So then what's our central factor? I'd guess something like, increasing corporate ownership of all aspects of our lives have driven profit from every ounce of joy that used to exist. Young people now find it impossible to do the things their parents did when entering adulthood because for most, those things have been priced drastically above their means. This outlook, combined with the looming ecological crisis, and doom and gloom pushing social media has led people to much higher rates of mental illness, causing them to fold inward even further. And video games are there and better than ever, board games too but with a modest purchase there's an incredible library of experiences curated to give you the sensation of meaning. How could someone who has no ability to "live up to their expectations" not find the games way better than the world, and why should we blame them?

Then there's the, "living up to expectations". Whose expectations? What rule of life says we have to buy a house when we're 25, or that living with extended families is bad and should be avoided. What rule says money and monetary capability are the measure of a persons worth. Now, the money one has real consequences but i'd argue our attitudes on all these questions are culturally informed and created and solidified. Our parents say, that's who, because their parents said because their parents said.... I'm not saying the desire is not real, but