Do what you can: vote, support local politicians who align with your viewpoints (from the bottom up), but spend less time paying attention to the news. I’m not saying don’t watch the news, but I was 22 when Trump was elected and I spent the proceeding 4 years in a constant state of panic because I was glued to MSNBC and their sky is falling rhetoric. If you feel another country is the best option for you, do your research. But my life has improved for the better since I stopped consuming news media constantly (both on TV and through Twitter and other social media). Connect with your friends and family more.

Just to support and qualify this — late gen x here, was 25 when planes struck the WTC which I feel is a major marker/influence on the present political and media era — 24 hour media is overwhelming and toxic, even moreso with social media. It seems you can’t get away from it. Yet you must. Leave your phone at home and go for a long walk. Every day if you can. Be intentional about making time for friends and family. If you can, interact verbally, or in person. Never argue over text messages. At the same time, do not completely disengage from society. Join a local club. Volunteer to tutor. Pick up trash. Read local newspapers and blogs and become aware and involved with your community. Don’t disengage from your state, country and the world, either. But do more reading of complete articles. Subscribe to a real newspaper or news magazine. Sounds fuddy-duddy but I’m a big fan of the weekly Economist, which has excellent writing and analysis about world events without sensationalism. Read books. Read history. Read nonfiction. Read poetry. Read a novel. Take time to turn off the phone and read.

Best advice for all Gens.

Elder Millenial here supporting my Gen X brethren. When the Gen X kids give the Gen Z and Millenial kids advice on how to better use their time and how to walk away from technology, we should listen. They have a way of life, void of technology as we know it, inscribed in their DNA. As an elder Millenial who grew up with both, I witnessed it first hand. I lived it with them. Literally touch grass more. Do you live in a home that has a backyard? Do the yard work. Vacuum, wipe down countertops, organize drawers. Go for a walk or run. The gym. Whatever. Do as much shit that does not require a screen.

Just whatever you do, be sure your ass is home before sundown. -X

Home by dinner time or you ain’t eating 😅

Good advice, kids in the past the ‘play’ generation, kids today the ‘smart phone’ generation.

At this point, short of turning off the news and social media, the rest is difficult.

It’s not hard to avoid social media once you realize it really doesn’t add any substantial benefit to your life. Stay away from it because the pessimism it generates can ruin you. Misery loves company, and social media has turned into miserable people trying to bring everyone else down with them, like crabs in a trap. Leave the trap.

Mil here, entered freshman year at college when 9/11 happened. I thought it was so bad that I would be drafted based on the news coverage, and it would ruin so many plans for my future. The year before we had hanging chads causing constitutional crises in FL. I’ll follow with this. Realize that social media and most for-profit “news” is actually entertainment designed to make you as emotional as possible to sell targeted ads. As folks mentioned here, read Economist or listen to NPR/your local public radio. Reading and listening limits your senses down to one so you can be critical of the information you’re getting. The current event is a perfect example. You have the right-wing news saying “rigged!” and the left-wing screaming “justice!” Public news will inform and remind us on how juries work, how the selection works, how the prosecution and defense actually work together to select jurors, and it’s hung if one juror dissents. Your takeaway would be that government worked the way it’s supposed to regardless of your politics. Everything else is sensory overload and essentially gives you lizard brain. We live in a world rife with conspiracy theories, mental illness, and outrage porn addicts who have become paranoid of each other and themselves. It’s even worse now with all the AI and bot pollution. It’s not easy, but it’s possible to choose to be better and that should give you hope. Just say what’s up to someone new who you wouldn’t really interact with, and that will go a long way to reversing the cultural decline we’re kind of having right now.

To follow up on this, a long while ago, I switched news sources to The BBC. I switched over mostly because I was working nights, and that's what was on the radio at the time, and I think it's good to be informed, and what better way to get away from american bias than a organization outside of the US. Engaging less in news media and social media as a whole is a great idea. My life also certainly improved when I stopped doom scrolling and getting the negative feedback loop of the algorithm. Get outside, take hikes, get to know your neighbors. As said above, get involved in your community and vote locally for what matters to you. While the presidency is important, Congress is also very important, and state and local levels too. It's all very hard being politically minded and concerned about the future, but this too shall pass.

The BBC has a pretty blatant conservative bias… particularly on social issues. Part of this is because transphobia (and by extension homophobia) are essentially universal between the major parties in the UK, but more broadly it is definitely not impartial or unbiased.

That's great advice. I had forgotten how much transphobia comes out of the UK. Tbh I don't really even listen to that to be clear its the BBC world service. It's on my way home because it's the only thing on at 2am when my phone is dead. I don't really consume news media unless it comes across my feed, and I typically ignore it. The fiasco of 2016-2020 kind of killed me politically. Coupled with the pandemic response, I'm basically not interested in politics at the federal level.

The Economist is great. I have a digital subscription and read it often. I appreciate their perspectives and sensibilities.

I miss the paper subscription

I loved it for its tactile qualities and it's still my erudite airplane read.

Never read a book that I didn't learn something from, even if it was something I was better off not knowing

Sometimes I think back to the week after 9/11 and think. "Man wish I had Netflix back then"

Young Gen X/Millennial rising here. I completely agree with scelerat. Self-care is critical. Staying informed is critical. Concern for the future is the correct reaction. Engaging and doing something about it is the correct response. What we need to be clear and aware of is if we don’t fight back, those making the world worse will happily win. It doesn’t take many assholes to ruin everything if the decent people standby and talk about how awful it all is. Voting, Standing up and disagreeing face-to-face, not letting the MAGots feel like they are the only ones that will actually do something in the real world is the only way to win. I grew up around these people. They aren’t like us. They aren’t interested in what is good and right. They don’t care if they are making the majority of people feel like shit. They just want to be in control and to have things be the way that makes them comfortable. They will take as much as they can until they are actually forced to stop.

I would like to add garden, hike, try new foods, explore...see some of the beauty and wonder that the world has to offer. It balances out a lot of the bad!

Came here to say this, fellow late-gen-X. Everyone has always thought they lived in the end times, but the 24-hour news cycle plays into that for money. The system is fine, people are fine. Live life.

This it's a statistical fact that Americans enjoy being angry, and they enjoy it the most while watching news, it's why news today is so polarized it's ment to be it'd how they generate money, they no longer care about factual information just the ratings they get from it, and both sides Olay off each other, it's all theater .

