Depressed in the Lap of Luxury
by Steve Watters on 03/14/2008 at 8:43 AM
"I have never confronted such universal pessimism from a young audience," writes Stephen Moore in today's Wall Street Journal -- referring to a crowd he met at a recent political event. "Its members acted as if the hardships of modern life are making it nearly impossible for them to get out of bed in the morning."
Moore goes on to write:
So I conducted a survey of these grim youngsters. How many of you, I asked, own a laptop? A cellphone? An iPod, a DVD player, a flat-screen digital TV? To every question somewhere between two-thirds and all of the hands in the room rose. But they didn't even get my point. "Well duh," one of them scoffed, "who doesn't have an iPod these days?"
Moore explains in his article that while times are tough in many old industrial areas of the country and while "middle-class anxiety about the costs of health care and higher education is real," Americans are still experiencing unprecedented new heights in their standard of living:
...new data from the Census Bureau reveal that Americans of all income groups have made enormous gains in their standard of living in recent decades. As late as 1970, air conditioning, color TVs, washing machines, dryers and microwaves were considered luxuries. Today the vast majority of even poor families have these things in their homes.
Perhaps the anxiety Moore encountered is tied to the fact that abundance doesn't neatly translate into happiness. "Abundance has brought beautiful things to our lives, but that bevy of material goods has not necessarily made us much happier," writes Daniel Pink in his book A Whole New Mind, "The paradox of prosperity is that while living standards have risen steadily decade after decade, personal, family and life satisfaction haven’t budged. That’s why more people—liberated by prosperity but not fulfilled by it—are resolving the paradox by searching for meaning."
Political campaigns can promise some of that missing meaning (and even a little more abundance to those who still feel disenfranchised) but something tells me that around this time next year, regardless of who gets elected (and regardless of what new material good they may have acquired) America's young adults will still feel a certain nagging depression and will be left with a meaning gap that needs to be filled from a more satisfying source.
1. Louise said the following at 8:49 AM on Mar 14
Mr. Watters, could you please provide a link to the Wall Street Journal article?
For personal reasons I would be interested in reading the entire article.
Thank you.
2. Leah said the following at 8:54 AM on Mar 14
So I conducted a survey of these grim youngsters. How many of you, I asked, own a laptop? A cellphone? An iPod, a DVD player, a flat-screen digital TV? To every question somewhere between two-thirds and all of the hands in the room rose. But they didn't even get my point. "Well duh," one of them scoffed, "who doesn't have an iPod these days?"
*slams head repeatedly into wall*
I HATE this attitude, as many woudl know (from previous posts re: living costs etc etc). Get a GRIP, people. You do not need a dishwasher, an airconditioner, 3 bedrooms, a swimming pool, a dryer, an iPod, a digital flat-screen TV... aaaargh. Live without some of that and you might be able to loosen the metaphorical belt a bit. I'd love to see how these people would have survived in the 40s and 50s. Even better, the 1800s.
3. Chris said the following at 9:07 AM on Mar 14
I just finished reading "Your Money and Your Brain" by Jason Zweig (sp?). It does a very good job of explaining how the brain works when it comes to money, happiness, and the like. I highly recommend it.
4. Cam said the following at 9:18 AM on Mar 14
This reminds me of the lyrics from Blindside's "The Great Depression" album:
We are the sons and daughters of a revolution, revolutionaries walking us out of opression and into a
no-law promise land.
And this is leaves us with a great sense of sadness dwelling inside our soul. no one can explain where
it's coming from or where it's taking us.
We just know that something is lost, Somehow we are lost, lost
and this my friend, is the great depression
5. Matt said the following at 9:27 AM on Mar 14
They need our Jesus!
A friend of mine wrote these lines on his MySpace - "We live in a world where nothing matters and everything is of eternal consequence."
Be bold in sharing the gospel today. It's the only medicine for this sick world.
