Oh, and our young men might as well just give up thoughts of moving out from their mom’s house, essentially, ever, too, I’d imagine.
Why wouldn’t Facebook align with the left. They are the social platform for Big Brother propaganda and monitoring of citizens.
I have recently lived abroad and traveled extensively (not just to Europe) and have noticed particular patterns that have made our culture (moreso than others) predisposed to some of the tragic phenomenons currently scourging this country, namely:
1) Opioid addiction 2) Mental illness 3) Mass shootings 4) Gender and sexual dysphoria. And that these issues are currently affecting young and middle aged men disproportionately.
It’s not that other societies are immune from such challenges, (they have problems we don’t deal with here in this country at all) — but that the particular brand of challenges listed above are especially pronounced in modern American society right now, and the root causes are worth careful examination.
I actually came across the ‘platonic touch’ article when it was cited in a piece about mass shootings in “The American Conservative.”
When describing the profile of one such shooter, the writer pointed out:
“...The shooter, and most Americans his age, don’t live among large, extended families. They are not giving piggy-back rides to small cousins or kissing grandparents hello or being called over for cheek pinches from meddlesome aunts. Luckily, comfort isn’t only available from families and romantic partners; some communities and pastimes retain norms of physical contact and encouragement. Sports are one place where platonic touch can still flourish (in fact, NBA teams with a lot of physical touch between teammates tend to do better at cooperating), but those communities aren’t open to or even desired by everyone...” - Leah Libresco
I couldn’t help but agree with Ms. Libresco’s observations because they paralleled my own. I believe the hyper-individualistic, rugged notions of the self in our society — while on one hand being the source of American strength and economic prowess -— has also had a devastating impact on familial bonds and communal ties...especially as the role of church and religion diminish in our society.
I found that while other cultures, particularly in the third world, deal with massive economic lack and political corruption — citizens as a whole are still faring off better than Americans psychologically and mentally. And that children, both male and female, tend to be better adjusted.
Elderly folks do not retire into convalescent homes, but retain constant contact with the younger generations of their family as matriarchs and patriarchs — people age secure in the knowledge that after raising their children, their children will return the favor of taking care of them in old age.
Traditional gender roles also tend to be emphasized in other parts of the world, and men aren’t forced into a position where they have to ‘assert’ their masculinity...as is increasingly the case in our culture...