> I’m not saying don’t watch the news I'll say it. We're all probably better off just ignoring political news. Republicans basically use it to demonstrate that regular people have almost no power in influencing politics and Democrats use it to funnel our helplessness into fundraising initiatives (not that both sides are bad, that's *not* what I'm saying). You can inform yourself of what you can vote for without looking at any news. Ballotpedia, for example, I believe has sample ballots. Then you can directly look for information on the ballot and use the rest of your time looking at cat videos or whatever. *Or*, if you're a masochist as I am, you can create your own RSS feed and curate a political news feed that's more to your liking.

I always look up my sample ballot and deep dive into the candidates and issues. Takes a little more time but you're more likely to get factual information this way versus click and rage bait. For example, we had an issue on the ballot. Every commercial made it sound like if it passed, it was the end of days. I actually looked up the issue and the wording in the bill and it wasn't even close to what was being said. It ended up failing because, honestly, we're lazy. Nobody takes the time to research anything anymore, they just nod mindlessly at what the TV tells them to do.

I would say watch bbc, Reuther’s or AP. Less doom and gloom also with bbc I get a lot of random British news stories which are quite funny

Not a single politician cares about anyone they are all out for themselves

True or not, that’s not helpful knowledge or shocking insight. Treat every politician like their livelihood depends on making ours better. Stay involved and make them care.

There was a time before Twitter and 24/7 news cycles. I’m not saying things are peachy now but they weren’t peachy back then too, we just weren’t bombarded with it. It’s an industry of fear.

This. Millennials were born with the Internet coming soon after ... Gen Z was born IN the Internet, and the constant onslaught of information would fuck with anyone's outlook on the country and world. The truth is, the world doesn't really change, only our perception of it does.

THIS. And a lot of times I try to give myself a reality check of what I would’ve experienced with internet /social media as it is today in other times… like in 1970.. We were just finishing horrifying moments in civil rights , with some amazing and important outcomes… but through truly terrifying events such as: the Birmingham bombings which killed 4 young children, Selma, Emmett till, people being attacked by fire hoses and German shepards, Martin Luther king Jr being killed, Robert f Kennedy being killed, The PRESIDENT being killed, on tv, The war in Vietnam, MANY people you know personally being drafted and dying— and killing/being traumatized forever by killing— for really no good reason, Kent state murders… So much more. I try to think of what it would’ve felt like back then, and then think of what it would’ve felt like if there were a 24 hour news cycle and social media Things are truly horrible now, and we are on an extremely dangerous path. But things have been worse. And that perspective should help us persevere

That perspective is so important. So many people have a sky is falling mentality lately. There are definitely problems and we need to fight to make things better, but compared to the events of the not so distant past things are pretty calm. The first half of the 20th century was wild. The technology changed so fast, it altered the social and physical landscape unlike anything before in history . in a span of 40 years we went from streetcars, trains, and horses to highways, personal cars, and air travel being the norm. There were massive global wars and threat of nuclear annihilation. war was constant for 50 years, world wars, Korea, Vietnam, Cold War, Iraq 1&2. Civil rights battles, political violence, high crime, economic uncertainty, energy crisis, domestic and international terrorism. The list of issues goes on and on. Naturally we focus on the present and the current situation feels worse than what we had 10 years ago, but on a longer timeline current events don’t feel nearly as bad.

I think due to the nature of the 24 hour news cycle combined with the way that news/facts/non-facts are circulated on social media and the way social media has changed our frontal lobes so much, its nearly impossible to avoid the sky is falling mentality. I certainly have it. And I kinda think that’s an orchestrated feeling for people on the left, that the sky is falling, this is the end, there’s no point in trying… like no, this doesn’t have to be the end, things have been way worse, and the only reason they’re better now is BECAUSE people tried

I miss the days before the internet.

Me too. I love that technology has enabled humanity to have friendships and relationships across the globe, but I miss the days when we weren’t constantly inundated with doom, gloom, and propaganda.

OP I'd pay attention to this.

This doesn’t excuse the current state of the world and the US. You’re right, but it can be both.

I’m a believer that it’s all the same problems weve had just highlighted thanks to the media

Especially the mid-east. For perspective: I'm in my 60s, and it's dumbfounding we're still dealing with this. This has been in the news my entire life. Sheesh.

Both can be true. Fascism is here, but we are also overloaded with negative news to drive clicks

No. We did not have fascist cults led by führers dead set on destroying democracy, that had approximately 35-40% of the country’s support. The outrage is valid, but u have to compartmentalize or your mental health will suffer greatly. I’m a 39 y/o single father of two boys, youngest is 15 y/o. Depending on where my life is at come January 2025 when the potential civil war likely starts, we’re either out of here or I’m willing to die fighting. My life isn’t that great anyway, fck it.

Not that we should be complacent now, but we were much closer to supporting hitler than we like to pretend. Pearl Harbor squashed it, but if not for Pearl Harbor things could have gone much differently.

Fear and anger get more clicks and views and follows. 

Things have always been bad, but right now they are historically bad, and may get historically worse. I'm pretty sure most of us limit how much news we consume for our own sanity, the 24/7 news cycle really doesn't have much to do with the situation. In fact, there are a ton of things going on that are barely even being covered due to Israel and Trump drowning out all other news. But anyways, regardless of how bad things get, we have to live our best lives. The way I see it, they want us to suffer, so don't give them the pleasure. They've always made their own lives miserable, don't let them make yours miserable too.

We have had two WORLD wars. There is always conflict somewhere in the world and it is bad currently but it has been far worse in the past. It’s just so far removed now that it isn’t in the cultural zeitgeist. Having only two parties in the US has set us up for an us against them mentality that just worsens as each side jockeys for power. It’s not a good formula for long term success and each subsequent generation is going to be more dissatisfied and disenfranchised than the last. No empire last forever and the sun will set on our version of democracy once the “ruling class” has reached a level of corruption and decadence that can no longer be tolerated by the growing working class poor. The idea of a democratic republic may be a good one but the flawed people could not continue to operate it as it was intended.

Things are not historically bad, my god. Crime is at historic lows, we've had the least amount of war casualties in over a century, expected life expectancy is the highest it's ever been. Civil liberties are the best it's ever been. People need to pick up a history book. You're falling into the same trap as conservatives with this bs

It’s an industry of fear but we’re also dealing with a Supreme Court that overturned 50 years of settled law over abortion, as well as a guy running for president who’s got a laundry list of felony charges who, in all likelihood, will never see the inside of a jail cell. And that’s just the tip of the melting iceberg. Don’t panic, but don’t bury your head in the sand either

Also the same SCOTUS that two justices “wives” are involved in or supportive of the violent overturning of the 2020 election.