6. Dan said the following at 9:27 AM on Mar 14
Another excellent book on this topic is "The Progress Paradox" by Gregg Easterbrook. Easterbrook does not address prosperity and its associated "paralysis of analysis" (to steal a line from earlier this week) from an explicitly Christian perspective, but it is informative nonetheless.
7. Mike Theemling said the following at 9:35 AM on Mar 14
Excellent post. I've always been amazed that those who complain about "being poor" yet they have a cell phone (usually with all the extra features added into their plan like free text messaging), wear designer shoes, have cable or satellite TV, etc. These are not "essentials" people. These are LUXURIES.
Problem is that young people nowadays expect the same standard of living their parents have, but don't realize that most of them had to wait decades until they could afford the things they have now.
The proliferation of credit cards, especially targeting college age (and now even high school students or younger) hasn't helped the problem either.
8. Carl said the following at 10:52 AM on Mar 14
And what is that more satisfying source? All together now: "Jesus Christ!". Materialism is far too rampant and thanksgiving for our high living standards (where our necessities have been met and some) has been lost. Humility is a hard pill for the average American to swallow.
9. BB said the following at 11:39 AM on Mar 14
I think you hit the nail on the head with that one. For so long, "making it" was equated with happiness and when things don't go as planned, you wonder why am I the only one not getting what I'm due.
That could be the perfect job, your team being in the top of the conference or winning national titles, or finding that perfect someone.
I bought a car not too long ago and I was amazed at the bigger better mentality every one had. Once there is something out that is even slightly better, what you have now becomes crap and not worth anything. Commercials, sales pitches and even friends pump this lie up till it's hard to see around it all. We are no longer trying to keep up with the Jones. The Jones can't even keep up with what's on tv any more. Case in point, what's the most popular thing about the Superbowl? Unless you're a NFL fan, it's not the game.
The bible spoke to women about not adorning themselves with gold and such but with men shaving their chests, going to tanning beds, and wearing the latest Guess or CK outfits, I wonder if we need to start applying the same teachings to the men.
As a disclaimer, my Sunday school class does not typically model this self first attitude. I'm speaking about the audience that Stephen Moore was speaking to.
10. ScottW said the following at 12:15 PM on Mar 14
I'm joining Leah #2.
*bangs head against wall*
It saddens and frustrates me when people my age say these things. I could vent more but it wouldn't benefit anyone to do so.
11. Sara said the following at 12:37 PM on Mar 14
Just pointing out that wealth *does* increase happiness, up to a certain income level (which the average American, of course, reached decades ago).
Also, weren't the kids grim more because of the events at the political conference than because of underlying clinical depression or something?
Agreed overall, though: about iPods, especially, it does seem that people now are almost dependent on or addicted to getting the next temporary high that comes from a pop songs.
Music culture has in many ways replaced religion, with its exclusivity, search for authenticity, celebrity worship, 'ecstatic concert rituals', and so on.
12. Eliza said the following at 12:38 PM on Mar 14
When I was in college everyone around me seemed to be going through this simplistic, anti-materialistic stage, where they would live on as little as possible and implicitly scorn those who had more stuff. The "is it a sin to own a BMW" crowd. Now, at the time I DID happen to "own" a BMW, or at least drive one. It was my dad's 1985 hand-me-down (still the best car I've ever, ever had) and I didn't feel so bad about driving it, because it was kinda rusty ;).
Anyway, later on in life I went to visit a friend in Ethiopia, and my boyfriend-at-the-time was pretty worried that I would come back even more of a sell-all-you-have-and-give-to-the-poor radical. But actually, the opposite happened. While I was there I realized that, regardless of how much you own, all people are worried about the same things. My friend's househelper lived in a slum with a dirt floor, and the she was worried about were whether her daughter was going to get into a good school, and about the weird side-effects her medication was giving her, and whether her brother was stealing from her husband. These are exactly the same things ALL of us are worried about--health and family and regular finances.
