Why is everyone so unhappy?

Question

Seems like every other commercial on television these days is for antidepressants. Kids are bringing guns to school and slaying half their classmates before killing themselves, others are shredding their shoulders, stomach and thighs with razor blades. If your child turns out to be just goth or emo, you breathe a sigh of relief! The rich have therapists and doctor prescribed happy drugs, the poor have alcohol and weed, we all have issues, emotional baggage, psychological disorders and, of course, depression. Why is american society as a whole have such a high depression rate compared to any time in history?

I'm liking LORD Z's answer--what do you guys think?

soooooooooo many great answers!

Answer 1

To my personal, subjective opinion, Americans are under a lot of psychological pressure that you can't find anywhere else. Maybe in Japan, but there people are educated to be obedient, work hard and so forth from their childhood, because their whole culture is based on it.
On the other hand, Americans are split between the amount of work that is required from them and their purely human desire of fun and enjoyment. Of course, you can choose to work only 40 hours a week, but this can only allow you a petty life, because everything besides the basic needs is very expensive. If you want more, you have to sacrifice yourself on the altar of a company, just like the Japanese, which may mean working up to 80 hours a week! But then, when will you be able to enjoy the fruits of your hard work?
This might seem too much like an argument about money, but when people have to work 80 hours a week (or even 60), they hardly have the time for a real family life, for spending quality time with the kids (who grow up in front of the TV and have all chances to become nuts), or for a relaxing talk with friends over a coffee or a beer.
I suppose this doesn't fully answer your question, but it's something that I find shocking about the American society. I hope at least it points to one of the possible causes.

Answer 2

That's pretty funny.....while I was reading your question, one of those commercial was on.

I think society has become over whelmed with so much to do and so little time. No one really seems to slow down and smell the roses.

Were also influence by too much media and break in with "special reports" or "breaking news".

$ seems also to be a problem. Everyone wants and they indulge their children with their wants.
How long does that happiness last once the "want" has lost its luster.

There are many places in the world that they have their "needs" and they are happy being surrounded by their families.

I guess the "count to 10 method" could be used in other areas, such as, purchasing something, accelerating after the light turns green, calming down from anger or aggression, and just stopping and take a look around this world. I'm sure in a 10 count you may notice a smile, a butterfly, the scent of a flower, the sound of the waves, the rustle in the trees, etc.

Time is more valuable then things .

Enjoy a moment in each day. They're there to find..........so seek.

Answer 3

It is at such a high depression rate because of all the events, whether great or little to the general public, that are taking place across the globe, including those that you stated in the details. And do you know why kids are like that these days? For several reasons: one of them being the Devil's most powerful weapon: TV (that's why I don't watch much of it anymore), second most powerful being the internet (tv and internet come pretty darn close). Kids these days are more influenced by the internet and television than ever before, because when adults grew up, they didn't have computers in their kindergarten classrooms, did they? Well now they do. Kids these days are learning things in grade school that adults or elderly people didn't know probably till college! The bottom line reason why kids these days are so depressed: because of society and the public. WE make them that way! ADULTS and OTHERS and PEERS and EVERYONE ELSE makes them that way. I am a "kid" myself, just out of middle school, so I would have a vague understanding of this. Everyone always says they had a choice to make, to choose whether to follow that path or a different path, but has it ever occurred to ANYONE that SOCIETY and the PUBLIC and EVERYONE ELSE in their life had driven them into a corner and caused them and influenced them to become who they ended up being!? Why is American society as a whole having such a high depression rate, you ask? Because society and all people encompassed by society brought this upon themselves. WE caused the misery in which we are living. Blaming others is only blaming yourself, because all actions influence the actions of others, everything influences everything else, and life is just one big neverending circle of influence and reception, of cause and effect. This will be the downfall of our society, and when society crumbles beneath its very own feet, those few humans left on the planet with brains, common sense and logic will realize the horrible mistakes America and all other societies have been committing ever since the dawn of civilization. The downfall of man is himself.

Answer 4

alot of depression and being miserable is learnt. A happier disposition is very rare. People become more selfish as they grow up, especially in their teens. Later the habit is difficult to shake off- thinking about oneself too much- feeling sorry for things that are easily contolled but get out of hand because sometimes **** hits the fan. Watching tv- looking around at parent holding their head in frsutration over crazy things like where the fkn salt shaker's kept these days is what is rubbed off and everything becomes a drama.

Television shows us stupid examples of how certain things would stress people out- in hindsight, if you took everything with a pinch of sall and let stuff happen because inevitably, you can't control everthing; then there's be no need for BS therapy, no smoking j's to relax or beleiving to have any such psychological disorders.

Damn i can go on! sorry!

Answer 5

These are rough times and we live rough. Technology, media, drugs, family issues, the list goes on and on. A lot of people don't have the ability to make themselves happy. I know people in Scandinavia have a high suicide rate. Many think it's because they don't have as much sun as other places. Everyone has a theory as to why people are not happy or what makes us happy. The mentally ill (depression included) are chemical imbalances. Perhaps our new age diets and pollution are the issue. Times are tough these days. I agree with what others have said here. It sounds though as if it is internal. Money, drugs, etc don't make us happy. People who believe in God seem to be happier, but yet not all of them.

Answer 6

There's more than just for anti-depressants as well. I think it just has to do with people not being happy with themselves. A lot of psychiatrists will also pass out pills to anyone with a small amount of depression. That doesn't mean that all of them are like that, however. People tend to think that pills can be cure for alls, when it's simply not true. History hasn't been the greatest, either. I mean, plagues, war, death and famine? All part of the human experience and history. We all have pitfalls with ups and downs in our lives.

Answer 7

people have to learn to get over things, I mean half the time people just take things too seriously, don't stop thinking about it, and wind up being depressed over it, LET IT GO!! Cry me a river, build me a bridge and get over it! I don't know, but that's the way I'm living my life, and it's a lot easier getting through stuff that way. I can't say that I've never been depressed, but if you keep thinking about it it just gets worse. plus, i agree, the media only talks about the bad stuff, then look at TV, it's either death/killing, sex or swearing, no wonder kids are depressed, what happened to the cartoons!

Answer 8

I would blame the media. When was the last time you seen a commercial that shows a bad looking girl? the media has made all the teenagers unhappy because kids now a days think that you have to be looking like a model them comes depresion because they may not be as good loking. kids are raiced thinking they are not good enough.

Answer 9

To answers this question......two ways
political or governmental -out side force have force the world to look real bad and some people feel that it is other people fault that things are not going right .Plus They took out believe in God out of the school and other government area therefore creating a emptiness every where. The bible says to be content in what ever state you are in becaue of the peace he gives us. Happiness is the state of mind.

Answer 10

Not me, I'm not depressed at all! But then again I have brain damage, and this might just be a symptom!

Turn off the TV, Throw away your paper, move to the country, eat a lot of peaches, and try to find Jesus, all on your own. __John Prine__