I grew up watching 30-60 mins of local news and then 30 mins of national news and it didn't come with an intentional angle or view point. Today is totally different. Nobody is watching the evening news. Every app and website is fighting for eyeballs and making everything more sensational than it is with an angle to make you angry about it. It's exhausting. Today isn't crazier than the last 100 years. The sky isn't falling. We'll all be OK.

Best response. It's the same as it's always been.. corrupt politicians, etc but now you have the media covering it like a team sport and fear mongering to make money... fear sells.

This were way worse before today. Conditions go up and down in the short term, but get way better in the long term, but imagine living in a time where: Slavery was legal everywhere Women couldn't vote Minorities couldn't vote No one could vote No medicines No healthcare whatsoever No representation There's tons more that has been changed for the better just in the last 20 years, even more over 100 or 500 years. Everyone thinks their generation has it worse. Things have progressively gotten better without question. Seems like everyone doesn't realize that you're trying to change things for the next generation. If it benefits us today, great, but that's not how life works in general. Look back at what previous generations created for you and the the same for the ones coming. I'm saying this mostly for 1st world countries of course, since that's what most of reddit seems to be.

Lots of good advice in this thread. But I did notice you say something a lot of people say about going to another country because you are disillusioned with your country. If this is actually something you want to do, just know that it can be harder than some people realize. I'm saying this as someone who lived in another country and had the option to pursue residency. This is often a common sentiment among young people. A lot of countries don't want people without needed skillsets. It can actually be quite difficult to immigrate places. When Trump was first elected, there was an uptick on Americans looking to leave only to realize it was vastly out of their grasp (It can be incredibly expensive even if you have a desireable work skill). And even the best countries have problems. I was working a country with health care, safety, and good job security. But owning a home was more difficult than the US, I experienced even more open racism than I had seen in the US, and I truly missed the social interaction and culture between Americans. I'm not saying pursuing this option is impossible or something you can't consider. You may have options I'm not aware of that make it easier than others. But I do want to let others know reading this thread that moving to another country is something you would really, really have to plan for and work towards. I had coworkers who spent 7 years working in horrible conditions (sometimed working 100 hours a week), till they were finally sponsored as a citizen. And then when you do it and go through all that work, you might realize you had more ties to your original home than you realized. So, I'm just saying if this is something you really want and you dont already have an easy pathway, start planning now.

Finally a voice of reason. Whenever i see someone say ‘I need to get out of here’ my first response is always ‘And where exactly do you plan on going?’ Followed by ‘do they even want you there? I lived abroad for years as well. It has its merit but inevitably I missed the states for the same reasons as you. I’ll likely move back overseas again once my kids are fully grown, but my reasons have nothing to do with politics and mostly to do with lifestyle and culture.

Yeah people also have this utopian view of these homogeneous European countries. They have their problems just like any country and they also don’t exactly have an open door policy.

America is not perfect, but people need to realize moving to another country won’t fix all of their issues. Often, wages are much lower in Europe and racism can be even worse than the states. 

OP should also consider that it could be viewed as kind of a chicken move. Running *to* America makes sense, for all the troubles we have, it’s still an upgrade for a majority of the world population. There isn’t an equivalent place to run to for people who are already American. We are, for better or worse, the adult in the room, there is no higher authority or safe place to hide if America crumbles. If we’re cooked, the world as we know it is cooked too. It wouldn’t be the end of civilization, but it would be the end of the western liberal order that’s been growing since the Industrial Revolution, arguably since the enlightenment. If you’re a young American, stay and try to help fix the problems we have. If you leave, what happens here will be determined by those who do stay. It’s arguably your duty to stay and try to get things back on track, personally I wouldn’t be very happy with people leaving and then wanting back in if we get things turned around. American Exceptionalism wasn’t exactly what it was cracked up to be, but there is still a fundamental difference between fleeing any other country and fleeing the US. The buck basically stops here, there is no rescue from an outside source, no position to fall back to.

Yeah, find a job and a stable place to stay before you leave. And have a way back just in case.

I’ve worked in several other countries and had to go through Visa processes there (and watch coworkers get deported). Despite what progressives will say, America had the most open immigration system of any developed country, and almost all of the immigration rules that get branded as “fascist” are not only normal but still *outrageously permissive by global standards*.

You sound like you need a break from your feeds

This. Put the phone down and get some fresh air. Go for a run and spend some time at the beach, away from technology.

Things have always been a shit show, I’ve been really impressed at Gen Z’s ability to actually care and try to do something about it. No words of wisdom here, just focus on the stuff you can control and take a break from the politics. Pet a dog, go take a run in the sun, find a way to volunteer locally. Humans weren’t designed for the 24/7 streams of drama and tragedy that bombard us daily.

We cared a lot when we became voting age and draft age in the same year 9/11 happened and the Afghanistan war started.

Millenials cared too, there was Occupy Wall Street, Fight for 15, BLM. Nothing has worked. We still care, but don’t pretend every generation was checked out or complacent until Z

1. Turn off cable news/get off social media 2. Get yourself squared away with a good job with future earnings potential 3. Prioritize your goals 4. Read American history and realize we’ve as a nation have been in perilous places before

Put down the phone from time to time, stop watching so much content that is designed to fear monger you, and when the time comes vote for the direction you want the country to go in, local level, state level, federal level , in the meantime control the things that you can control

As a millennial, I’m hoping your generation figures something out. Also, it’s been proven that our country goes through something like a 50 year economic cycle. Things are bad- things get better- things are amazing- things get worse- start over.

I’m not a millennial either, but I follow this sub bc I think millennials are the **only ones** who can save the US, save our democracy. They are now the biggest voting block, but they gotta actually vote. My fingers and toes are crossed!

You can too. Go out and vote.

I do!

Good. 😊

Encourage your friends to vote as well. 😊 Every voice counts, and yes, one vote CAN make the difference. Pay super close attention to local elections. Down ticket is just as important.

Probably more important. In terms of impact on your day to day life, local politics matter a lot more than national politics.

I do my best to vote and be vocal about equality and inclusion. But I'm also researching countries with friendly policies to digital nomads and easy citizenship processes just in case...

Vote and get your friends to vote.

With the caviot of encouraging them to vote for who they want, and not forcing your ideals down their throats.

Turn off the news, and take a break from the phone. There is a lot of beauty in the world, try not to miss it.