My conclusion was that materialism is not how much stuff we have, it's how much we think about and desire the stuff. I have an ipod and a cell phone and a TV and a laptop, but I'm not exactly obsessing about the latest model. Instead of calling it "materialism", I prefer to give it an older term: covetousness.
And by the way, covetousness and materialism have no age or time limit. The sins that exist today were just as prevalent in our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents generations. It's just for different things.
13. Stephanie said the following at 12:51 PM on Mar 14
Excellent post! My favorite part was the comment on abundance not translating into happiness.
In high school, I was fortunate enough to go to Ecuador on a missions trip. Our team visited a Compassion International site, and there I met some incredibly thankful and happy people. They eagerly showed us the dirt-floor house, pair of shoes, and extra change of clothes they had been given, as they kept smiling and saying, "Thank you". It has always amazed me how appreciative and contented they were with so little while so many Americans sit in riches, but long for more.
14. Carrie Lea said the following at 3:56 PM on Mar 14
Mike Theemling (#7),
Good point about young people expecting the same standard of living as their parents. Ironically, my husband and I do not expect the same standard of living as our parents, but our parents seem to expect us to have that standard of living!
For instance, we decided to cancel cable a while back. My mom always chides me for "making" my husband "give up" cable. She essentially tells me, "You have the money, so why not live a little?" This is baffling to my husband, who was actually enthusiastic about cancelling cable. We've decided that she really wants to be able to watch cable herself when she visits. :->
My mother-in-law is more conservative with money, but even she is pushing us to get new carpet before our child is born. Meanwhile, we're perfectly content with our somewhat-stained but still very usable carpet.
Parents are so funny. :)
15. Stefanie said the following at 10:15 PM on Mar 14
This post reminds me of a quote I read recently:
"We try to get [joy] through entertainment. We pay someone to make jokes, tell stories, perform dramatic actions, sing songs. We buy the vitality of another’s imagination to divert and enliven our own poor lives. The enormous entertainment industry in America is a sign of the depletion of joy in our culture. Society is a bored, gluttonous king employing a court jester to divert it after an overindulgent meal. But that kind of joy never penetrates our lives, never changes our basic constitution. The effects are extremely temporary~a few minutes, a few hours, a few days at most. When we run out of money, the joy trickles away."
Perhaps I am diverging a little, but just a little food for thought...
*As a side note, this quote has been largely attributed to Eugene Peterson in the references I have seen, but at least once the reference only credited him for part of the quote. I haven't read the book it is pulled from (A Long Obedience in the Same Direction), so if I am misquoting, my apologies, and anyone who has read the book can correct me. I promise I can handle it.
16. CG said the following at 11:20 PM on Mar 14
I think Eliza's comment in #12 was right on.
Just because we have "xyz item" doesn't mean we are materialistic. Some people are materialistic and some aren't regardless of what they actually possess.
I think we would be happier if we actually formed relationships with others and served others in relevant ways on a regular basis. Bringing meals to friends in need, pitching in for groceries when someone hits hard times, getting to know your neighbors. Our problem is not stuff...our problem is lack of relationship.
