Positivity is an incredibly powerful tool. If you always look on the bright side and see the glass as half full, you’ll have less stress, a stronger immune system and better mental resilience. But it’s important to know when it’s beneficial to force a smile and when it’s time to face uncomfortable truths head on.
Redditors have recently been discussing issues that we’re expected not to worry about, despite the fact that they’re actively harming society. From being obsessed with screens to the prevalence of microplastics in our food and water supply, this list is full of some bleak realities. So it might not be the most uplifting read, but these are topics that we can’t ignore forever.
#2
Social media. Destroying our attention, ability to focus, our sense of community and empathy, and now becoming a way for lies to dominate our sense of reality.
51points
#4
Religious Zealots and them trying to force control on people's lives by intruding the Goverment.
50points
#5
Cheering on "self-made" Billionaires, while they take government grants & tax breaks, meanwhile we wait out illnesses cuz it's too expensive to go to the doctor.
48points
#6
Lack of empathy for fellow human beings.
45points
#7
The hoops people have to jump through now just to have a job. Ghost jobs, AI screening out resumes, remote work that isn't really remote (especially remote jobs not telling people where they can and can't hire), easy baiting and switching, the job platforms allowing scams, and all the aforementioned.
All this stuff is just to be able to participate in society. Yet people are always giving useless advice that is often conflicting. People's mental health is ruined by layoffs and I wouldn't be surprised if people took their own lives over this.
All this stuff is just to be able to participate in society. Yet people are always giving useless advice that is often conflicting. People's mental health is ruined by layoffs and I wouldn't be surprised if people took their own lives over this.
38points
#8
Subscriptions for EVERYTHING.
37points
#9
Lack of care for people who suffer from mental health problems and wars.
34points
#10
The instant gratification. With the increase in technology, we’ve become impatient and entitled. We want immediate results for everything. We go to a restaurant, immediate results. We go to a hospital, immediate results. We’ve lost our ability to wait for anything. Patience is a virtue that sadly not many have nowadays.
32points
#11
Over consumption - of everything, food, clothes, toys. There’s just too much stuff available. I feel like Pixar’s wall-e was prophetic.
32points
#12
The age of information has turned into the age of disinformation. F*****g echo chambers.
I miss the Dewey decimal system where you had to look up actual published information now it’s a s**t hole of disinformation and even educated people eat it up and we are in a free fall into fascism. Social media will be the downfall of society.
I’m a father of 4 and I just want my kids to grow up in the America I grew up in. Disagreements on both sides but meet in the middle on most things. Not the America where Russia is the victim.
I miss the Dewey decimal system where you had to look up actual published information now it’s a s**t hole of disinformation and even educated people eat it up and we are in a free fall into fascism. Social media will be the downfall of society.
I’m a father of 4 and I just want my kids to grow up in the America I grew up in. Disagreements on both sides but meet in the middle on most things. Not the America where Russia is the victim.
31points
#13
A chronic lack of sleep. 99% of adults need 7-8 hours of good sleep to remain healthy. A chronic lack of sleep increases your stress levels, inhibits the functionality of your immune system, increases your risk of cancers, causes all sorts of cardiovascular issues and all sorts of serious neurological complications.
30points
#14
Obesity. We tend to tamp down the seriousness of it in America for the sake of body positivity. Where I work, the VAST majority of young patients coming into nursing homes for rehab, sometimes turning into long term stays, are only there because one small issue (the flu, a knee surgery, an infection) left them unable to function anymore due to their obesity and related illnesses sapping their strength. I spend so much time trying to get people who weigh 300+ lbs to sit up and get out of a supine position just once or twice a day. I see how hard they struggle just to move. They can't clean themselves, their legs are too heavy to even roll themselves in bed. It's a problem.
Edit: to clarify, I'm aware that obesity can start in childhood, and can be outside of your control (trauma, genetics, financial situation)... not trying to shame anyone's weight.
Edit: to clarify, I'm aware that obesity can start in childhood, and can be outside of your control (trauma, genetics, financial situation)... not trying to shame anyone's weight.
29points
#15
The failure of American education systems.
27points
#16
Capitalism.
Having scrolled through the comments, capitalism is the actual cause cause of 95% of what people are commenting.
MWH1980:
The idea that if you don’t possess wealth than you aren’t even human seems to really be filtering through.
Having scrolled through the comments, capitalism is the actual cause cause of 95% of what people are commenting.
MWH1980:
The idea that if you don’t possess wealth than you aren’t even human seems to really be filtering through.
27points
#17
Lack of universal healthcare.
26points
#19
Microplastics.
Get this. Plastic was created in 1907 which makes it roughly 118 years old. It’s been around a little more than a century and it’s everywhere. Antarctica? Microplastics! Deepest oceans? Microplastics! All your foods? Microplastics! The worst of it is Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic, Polypropylene and lots of others.
Scientists are trying to study long term affect but with no control group it’s very difficult. Everything has microplastics in them.
Get this. Plastic was created in 1907 which makes it roughly 118 years old. It’s been around a little more than a century and it’s everywhere. Antarctica? Microplastics! Deepest oceans? Microplastics! All your foods? Microplastics! The worst of it is Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic, Polypropylene and lots of others.
Scientists are trying to study long term affect but with no control group it’s very difficult. Everything has microplastics in them.
24points
#20
Global warming and pollution.
22points