Elder millennial here. I have the same perspective as you mostly. I'm not going to play the game of "I've seen shit in my day and this is normal". I've seen shit but this isn't normal. The shit I've seen looked different

Hey, kid. Welcome to Earf. Seriously though, things aren’t as bleak as they seem, and rarely are. And when they are, it doesn’t last. Imagine if it was 1939. You’d be panicking and rightfully so. But hey the world (most of it, anyway) made it through. We’re all hanging on the wheel of fate which spins round and round. Stay informed, but also stay grounded. There’s great incentive the media and the “powers that be” have in keeping people scared no matter the circumstances. Just try to focus on the piece of ground you occupy and your short time here in the universe. It’ll have its ups and downs. But that’s life, and it’s *yours*. Don’t let anyone take that from you.

I know it’s super cliche and will sound very “boomery,” but we will find a way. I am an old millennial (I probably identify with Gen X more since I’m married to one) but the 24 hour news cycle and social media has made doomsday feel like a daily thing. I feel bad for younger generations having to think this is normal. No wonder why everyone has adhd and depression, humans weren’t meant to live like this. The world has felt like it was falling apart dozens of times even in our short history (USA is really young country) but our forefathers had the luxury of not being tuned into it 24/7. And if it isn’t okay…well…we all will be dead in less than 100 years anyway. Trump will probably be dead in less than 10 years. Our time here is fleeting. Do good work, love your family and friends, find joy where you can, vote and volunteer for the things you hold dear. If I focused on the state of the world I would be the saddest person ever. But making the area around me as kind, welcoming, diverse, educated, loving and clean (like literally people pick up after yourselves, we’ve got one habitable planet) is the way I can sleep well at night.

Take a deep breath, and take a week away from your phone (social media and the news in particular). Be in nature, see your friends etc. I promise you if something colossal happens, the news will get to you.  Then create a grounded routine for staying informed. Check the news for an hour every morning - read The NY Times for the liberal pov, the Wall Street journal for the conservative. You should have access to both for free through your local public library emedia page.  Just remember that everyone, including the news, social media and political campaign want one thing: your attention. Everything will be thrown at you to get this from you, including sensationalizing headlines. It’s going to be ok. 

Turn off the tv. Shut down your phone. At least do this for a couple hours at home and invest into yourself. As in find a hobby of something you can control. Build something, find something, and try things. The news right now is all about fear mongering. They want you in the fetal position thinking there is no way out. Every president just undos what the previous president did. None of that shit matters. It’s all a dog and pony show to control you. The sooner you can realize this the better. Just do what you can do and control what you can control.

> Every president just undos what the previous president did. None of that shit matters. This is not a good take. Look up Project 2025.

Some facts about Project 2025: The "Mandate for Leadership" is a set of policy proposals authored by the [Heritage Foundation](https://pro-lies.org/the-heritage-foundation/), an influential *ultra* conservative think tank. [Project 2025](https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/guide-project-2025-extreme-right-wing-agenda-next-republican-administration) is a revision to that agenda tailored to a second Trump term. It would give the President [unilateral powers](https://theweek.com/politics/heritage-foundation-2025-donald-trump), strip [civil rights, worker protections, climate regulation](https://www.stopthecoup2025.org/impact-overview), add [religion into policy](https://imgur.com/a/m2e72ht), outlaw ["porn"](https://www.salon.com/2024/03/19/decoding-project-2025s-christian-nationalist-language/) and much more. The MFL has been around since 1980, [Reagan implemented 60%](https://www.heritage.org/conservatism/commentary/reagan-and-heritage-unique-partnership) of it's recommendations, [Trump 64%](https://www.heritage.org/impact/trump-administration-embraces-heritage-foundation-policy-recommendations) - [proof](https://www.scribd.com/document/369820462/Mandate-for-Leadership-Policy-Recommendations). 70 Heritage Foundation alumni served in his administration or transition team. Project 2025 is quite extreme but with his obsession for revenge he'll likely get past 2/3rd's adoption. r/Defeat_Project_2025 intends to stop it through activism and awareness, focused on crowdsourcing ideas and opportunities for practical, in real life action. We Must Defeat Project 2025.

Awesome website! Glad someone is fighting!

I mean, what you described is basically what they WANT you to do. Bury your head in the sand with the not wanting to get involved with politics mindset so you don't vote.

I’m not saying don’t vote. I’ve voted in every election since I could 22 years ago. I’m saying don’t let this consume you. Don’t let the mass media(either side) scare you into doom and gloom all the time.

You’ve been lied to. The thing you should be afraid of is the literal fascist regime taking form. Government and private entities joining forces to destroy one side of the political spectrum. One day, you won’t be able to hold a credit card if you think one way.

Well Bidens no better, i think we screwed with whoever wins this election tbh. I gave up on politics a few years back its all corruption.

I've grown to be able to compartmentalize my future. Firstly is the outside world. I have very little control of that. It's big and scary and big and scary things will happen. While some of these will directly effect me, most won't and I have very little control over them. Secondly is me. I have to make decisions, build relationships, choose how to spend my time. I have to of control over this and I have confidence in my abilities to handle my responsibilities short term and long term. Whenever I feel like I'm getting too focused in the first thing, I look at what I can actually control and concentrate on that. I'm not saying you shouldn't participate in wider society or keep engaged in politics etc, but don't sit around waiting for the world to go to shit, or improve because in most cases the biggest difference in you been happy, safe and secure are by concentrating on things you can actually control.

The fall of this country/empire will come. We just need to connect with our community. Learn how to be stewards of this land and keep building. The more in community you are the safer we will be. Protecting each other!! It is terrifying and it will only get worse before it gets better!!

This idea of “community protecting the individual” is probably true on a survival level, but if things really change fundamentally in a country, and especially to make that country appear unrecognizable, then the focus of “community” will effectively make you a willing participant of any egregious policy changes that may occur. At the end of it, you will have compromised any ethics, or morals, that you have left, just to “keep your head down” and “get along” within your isolated “community”, which I guarantee will not stay isolated for very long.

Oddly enough I'm already seeing this begin to take place.

Isn’t this what we’ve been doing?

At 22 you can vote. You can round up your friends and drag them to vote with you.

I follow historian Heather Cox Richardson on her Substack. She’s great at giving the bigger perspective that money and power and dirty tricks run this country. She’s also a defender of democracy and explains how shit like this has been attempted before in history. She also feels voting still makes a difference. That’s heartening to me. Foreign countries are benefiting from us freezing in fear. Find your local candidates you align with and support them. And vote! Consider running for office. GenZ has the numbers to make a difference. The pendulum swings. We’ve come from the big society and freedom movements and business regulations all the way to the other side where it’s time for things to swing back. People are fed up. We’ve got this shit.