17. Stacy said the following at 11:21 PM on Mar 14
Great discussion! Has anyone heard/ read much about Hudson Taylor, one of the fathers of the modern mission era? He spurred on this idea of living a "war-time lifestyle," - since we are at war with forces of spiritual darkness, and are called to usher forth Christ's glory and light to the ends of the earth. When we are at war, we don't spend on excesses - we save, and use extra resources for the greater cause. Here's a quote from him, "If the whole resources of the Church of God were well utilized, how much more might be accomplished! How many poor might be fed and naked clothed, and to how many of those as yet unreached the Gospel might be carried!" Now, this lifestyle is not to be confused with living "simply" - if you are in need of a computer to communicate with missionaries and send notes of encouragement around the world, or if you listen to sermons with your ipod/mp3 player that expand your view of the greatness of God and fullness of His Glory, these "material" goods can be great blessings. There are certainly ways we can all evaluate and even possibly feel challenged/called to sacrifice, though, whether that's to support the missions team headed to reach an unreached people in East Asia or a friend on staff with Crusade raising support to reach college students, or the Salvation Army in our local community. Maybe kids in America with such wealth and luxury are depressed because no one expects much of them, "they are only kids". Maybe they need to be challenged with our great purpose in life, to bring God glory, and to extend that glory to the ends of the earth! Maybe that's what all of us Americans need - some serious wake up calls - there is work still to be done, there are people who still have not heard the gospel preached in their own language and culture - if we aren't called to go ourselves, how are we helping our brothers and sisters who are called to go?!! I do think there's some over-reliance on technology among young people/teens, don't get me wrong, a lot of people could use some good time in the wilderness with no technology at all to shake them of that need... but depression is rooted more with a lack of purpose in life, right? "Nothing matters really, who cares about my life, it's all just a charade..." We need to be challenging and motivating our generation and new generations with our purpose in life, that the devil has certainly done a great job trying to hide with wealth, affluence, technologies gallore, self consumption and absorbtion... I don't want my generation to be known as "Generation Me" - and I will do every thing I can to change our reputation to "Generation Accomplishing the task of bringing Christ's Glory to the ends of the earth!" But WE have to take ownership of OUR generation and OUR time. Yep, the devil better be ready for a fight, and the good news is, Christ already won!
PS - I highly recommend everyone who has the opportunity to take the "Perspectives on the World Christian Movement" class to take it, it is amazing, exciting, encouraging, challenging, it might change your life. It's offered in many cities around the U.S., and for you college students you can take it for college credit, and you can even get grad school credit! It is an investment well worth making.
18. Christina said the following at 10:32 PM on Mar 15
Leah on 2, Mike on 7, Eliza on 12 and anyone else going in this general direction of commenting.
I don't think this attitude of depression is stemming from a sense that we don't have enough and want "more more more". I think its the result of a generation raised into thinking we need "more more more" only we have the more and are still miserable.
I think the majority of our generation is confused by that. We have everything our parents sacrificed for us to have and yet we aren't happy with it. Maybe because what the more isn't worth what the previous generation sacrificed? Maybe because somewhere in all the pursuit, society lost sight of what is really, truly important?
And our depression is caused by much the same thing that Solomon's depression was caused by that led to the writing of Ecclesiastes.
I think that book would be the cry of this generation. What's the point? We work and work and work...for what? For nice things...why? So we can enjoy life...what life? The one we spend working in order to support it? That's not life. Not a life worth living. And many of us know that but don't know what the alternative is. We don't know what the options are because we were never taught the alternative.
I'm a minimalist and miserable living this way. I could live in a shack and be just as miserable. I could live in a mansion and be just as miserable. I have a relationship with God that makes life worth living and gives me something to smile about on occassion. The thing that I'm missing is this - I lack relationships with people to share my life with. I know how important that is to life. I know how important it is to happiness and joy. Do you guys? And does the rest of our generation realize that?
Relationships...Joy...someone posted it in another post...
J = Jesus
O = Others
Y = Yourself
We have it so backwards...
19. Leah said the following at 7:54 PM on Mar 16
Eliza, I see your points, but I think there are a few things you've missed.
It's true that our ancestors' generations went through covetousness and materialism (not quite the same things in my mind, but similar), but I don't believe they were as materialistic as many young people today. Our grandparents knew how to live (and be satisfied) with a lot less than most people do today. It's today's young people's attitude of "I don't have enough" and their desire for "more" which is materialism (and covetousness) which you would not have seen as much of 50 years ago, I believe. Note I am not saying those sins were absent 50 years ago, I'm just saying I honestly do not believe materialism, at any rate, was as prevalent.
