] WorldsDumbestMan@lemmy.today 16 points 2 weeks ago

I'm totally enraged, and actively compilling a list of people on the Epstein list, and the billionaires. What's keeping me out of "trouble" is my family getting itself into debt. Once I'm done with debt however...

I will try the pacifist build a community approach first, but I'm already ready to throw down rhuthlessly.

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[–] fluffykittycat@slrpnk.net 22 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You're exactly right. I don't really have a sense of security about anything

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[–] Tollana1234567@lemmy.today 18 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

the most thing i noticed that both parties are afraid of is giving free or extremely cheap healthcare to everyone, mainly because keeping it private helps keep the parties into gop/dem.

[–] FistingEnthusiast@lemmy.world 28 points 2 weeks ago

For-profit healthcare is beyond disgusting

Slavery never went away in the US. It was rebranded, encompassing all but the ruling classes, with people's health tied to their employment

All so some people who were already rich could get richer, and the cost to the American public is a fucking disgrace

Long live Luigi!

[–] pipi1234@lemmy.world 12 points 2 weeks ago

Right?!

Now that the 2° admentment reason for having guns is totally debunked, the only reason for everyone to have guns is to live in constant fear of being shot or having to shot someone else.

Having to chose between feeding your children and getting life saving medical treatment is a very real choice most Americans can be confronted with.

Etc etc etc...

Turns out USA is only the best country in the world for rich people and paedophiles...

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[–] unphazed@lemmy.world 83 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

My daughter is 15. She hates guns. Hates being around them, the sound, the idea of harm, etc. 4 weeks ago she came crying afraid for her friends and ICE. Last week she told me she wanted to learn to shoot. (I inherited a lot of guns. I bought a few myself. I come from a conservative family and I am the black sheep, the one that "changed".) Still trying to get ahold of someone from Blazing Sword as an instructor. I want her to learn from someone with actual teaching instruction, rather than backwoods learning that I got.

Kids are terrified. Schools are scary, the law is scary, the dungeon dwelling creeps are now villified. I can see why suicide is increasing.

[–] ivanafterall@lemmy.world 38 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

My teenage daughter and her friends were planning a walk out at school to protest ICE. She texted me that the school administrators and "resource officers" (aka cops in schools) physically blocked all the exits so nobody could leave.

[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The superintendent in Mustang Oklahoma suspended all of the kids who walked out.

[–] mc900ftJesus@lemy.lol 10 points 2 weeks ago

As a kid I would have loved the free vacay from that.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 22 points 2 weeks ago (10 children)

Dude my wife has been wanting to get a gun. I'd talked about it in the past, almost in a hyperbolic way...always to be shot down by her fear of the guns.

But now that I'm thinking about it, I'm scared of having guns in the house.

My youngest is incredibly impulsive. My oldest has high anxiety. I don't want them in my home, but I'm starting to think we may need one.

Anyway, she went to the range tonight with her brother. She hasn't shot a gun since she was like 8 (.22 LR). She did alright.

But like you, I'd want to learn (and buy) from professionals. Particularly ones I'm politically aligned with. How the hell can you even tell?

[–] thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 10 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

She hasn’t shot a gun since she was like 8

Americanest statement ever

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[–] chiliedogg@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago

I used to be the liberal gun salesman in a store full of right-wing crazies. I ended up being one of the top salesmen because word of mouth got around that I was there and didn't spend the whole time being a dick and talking about how evil liberals and gay people were.

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[–] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 73 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (14 children)

Among 10-14 year-olds?

At that age, your biggest problem should be losing a video game save file, or at worst losing your first pet. All while still surrounded by loving and supportive adults.

What the hell are we doing?

[–] TheHotze@lemmy.world 37 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

The future in America doesn't look too bright right now. Especially if you aren't white, are Trans, or need to live on the planet earth.

[–] possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip 17 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

It doesn't look to great if you are white either (particular white with low/medium income)

Some minority groups have major struggles but it is important to acknowledge everyone. Favoring certain minorities breads resentment that make racism and discrimination worse.

[–] JasonDJ@lemmy.zip 11 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Sounds like some All Lives Matter BS.

Some groups, as a whole, are having a way tougher time right now. Yes that includes the white working poor. But LGBTs and PoC's are literally in fear of an eminent end of their life by violent means. And some of them are also working poor.

Nobody is banging on your door, taking you at gunpoint to a concentration camp god-knows-where, and separate you from your kids. Some of them are even citizens or at least here lawfully. I fear a lot of the undocumented probably have already disappeared forever.