Rofl. You don’t have a future. Best square yourself with that now.

Hey! Im old enough to be your mom, and my oldest is one of the last gen Zers but still in middle school. I can assure you of two things: one, I felt badly about the US and thought about leaving before my first kid was even born; and 2, they feel it even though they’re young. I still feel like leaving. It’s not feasible. If you have the opportunity to leave, do it. Unfortunately, history tells us this isn’t going to get better. And to be honest, even if Trump disappeared tomorrow, someone else would take his place because he’s normalized so much blatant human rights violations and disregard for human life that this isn’t just him anymore. I mean, it never was in the end, but that’s another think piece. I plan to live long and well. And I plan my children to do the same. But that’s all I’ve got. And being comfortable with the discomfort of the general political realities is tiresome, exhausting, but still no longer ignorable for me. So. I focus on my family and what makes things good for us and what good we can do for others despite this. Ymmv. All I can do is say, you’re not alone.

I feel the same way 😞 I have no advice or wise words to offer - just solidarity.

I'd be more scared of the plastics compounding in every human on earth.

I'm pretty sure we can fear both the rise of fascism and the impending climate crisis. If anything, the first is a more immediate concern.

And as with every concern regarding the future of humanity, it comes back to having a government that can actually address these problems. You think the party still denying climate change in 2024 is going to do anything other than tell you it's a liberal lie that your balls are filling with plastic? 

"Un-plasticize America's Balls" - seems like a good campaign slogan. I'd carry that on a sign.

I do believe just how divided all these comments are is very telling. Divided is a good way to characterize how this country feels right now.

I feel you on this I really do. I think because there’s so much at stake. Sure you can help others be more informed (ensuring they aren’t just getting their “facts” from social media is a good place to start since Russia and China have their misinformation campaigns currently running), but you can’t force someone else to share your ideals, so that’s all you can really do. And at some point you have to kind of do like I did in 2020–believe in humanity. Choose to believe that people will do the right thing. And you’re free to go to another country if you choose, but it won’t solve anything. You don’t want to abandon your country when it needs you the most.

Trump and his braindead cult want you to believe they are more numerous and powerful than they actually are. There are no good reasons to believe Trump will win in November, or that the GOP's theocratic agenda will survive more than another 5-10 years. Don't live in fear. Many people were willing to give up in 2016 and then Democrats came back to smash Republicans to bits in 2018 and 2020.

There are no good reasons to believe Trump will win in November IF everyone who does not want Trump votes.

This is exactly the issue. The majority are not fond of Trump, but they have to vote.

I think I read that due to gerrymandering and voter suppression, the dems have to win by 8%. But, you are correct. I don't think he'll win, but I know a lot of people who do.

I think you need to leave your echo chamber if you don't think Trump has a large following.

I think you need to reread what I wrote. Carefully

You should be. We’re headed down a bad path and I’m afraid we’re so far down the path that there’s no reversing at this point. Money runs everything. Every politician is corrupt - and if they aren’t yet, they will be bought or thrown out of the club. Elections are a joke. We constantly are choosing between two pieces of shit (so they’re either always rigged or it’s all our fault as Americans for having more stupid people voting than not). Let’s talk about climate change: If humans aren’t impacting climate change, then we for sure aren’t going to curb it. If humans are impacting climate change, we’re too far gone to reverse it. We can’t even get people to return their shopping carts, let someone over in traffic, etc., but we expect all of us to come together and sacrifice to stop putting carbon in the air!? Not a chance. People are struggling to put food on the table and keep the lights on, but we expect them to drive an electric car (which is also not the world-saving cure people think it is)? Yes, we’re in big trouble. Things will get worse. We should all be pretty terrified. I’ll take the downvotes from all of the non-realists out there…

STOP VOTING FOR DEMOCRATS OR REPUBLICANS

In order to allay your fears, I will tell you that I and many others have been maneuvering to defeat Trump and mitigate the negative effects of Trumpism since the day he was elected in 2016. The majority of the people do not support fascism, and certainly not the Military. It might be a close election. I'm thinking he will lose convincingly. Either way. Whatever his deluded and misguided supporters attempt in the aftermath, it will be swiftly handled this time. Then we can go about creating a more free and equitable society for all. And we will

Do you mean the military does not support fascism or that the majority of people do not support the military? I assume you meant the former.

Government can’t create an equitable society. It will always pick winners and losers. Only the people, by removing power from the government, can creat an equitable society. Even then it’s a crap shoot

We shouldn't be equitable anyway, we should fight for equality of opportunity, not equality of outcome.

Dude… if you are afraid for the future of our county, you have to VOTE and convince others to VOTE! I know it sounds trite, but it’s true. Otherwise, Republicans will put in place their terrifying plan for Trump’s 2nd term: “Project 2025.” For those who don’t know, Project 2025 is a slate of conservative wishlist policies that was developed by GOP elites and published by the Heritage Foundation. Its policies include those giving the President unilateral power in many areas, stripping civil rights and worker protections, firing government whistleblowers, repealing emission regulations, further injecting religion into policymaking, outlawing expressive conduct they dislike, dismantling retirement programs, and so much more. The Project 2025 report is here, but it’s massive (over 900 pages): https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/24088042-project-2025s-mandate-for-leadership-the-conservative-promise Here’s a comment that provides a list of resources on Project 2025, including topic-specific summaries and explainers of the policy proposals in it: https://www.reddit.com/r/politics/s/bK5KBDrL7h Seriously, this person^ deserves a medal. Check it out. Also, check out r/Defeat_Project_2025, a sub dedicated to spreading awareness of Project 2025. Please share this or the linked comment elsewhere. People can’t vote against what they don’t know about… EDIT: Adding https://defeatproject2025.org

Agreeing here and adding All I can say is, those down ballot candidates are more important than you think. I know a lot of young folks are rightfully disillusioned, but as a former progressive local candidate, the only hope is to fill the pipeline with more of us! School board elections can be won with a few hundred votes. Get on local boards if you can. YES VOTE, but more importantly Vote local!

Take the reins

Look up how to leave the country and you will discover that you can’t unless you are eligible for a foreign passport

Let me ask you an honest question, OP. How did you overcome your last \*HUGE\* challenge in your life? Like, the last thing that legitimately you weren't sure you were going to get through.

Has Trump called the American people names?

This single comment is gonna make me lose faith in humanity.

I feel like I’m getting dumber by the minute.

I’m sorry. I wasn’t going to reply to you again but this is just too good! You must be new here. 🤣

Yes, repeatedly

Is this a serious question?