(I do think covetousness is different to materialism- you can covet more than just material things. So I guess you could say materialism is covetousness but covetousness is not necessarily materialism).
You are exactly right that "materialism is not how much stuff we have, it's how much we think about and desire the stuff"- and that's what we're saying (me, many other commenters, and the OP). People are not satisfied with what they have. Nobody is condeming them for having the iPod or flatscreen TV- we're "condemning" them for not being satisfied and "needing" more.
20. Eliza said the following at 5:24 PM on Mar 17
Leah,
Okay, I guess we'll just agree to disagree :). I see my grandparent's generation (those who were 20-40 years old in the golden 50's) as literally the fathers of the modern American Dream, including the cars, electronics, clothes, vacations, etc. The 50's was the Great Age of Stuff, reborn in the 80's with their children and again now with their grandchildren. And I have a feeling that a desire for more and better things came from many of their own parents who arrived on boats from the old country. I imagine our great-grandparents longed for their children to have a life that was materially better than their own; that American work ethic (or "material ambition) is hard to turn off once someone has supposedly "arrived." It's my theory that materialism is absolutely entrenched in the idea of "being American", although it is easily disguised as "Puritan work ethic" or "capitalism".
But those are just my personal theories, and not provable since there's no way to measure the desire of a whole generation. And sorry if you found my comment redundant--I was simply sharing a personal epiphany.
21. Mrs. B said the following at 6:43 PM on Mar 17
I posted a blog on this sort of subject not too long ago. I would love to survey more opinions on it so if you have the time please read and let me know what you think. The first part is my personal experience leading to my conviction, and the second part is my conviction backed up with Scripture to the best of my knowledge:
part I
amandabaublet.blogspot.com/2007/12/real-simple-part-i.html
part II
amandabaublet.blogspot.com/2008/01/real-simple-part-ii.html
*Please note that these are my personal opinions on not necessarily those of Boundless or Focus on the Family yadda yadda yadda... just in case I needed to add that :)
I think I draw a harder line than most people I know, but it is my sincere conviction to live the way described in my blog.
22. Andrew (tlw) said the following at 8:34 PM on Mar 17
I commonly see adults decrying how much stuff the following generation has. “Hah!” they sniff, “I didn’t have an Ipod/computer/TV in my bedroom, and I turned out all right. These kids have it too good.”
Go back another generation or two, and the refrain changes. “I didn’t have hot water/inside toilets/washing machines, and I turned out all right. These kids have it too good.”
Is this the attitude we want our children to learn? That progress and rising living standards are somehow bad? Secularists call this “affluenza,” a misleading term designed to make us feel guilty. But our basic natures have not changed. Previous generations had the same desires as we do, but had to save up for them. In our current era, easy credit encourages a high time preference and immediate gratification. But it doesn’t make us happier.
The industrial revolution improved manufacturing, and improved access to goods and services, but without credit, few people could afford to buy stuff because our purchasing power is ever-decreasing (cheap imports from China not-withstanding). This is the nasty deception of economies using inflationary fiat currencies.
Are we any happier with more stuff? For the last forty years, the secular world has been preaching that life is about being happy. The process of getting stuff (the car, the house, the 2.3 children) is held out as an idol that will make us happy. But once we get what we want, we readjust our sights (and our debt repayments) to doing “better.”
A culture that encourages immediate self-gratification through long-term bondage to debt through extended educations, expensive housing, multiple cars and upgraded consumer items (computers etc) does little to spark a sense of hope and potential amongst our younger generation.
Depression is very real, and very debilitating. But telling people to feel good about them-selves has little preventative value. Look past their Ipods and their flat screens, and recognise that they want more than slogans. They want substance, and we have a message of hope they need to hear.
In the past, generations without hope were often defined and unified through hardships such as state-sponsored wars or depression. Criticising our younger brothers and sisters for their high time preferences will not build bridges to understanding.