

Ask HN: Why is our generation so depressed? - Monotoko

Does anyone else feel like the entire 90's generation is a lot more depressed than older generations? The more I talk to people the more I realize it affects people everywhere, people lose hope, the drive to carry on. Why is that and why is it affecting my generation so badly?
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tokenadult
Plenty of psychologists think that the "self-esteem" movement in schools when
your generation was in school was harmful to school pupils, not giving them
the resources to be resilient when facing adversity. See Martin E. P.
Seligman's book The Optimistic Child

[http://www.amazon.com/Optimistic-Child-Depression-
BuildLifel...](http://www.amazon.com/Optimistic-Child-Depression-
BuildLifelong-Resilience/dp/0618918094/)

(this book is good for adults too, even if they are not parents) for more
information about how "optimism" differs from "self-esteem." Seligman's more
recent book Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-
being

[http://www.amazon.com/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-
Happi...](http://www.amazon.com/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-Happiness-
Well-being/dp/1439190755/)

is also helpful.

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polyfractal
Perhaps the 90's generation is just as depressed as any other generation, but
it is more socially acceptable to discuss and share it with others.

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dholowiski
At the risk of sounding like an old man, what makes you think the "90's"
generation is any more depressed than previous generations?