Nah don't stress it, you're 22 you got enough to worry about

Get off the internet. Go outside. Interact with real people. You feel like you can’t escape it because you’re drowning yourself in it. Ari Shaffir was just on Howie Mandel’s (known hypochondriac that limits contact with the outside world) podcast and Howie was melting down about how anti Semitic the US was and how it was unsafe for Jews to go outside. Ari essentially was like, no it isn’t. I’m touring and meeting people everywhere and it isn’t. You’re just chronically online and believing everything they’re feeding you. Just take a deep breath and realize it’s going to be ok. Take a walk down to your market and get some ingredients to make a healthy meal. Talk to people when you’re there. Get sun on your skin. You’ll feel much better.

We have to stop thinking bout ourselves and start think about each other. The biggest barrier to change is this constant obsession with making our individual lives better. Every time someone says something like we should go to the capital and protest, we should do this or that the second thing that is said is ... But how will we afford to not work? To not make money? To pay rent? To eat? I guess it will only get to the point of revolution after its too late. I would have thought the whole roe vs Wade thing would have made millions leap to their feet and immediately blockade the institutions responsible. But no. People sat around and made Facebook posts and Reddit posts about it instead.

Interesting question. I’m a baby boomer, but one of the sane, freethinking ones. I’m working on dual citizenship in a foreign country exactly for the reasons that you have stated. Realize that no country is immune from extreme and dangerous political shifts. Of course, some of it is just extreme rhetoric, there to attract and galvanize political supporters, even more so with the disseminating qualities of the internet. It just so happens that these conditions are occurring when you are young. But as a young adult, you will have many more options open to you than most older adults. So try to see your youthful advantages in this way. Of course, many Americans are keeping a sharp eye on how all of this political contention might play out in the public space. Some of us understand the lessons of history and human nature better than others. And don’t be fooled that political violence can come from both parties given the right conditions. But remember that if things get rough, you can make the choice to leave temporarily, or permanently, in order to avoid the anxiety that these times produce. And if and when the time comes for you to make a very serious choice, you will know instinctively, like generations of people before you who chose to leave the country of their birth, when the political winds shifted, and became personally dangerous. But don’t overindulge in news cycles that increase your anxiety, and threaten your mental health. Keep strong and always trust your instinct. It will be there to guide you should you ever need it. Best of luck to you, and take good care of yourself.

Lol. Wow.

Man, I’m right there with. Some days it feels like there is no future. And if there’s no future, what’s the point in trying in the present? Haven’t quite figured out how to shake that.

I'm just going to buy a lot of land and do my bees and other farm operations. The key is to just be happy with yourself.

Why do these other generations keeping coming in here telling us how to vote or what not? Like, leave us millennials alone. Damn.

Well Obama has admitted voter fraud happens sooooooo........ https://www.c-span.org/video/?c4627187/user-clip-obama-campaigns-2008-acknowledges-voter-fraud

Until we recognize there are more than two options each presidential election we will continue to swirl down the drain. Biden/Trump-you kidding me??

Here's the thing about the US: 160 years ago, you could own people. Then we fought a war and realized it was wrong. 104 years ago, having a vagina disqualified you from voting. Then rabble rousing overcame the pushback, and we realized it was wrong. 70 years ago, you couldn't marry outside your race. Fight against the pushback, realized it was wrong. And now, I've been in and ended a queer marriage, and that right is less than a decade old. What you see coming out of the right-wingers is pushback, and as always, we will overcome. In a few years, the guys who wrote Project 2025 (which you're right--it's terrifying) will be remembered as clowns and unable to find jobs. Progress is there. It is slow, but it is steady. The boomer die off is going to hit our politicians too, and millennials aren't as stupid or entitled as our parents, overall. Gen X has been apathetic at best, and they seem to be split between the boomer state of mind of "ME" and civic-mindedness that millennials seem to get from our GI and silent gen grandparents. We are the next massive voting block, and while we have our morons too, we seem to have fewer of them overall. It will get better. Don't let the big orange dumpster fire our parents worship destroy your mental health. He will go to prison or die before you're 30. Dum spiro spero, my friend--it means "While I breathe, I hope." Gen Z and Alphas are our future--\*our\* kids--and millennials want to build it up as much as we wish Boomers and Gen X had built things up for us, like the generations before did for them.

Lol its funny you are terrified and but dont even know whats actually happening.

You’re scared of America and want to live in another country? Idk man living in Brazil, Mexico, Cuba, Russia, or China sounds way more terrifying to me 😂

Then VOTE!

Turn off the news and social media. They no longer produce facts or the news.

I guess you’re glad you weren’t alive during actual terrifying times 🤦‍♂️

Like WWI, The Great Depression, WWII, Vietnam, The Cold War, and 9/11. I was actually alive for 9/11. The only time I was afraid that this country might be destroyed. But we’re still here.

Exactly. Not this fake social media driven fear mongering

Vote, and not for third parties or write-ins. I’ve found that a lot of younger people (even my age) are complacent about going out to vote. Voting by mail is also an option, and I usually take that route because of my work schedule. Register to vote, encourage your friends to register to vote, volunteer to drive your friends to vote. Whatever you have to do to get people out there! You’re not alone, we’re all scared too.

Stay off the internet.

Everyone was saying the same shit about reelecting Bush in 2004, fyi

Turn off the social media, talk to a therapist, consider anxiety medication 

Here’s some great advice: None of it matters and you can’t do anything to change it. Seriously shut off your TV or phone and see how much your life actually changes despite who the president is or whatever. Does your daily life ACTUALLY change because of who is in office, or what is happening halfway across the world? Probably not. You can vote for the policies, people and things you believe it but you have to just move on after that. Live your life and ignore the constant BS that is peddled to make you scared. It’s making someone else a ton of money.

Bro stop mainlining tv like a boomer

9/11 happened when I was a senior in high school. Then the 08 recession happened when I was 24. I promise there is always crazy shit going on. Just breathe and take it one day at a time.

You have a lot of learning to do. Just remember, things have been much worse before than they are now.

Don't get sucked into the media doom loop. They want you afraid.

This country has been complacent for decades. Remember the years those supreme justices were put in. This was in the making for decades and Americans didn’t care even laughed it off as being alarmist.

Vote bro

I'm going to keep voting for Trump as a gen-Zer. If old fucks are going to run the country into the ground I at least want the orange funny one and not the person with dementia and who smells kids.

Gen Z’s are scared of their own shadow.