Nobody is actively challenging your right to live because of who you love, or whether or not you sit to pee.

Yeah, all lives matter. Some lives just need a little more attention at the moment.

[–] admin@lemmy.today 8 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

This exact bullshit is why the elite class can keep dividing and ruling, those minorities you mentioned are still in heaven in comparison to others or some specific part of the world, does that mean that other folks around the world should not care about discourse in the USA?

The difference among working classes pale in comparison when it comes to differences in class hierarchy and power structure.

We can always appreciate extra helping hands.

Personally I am not from the USA, but best of luck and well wishes to everybody who is holding the frontline dispite the difference, always remember

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

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[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 14 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

It says 10-24, but I agree. It's fucked up.

[–] MentalEdge@sopuli.xyz 29 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The tripled rate is specifically for 10-14.

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[–] Wilco@lemmy.zip 48 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

Human beings are social animals. Most of us are disconnected from our "tribe" or "herd". We aren't meant to exist like this. The oligarchs have designed a system to make everyone hate each other ... its working as intended.

[–] ChadGPT2@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago

Everyone is isolated watching corporate propaganda on magic boxes. No safety net, no community. Move from wage slavery location to propaganda consumption location in an enclosed box.

Human beings aren’t built for this lifestyle.

[–] EndlessNightmare@reddthat.com 8 points 2 weeks ago

I have looked at my own life, and if I could choose one realistic change that would improve my quality of life, it would be more genuine (read: non-transactional) social connection. More friends, and more time with my friends. More sense of community.

[–] chemical_cutthroat@lemmy.world 39 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

My roommate [content warning]

spoilerjust took his own life a few weeks ago. I had no idea what he was going through because we lived very separate lives. He always seemed like he was doing OK, but in the note he left he spoke of hiding mental health issues from me because he didn't want to stress me out while I was dealing with my own shit. I wish I could go back and tell him to bother me.

This shit is really happening, and it's hitting all age brackets. Even if you think someone is doing OK, it's fine just to check on them. "Hey, how are you?" Be sincere. Don't hit them with the "What's up?" Everyone has a preprogrammed response. But give them eye contact and a genuine tone. It's not something you'll ever regret.

[–] Pratai@piefed.ca 11 points 2 weeks ago

This is heartbreaking. I’m so sorry.

[–] lastlybutfirstly@lemmy.world 32 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (5 children)

I blame commercials and PSAs. I stopped watching TV in the mid-2000s and have ad blocker online. Watching TV today is like stepping back into Plato's Cave. You don't realize how psychologically damaging commercials are.

As an example, a few years ago I watched a live stream of the local news during a weather event with ads that couldn't be blocked. Four hours later, I had seen the same commercial for an HIV drug at least 8 times. I had the thing memorized and I was very, very aware of HIV all day as it replayed in my brain. I don't ever think about HIV. But I was forced to. I'm usually happy go lucky but after that ad, and other ads for a myriad of other drugs for diseases, plus PSAs reminding me how my life is a vicious jungle with death just a step away, I felt pretty bummed. Some of those PSAs are down right mean spirited.

Without ads, I can control my exposure to the horrors of the world. With ads, you're at the mercy of the station or website drowning you in human misery. There probably needs to be a law to limit those kind of commercials. Like one PSA a week and one pharmaceutical commercial a day.

[–] yabbadabaddon@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Blame social media. We have studies that show direct correlation between suicide rate and instagram, for example. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1461444819850106

[–] lastlybutfirstly@lemmy.world 9 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Do they take into account the ads that are run on those sites?

I mean, everybody talks about how YT is killing everyone but I don't get it. Unless... There was one day I sat down for breakfast, feeling great and started to play a light hearted review of a movie from Red Letter Media, about to eat a spoon full of Cheerios when an ad snuck past my ad blocker. It started off with "Cancer is different when it happens to a child." I immediately closed my browser and sat there in stunned silence for five minutes with my chin on my lap. That ad just shat all over my day before it even began. When I got back to watching RLM, I was still thinking about kids with cancer for five minutes while Mike and Jay made jokes.

If people are bombarded by that kind of bipolar stream of videos while watching YT, I can see how it can ruin your life.

[–] Draedron@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

In the past when you were bullied it usually was contained to school. Now with social media, it continues in the safety of your home as well.

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[–] TaeKwonDoh@lemmy.world 8 points 2 weeks ago

Frankly, I'm just glad that there may be a tax on advertisin (and other things) to try and shore up health care costs in Michigan.

