So was talking to my girl about her students, mostly upper middle class kids in the richest area in California...These are mostly well off kids.

The kind that are in their 20's, bills get paid, they drive very nice cars, don't need to work, come from good high schools, live in great neighborhoods and have had decently easy lives.

Not perfect...But much easier than most.

Middle class in that area has to now make and I'm not even kidding or exaggerating:

$482,040/Year*

Not talking living in mansions either.

Anyways, we were talking about how few laugh, joke, smile or show emotional reactions.

I remember visiting the campus and everyone was quiet, self involved...I would say 60-75% had their phone in their hand.

Never far from them at any point.

The only ones talking were face timing or talking on speaker to someone, but I didn't see a bunch of people just in groups except the nursing students on break.

Imagine being in the prime of looks, health, in a beautiful campus, among beautiful people, in a beautiful neighborhood (Silicon Valley) and walking around with a face that looked like you pissed your pants.

Stoic as shit.

Like nothing was going on upstairs.

Young people (14-30) are becoming NPCs at an exponential rate.

Imagine a date with someone who can't hold a conversation, looks lost, is too quiet or just stared as you talk.

Not saying EVERY student was like that, but it seemed more common than uncommon.

Think about the huge change in behavior from those generations under you, say in 2005 then 2010 then 2015 then 2020 and now 

You can see the terrible change in society, manners, work ethic, intelligence, communication skills etc.

I guess it's better than all the EMO sad sacks threatening to cut themselves or bragging about how they took 500 types of psych meds...But even they acted as people.

These new ones act like androids trying to figure out how to react to basic social situations.

They're awkward as fuck and it really is all self inflicted...They introvert themselves so much that they become it.

Few people ride bikes, walk their dog to the park to eat an ice cream, have deeper conversations than Marvel Movie Trivia, Anal Sex Questions or aren't trying to look like some "Victim."

It's like this in North Cali...Is it different where you're at?

*https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2025/07/21/bapr-j21.html