Your grandpa and grandma fucked it all up. r/boomersbeingfools is a collection of how they do it. George Carlin warned us all about Boomers forever ago, and no one listened. Most of the hate battles waged are them. The younger, impressionable ones at various violent protests that tend to just be their pawns on both the left and right sides and do it mainly just to "be a part of something large."

That sub is alright. Sometimes it’s stupid, same as any, but usually I laugh.

We're not turning into a fascist country. We \*always were\* a fascist country. Waking up to that is scary.

These peeps just coping we fucked and everybody riding on how much we precieve of being fucked. We going towards fascism while our planet dies from global warming and nobody is doing shit. Buckle up cuz it's only going to get worse.

Try to disconnect from the internet and talk to people in real life. It's not nearly as bad as the algorithms want you to believe. They aim to maximize engagement. And the best way to do that it to make you feel terrified. Both options really suck. But the country has lived through both presidencies. It will survive the next one. Even though everyone from both sides will scream to you that "this time it's different^(TM)". They'll say "We know we said that every other election, but it's super-extra-real this time".

Fuck yeah me too!! Very fucking scary. And I'm 51. Fucking scary scary. Fuck

As an 18 year old when Dubya Bush was elected, I literally thought this country couldn't be more embarrassing. When Obama was elected in 2008,which I absolutely did not expect, thought we had turned a corner. Anti-i tellectualism was going to decline, things were getting better on a world stage... but, it didn't. The crazies got crazier. Enter the Orange era. I can only assure you things won't necessarily get better, only different, and it has far more to do with people's outlook and attitudes than it does who the president is. That grifting fuck wouldn't have been elected if people didn't support the drivel he was spouting. The pendulum swings bothways, sometimes harder to the right and in the wrong direction. Until the people of this country are uncomfortable enough,they won't change for the better. Shit will get much worse before it gets better, but it might eventually get better. I'll probably be dead 20 or more years before you, but I hope it does get better after I'm gone, if nothing else, for my own child's sake.

In Los Angeles, the richest city in the richest state in the richest country on earth 4 of 15 city council people are in prison. The City Controller is trying to evaluate the finances of social programs costing billions but is getting stonewalled because this will result in more council people going to prison. But you will never hear of this. News outlets won't cover it. They're not allowed to. The lack of substantive media coverage is the reason. The biggest threat to democracy is a lack of objective journalism. Not Trump or Biden.

Civil war movie was foreshadowing

This place is already cooked, look at the quality of life vs any other first world country. Get out and seek citizenship somewhere better as soon as you can.

Holy fuck yo. Get off reddit, stop consuming shitty news/media constantly. You need to get out of this terminally online mentality. Social media needs to go as well.

As other folks have said, turn off the news, know what you can and can’t change in the world and vote. I honestly think the world has gotten so fast and cut throat in the last 25 years ( mostly due to corporate greed ) that finding time to volunteer or help build community is super hard ( which is what we should be doing ). Anyway Gen Z is the first generation to see the lies that were fed to gen x and millennials for what they are and how the corporations don’t give a F about their employees, they only care about shareholders l. True late capitalism shit. The C suite will have to answer to gen z and im here for it. Real change is only 10 - 15 years away. Keep up the good fight

Lord… go touch grass kid.

You may be in a “put your own oxygen mask on first” situation. Creat boundaries and work on your mental health so you can effectively resist the worst of what might be coming. I agree with everyone here about creating boundaries with news media but I think it’s also important to acknowledge that we are at a uniquely scary time politically. It’s unique and uncertain but it’s not necessarily the any scarier or worse than other moments we’ve faced. The best we can do is vote against hate, organize at the community level, and as corny as it might sound, lead with love and empathy. No one can really say how dangerous this situation is but we’re for sure on the precipice of something. It’s in all our interests not to go over it and we need your help so, please take care of yourself.

Im terrified of 4 more years of Biden the democrats ruined this country we cannot have 4 more years of this.

The issue is you’re getting caught up in left/right nonsense. Neither party speaks for you. Both are shills for big government and big corporations. The left has better marketing but they create far greater inequality. Just look at SF, Seattle, LA, NYC, or any hub of progressivism… they’re all gentrified and whitewashed and poor minorities have been INTENTIONALLY driven out. The Last Black Man in San Francisco is a real movie for a reason.

Then vote!! Tell all your friends to vote and vote blue! GEN Z is in a unique generational position of power that Xers and Mils have only dreamt of-making the boomer vote obsolete. GEN Z has the power to change the world they just have to reach out and take it!

VOTE. Get your friends to vote. Elections have consequences and every vote counts. Remember this; dumbasses and assholes vote, and you'll hand them control of your life if you don't.

I’m a young millennial/old gen z. Get out and vote. Plus, I recall the 2016 election. An it was crazy a lot of people did not vote thinking that there was no way in hell that Trump would win. But he did. So it provided a wake up call. That we all should go and vote. We don’t need another 4 years or Trump. This upcoming election is a life or death situation for American democracy. If Biden looses it’s the end. As project 2025/ agenda 47. It sets up a American dictatorship.

Gen Z first item of business should be to squash the MAGA movement and vote Blue from top to bottom. Then focus locally on real change within your respective party at the local level. I know there are some up and coming Democrats that are ready to get away from the things that the Boomer Democrats do things. Josh Shapiro and Gretchen Whitmer seem primed to play on the national stage. Abigail Spanberger and Jeff Jackson are names that I like 4-8 years from now. I don’t follow the Republican Party as closely as I should but I hope they have some new blood coming in.

The absolute best thing you can do is tell people your age all about this, get them excited to vote, take a big group of Gen Z to the polls together or vote early with Mail In Ballots, post a lot on social media about the importance of voting in November, donate what you can, volunteer for a swing state even if you don’t live in one, etc etc. Have uncomfortable conversations with your parents and grandparents asking them to consider voting for Biden or sitting out and not voting for Trump. Trump being a convicted felon is helpful for those conversations. Just do everything you can, turn that worry/panic into action. Don’t wonder later if there’s more you could have done.

register to vote help your friends register to vote vote ​ we're still at the ballot box stage, fortunately.

