Do people complain today more than in the past?

Non-Running Current Events

3 years ago 07/04/2020 10:33am EDT

Genuine question. I was a kid in the 80s and 90s so perhaps I was not privy to these sorts of conversations, but I rarely recall people complaining. Today, it seems like the majority of conversations I am in or read on social media revolve around some sort of complaint. My hypotheses:

(a) People complain the same amount today as in the past, but now everyone has a voice / platform to project their complaints far beyond what they could in the past.

(b) Because everyone has a platform to project their complaints, and because everyone therefore exposed to more complaints, everyone complains a lot more now. This is sort of akin to the research that shows dissatisfied customers tell 5X the number of people about their experience relative to satisfied customers.

I think this trend is definitely more pronounced on social media, as even well-intentioned posts degrade into a complaint-fest. Examples include most discussions on NextDoor, Facebook, LetsRun, Twitter, etc.

3 years ago 07/04/2020 10:36am EDT

re: ARSPEN

Plenty of complaining in the ‘80s. Maybe you weren’t paying attention.

0/10

3 years ago 07/04/2020 11:15am EDT

re: ARSPEN

I’m tired of the OP starting this thread.

3 years ago 07/04/2020 11:32am EDT

re: ARSPEN

People complained in the 80ies as well.

There was just no place to read about it.

That's the only difference.

Now with social media you see all the garbage people think and say.

3 years ago 07/04/2020 11:58am EDT

re: ARSPEN

The question is framed a bit too broadly. Complain about what—the economy, wealth disparity, intolerance, unhappiness, expansion of the universe, cheating in sports? But, if you mean an aggregation of material well being in the United States, I would guess that there is more complaining and also greater ability to amplify one’s complaints. Job and wage security has increased since 1980 and the gap between those who have 401k or some sort of nest egg, and those who do not, has grown. Given that reality, I would conclude that there is more complaining and more reason to complain. Some will dispute my facts, but they are incorrect of course.

3 years ago 07/04/2020 12:00pm EDT

re: Szolt

Correction—meant to type “IN-security” not “security”. There has been an increase in job and wage insecurity.

3 years ago 07/04/2020 12:24pm EDT

re: Szolt

Well, I can tell you that the concept of "safe spaces" or "safe places," which is only a couple of years old, and is a pretty big complaint, is completely laughable t those of us older than, say, 27. We never could have expected or even desired such a thing.

3 years ago 07/04/2020 3:16pm EDT

re: ARSPEN

i'd wager that in the past, say 40 years ago and more, vertical mobility was easier in this country than it is today. It was also easier to get by on one income within a household. receive a retirement plan, medical costs were more affordable, housing was more accessible to a greater segment of the population, etc. In a word, there was more opportunity than today.

Given that that was what was assumed as many of today's citizen's were growing up, to be able to achieve what their parent's had and even surpass it, and given that that cannot be assumed anymore, i believe people are more disgruntled and do voice their dissatisfaction more often.

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