This is the kind of article that sounds undeniably true after scrolling Reddit and other social medias for hours: Everyone is unhappy, everything is broken, and we are all buried under an avalanche of terribleness.

Then I disconnect from the internet and spend some time in the real world, with real people, and realize that most people are actually doing quite well. Yeah there are annoyances with some things not working like the article’s credit card example, but the real difference is between those who dwell on it and those who move on. I had a similar experience with a bank giving me the run around for a credit card, so I cancelled the card and moved to another bank. Now every card issue is resolved with a quick phone call and I don’t worry about it any more.

I think these articles appeal to people who are struggling because it makes it feel like everything is broken (literally a key point of the article) and everyone is struggling, but it’s not really true. Get out in the real world, learn to take the annoyances in stride, and you realize that the average person is doing a lot better than the dumpster fire of social media feeds would like us to believe. Doomerism articles like this sell clicks, but it doesn’t accomplish anything other than fostering more doomerism.