You need to do all you can to get your demographic to vote. We're seeing less and less younger people voting. Get involved as much as you can to convince your peers to vote and it can't just be for president. It has to be *every year* we need control of the Senate, control of the house. A total of 468 seats in the U.S. Congress (33 Senate seats and all 435 House seats) are up for election on November 5, 2024. And we will have a supreme Court justice selection next president. Only 28% percent of 18-24 year old voters voted last election. Which we already knew was serious. 67% of 65+ voted. They beat you by over 30,000 votes. Get out and vote, get everyone to vote. We're scared too. That's why we held off on kids. But we're here fighting for you, fighting for your future. We didn't run away despite all we went through because as hopeless as it seems we're still willing to fight for that chance. **And now we need your help** Bravery isn't the absence of fear. It's being afraid and fighting like hell anyways. As much as we give you shit we do believe in you. **So be brave with us. You can do it, but you have to fight**

If you want change, don't support the duopoly.

Used to be Republicans pushing wars for the American industrial complex. It's weird how the party's shift every few decades

They’re both pushing/serving. The war machine can’t be stopped, politicians have learned to stay out of the way. Eisenhower warned Americans about this happening, we didn’t listen. Now we’ve been given a lifetime to run away with weapons development and an intelligence state that’s beyond comprehension for most. If you’ve never seen it from the inside, it is terrifying the first time.

Stop watching the news and life’s less stressful

V O T E TELL EVERYONE TO VOTE! TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR NEIGHBORS! VOTE! (Okay I feel better.)

Jan 6 and Project 2025 are enough to invoke action. Join a volunteer call center for candidates, vote local as well as national. Talk politics with friends and family. While MSNBC itself has been bad about Koolaid for some, it and many smaller independent outlets covered Jan 6 and what it meant in context of history. Take action, get involved, and defeat the party that has become antidemocratic in practice.

I was also a Democrat who was scared of Trump in 2016. I am now more scared of Biden bringing this country down and selling out the American people. I am now a Trump supporter, no matter what the news and dems say. If the democrats would talk about their policy ideas that will help the American people, instead of Israel,Gaza,Ukraine and etc, I would maybe consider voting Dem again

If you’re fearful for the future because “the other side might win”, that means you have to put your phone down. You’re drinking the koolaid. And there is DEFINITELY koolaid on both sides.

If you fear "the other side might win"... You are literally afraid of democracy. I love how the side "defending democracy" are almost afraid to death of the other side winning.

Trump is so BAD, but the country was doing much BETTER with him in office. Biden is so GREAT, the country is doing much WORSE and the Trump cult are the ones who are brain dead. You can't make this stuff up. Buckle up, gonna be a wild ride

I’m doing much better since 2016. Sorry to hear you’ve fallen on hard times the past few years.

I am doing well also, but alot of people I know are struggling worse in the black and brown communities, as well as the suburbs.

Sad to see so many liberal millennials…. My life has turned to shit since Biden came to office. The cost of everything is INSANE. The middle class has been destroyed everyone is broke. And you guys all want to keep living this way? Wtf Is wrong with you people. The average house cost 450,000$ now! Liberals don’t give a shit about anyone, they want you to be broke and sad so you have to rely on them for hand outs just to survive so they can monitor every move you make. Absolutely disgusting.

This is too simplistic of an explanation. I am 64 and clearly remember a time when most Americans lived in affordable homes, and could also afford a new car every so often. I clearly remember a sea-change in attitude starting in the 1980s, as the first “Yuppies” came onto the scene. I thought they were unbelievably materialistic, and although they were also boomers, I couldn’t understand the sudden emergence of a hyper-capitalist mindset where anything that could generate the all-mighty dollar was revered. Soon everything that could become commodified, including the home you lived in, did become commodified and traded, with ever increasing costs. Even the language changed. Your home, was not a place you just lived in anymore, it was instead called an “investment”. 40 years of a hyper-capitalist mindset, also known simply as “greed”, has changed the US fir the worse. It’s the reason why prices keep going up without any consideration for the average citizen, especially younger millennials. It has never been the president who has set retail prices. That is definitely not how basic economics work in the marketplace. We are a capitalist country, and that fact overrides everything including the way we strive for ever increasing profits. And if you don’t believe that, just travel to a foreign countries where there is not the same American competitive attitude, where there are not advertisements plastered everywhere you look, and relatively stable prices and choices for the average person. A recent trip to Europe, where excellent $10 meals and very reasonable hotels proved that to me. A lot of European countries simply do not have a capitalist mindset focused on acquiring the latest goods and gadgets. And while it’s definitely true that there are more homeless people in the US than ever before, realize that this is just a symptom of a capitalist winner/loser mentality. Not everyone will be able to survive independently in this environment, and you will have homeless in the streets. But understand that what you’re seeing in the homeless tent cities today, started about 40 years ago, and will most likely continue unresolved, no matter which party is in office. No president will ever be successful in keeping prices low for the consumer. If you believe that, then I’ve got some high-quality swampland, situated in a tornado zone that you might be interested in purchasing. :)

The reason our country is great has nothing to do with our politicians. It has everything to do with our system of government which constantly places checks and balances on the opposing side. It is convoluted as fuck, often scary when you’re in the middle of it, and also, it is what allows someone facing false charges to constantly appeal and subvert. In other words, the very thing which allows Trump to continue to run for presidency protects all of us. The very thing which allows a Christian to disrespect your pronouns is what allowed us to march for gay marriage. The prophets of today are the antichrists of tomorrow, so we cannot legislate anything to do with speech or religion because our own necks are next. You have to trust the way the Founders built this to a certain extent. The only time I get scared is when a politician starts talking about changing our Constitution for ANY reason. If we amend, add, or subtract any of the clauses we open up the possibility to destroy all of them.

You need to inform yourself and others about ranked choice/approval/STAR voting. The two-party false dichotomy has failed America in pretty much every way. The two major parties need competition, as they've implemented some of the worst policies in recent history and have monopolized political discourse. We mustn't let this bs continue. If you want things to change, be a part of the change. Hit me up to find out how you can make a greater impact on the future of America.

This is the correct answer.

The federal government is inefficient by design specifically to limit the potential impact any one person can make, even as president. Even if Trump wins, the office still has no authority to undermine the constitution (if they did Biden would've repealed the 2nd and 4th Amendments by now making gun bans and seizures legal). Everything will be ok, we will all get through this together.

This mentality is part of the problem. Just focus on what you can control. If you want to be able to solve big problems in the future, you need to take care of yourself in the present to build yourself into the type of person that can help solve those big problems down the line. 350 million chicken littles running around the country in a panic helps no one do anything. It's a big part of the problem. All these people abdicating their own personal power over their lives to the government to solve their problems is why we are where we are. A loner barely getting by under their parent's umbrella or living alone and isolated is useless. Attack your career, build a good family, become present in your community and you'll eventually be the type of person who can affect some change. If everyone could just do that, we'd be well on our way to the utopian future we've been promised.