Source: https://www.mlive.com/politics/2026/02/whitmer-wants-new-taxes-on-tobacco-sports-betting-to-keep-health-spending-stable.html

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[–] Gammelfisch@lemmy.world 22 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Boils down to US labor laws, healthcare, maternity leave for both parents and income distribution.

[–] Rooster326@programming.dev 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (1 children)

Let's not forget social media, climate change, being told the world will collapse when they get older, tHe ecOnOmY, Gun violence....

The only thing this "boils" down to is the world has gone to utter shite thanks to those who came before.

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[–] Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world 19 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)
[–] FerretyFever0@fedia.io 16 points 2 weeks ago (3 children)

The hike in the graph didn't start with Trump. There are a LOT of things that we can blame that monster for. This, however, is not entirely his fault.

I'd guess that it has to do with the fact, that quite frankly, most young people had their futures taken by previous generations. Trust in the government has been declining for decades. The economy has been getting worse and worse for the average person for a while. Politics have gotten more and more divisive because of the trend in which both the Democratic and Republican parties going further and further right, creating a sense of conflict and distrust towards our fellow citizens.

Assuming that every single one of these problems is miraculously fixed, there's still the problem with the climate having already suffered irreparable damage. So, yeah, tons of fucked up shit in the world, paired with significant personal problems like bullying and social isolation, as well as all of us being able to see every single shitty thing that happens, I'd be surprised if it wasn't going up. Trump is a big part of several of those problems, to be fair.

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[–] Mulligrubs@lemmy.world 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

We weren't evolved for this.

For thousands of years we were hunters and farmers and such, working hard in the summer and hibernating in the winter, saving night time for relaxation and fun (yes I am vastly simplifying and am aware of the exceptions).

So of course people are freaking miserable as drones for the 24-365 corporate hive.

BUT PROFITS ARE UP, UP, UP! STOCK MARKET 50k BABY

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[–] TrickDacy@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (5 children)

Absolutely zero doubt Trump is largely responsible. Fuck this country.

[–] PM_ME_VINTAGE_30S@lemmy.sdf.org 17 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

Of course Trump made it worse faster, but the graph is clearly increasing over the entire time axis, in particular during the Obama and Biden administrations.

This is a symptom of the capitalist class continuously waging class warfare against the working class. Simply changing the figurehead will never be good enough to reverse this trend or any of the 69 bajillion other graphs that show us that for the working class, our world is falling apart!

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[–] andros_rex@lemmy.world 16 points 2 weeks ago (6 children)

Something critical to note is that help is not really out there. This is the kind of news article that usually gets people to post 988, but if you’ve called 988 you know how much of a joke it is. They will “triage” you, where you either get the cops called to take you to hell/inpatient or you spend half an hour plus on hold for someone to say “sorry that sucks :(“

Inpatient institutionalize increase suicide rates after release. You get maybe fifteen minutes of actual “treatment” while the rest of it is being treated like a criminal. Good luck keeping your job after disappearing three days without being allowed to access your phone!

It amazes me when I see TikToks and videos from patients in inpatient facilities in other countries. In the US, wanting to kill yourself means that you are a horrible criminal and you will be punished for it.

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[–] InvalidName2@lemmy.zip 13 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

We lost a neighbor to suicide last year. The impact on the neighborhood has been substantial. So many lives touched in so many tangential ways.

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[–] CromulantCrow@lemmy.zip 12 points 2 weeks ago

My uncle took his own life when he was 19. He didn't leave a note. He didn't warn anyone. Just one morning my grandmother walked in and saw him hunched over on his bed completely pale, all the blood drained out of his face. There was a glass of cyanide in water on his bedside table.

It broke them. Neither of my grandparents recovered. Years later I was staying with them for a while and I overheard my grandmother say "we have our son back".

Every suicide is like that. It's like a bomb that shatters the lives of everyone close to you. It isn't a solution. It doesn't end the pain. It just passes it on to everyone else. But nobody would do it if the pain were bearable. “Suicide is not chosen; it happens when pain exceeds resources for coping.” There is no blame, no judgment, only tragedy and pain.

But people who survive and find help Will tell you that it gets better. That they're glad they survived and that recovery is possible So if you are thinking of suicide, know that it is the worst possible option, no matter how hopeless it seems. There's always another way.

[–] Cantaloupe@lemmy.fedioasis.cc 8 points 2 weeks ago
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