if you're 25 & younger, please comment

Wow welcome back brofessor!

Missed the cut, but if you do this for 26-30 yr olds I'd be happy to chime in.

I'm a year or 2 out of the bucket, but I'll add my perspective:

Location: Digital nomad (SEA and Latin America)

Relationship Status: Dating

Career: Ex-finance turned entrepreneur 

1. Honestly, ever since leaving the United States for life abroad (specifically Latin America and SEA), it has improved exponentially. While I still considered myself blessed to have been born in The United States - I feel my outlook for the US has worsened considerably: intense social division, unreal cost of living (especially in coastal metros), broken healthcare, government that only serves the top few thousand people in the country, etc.. I fear that for the average/median person who has not already joined the ownership class, they may never be granted the opportunity to do so, which is the backbone of the American Dream.
2. Being able to be a present father and partner, an active member of my community, and a mentor to the generation below me
3. Given how reasonable Latin America/SEA cost of living is - I feel very comfortable. I make about $200k per year in profit from my business, and I'm not even in these countries for the lower COL, I genuinely enjoy the greater emphasis on community and the reduced focus on materialism. I live in a modestly furnished 900 sqft apartment and wouldn't change it for the world. No car either.
4. I have a great partner currently. I will admit, though, I think dating in the US for the younger generation is fundamentally broken. I am a pretty handsome guy with a good target school/career background, so I never had a problem with quantity in terms of dating app/IRL prospects, but the issue is that I felt I had to go on dozens of dates to find someone who was mentally stable, had fair/realistic expectations, had no children, etc.. In Latin America/Asia, it did not take nearly as long to find multiple great women who I saw myself potentially building a future with. Everyone in the US seems to be riddled with anxiety. I find more and more people in the US telling me how dependent they are on antidepressants or recreational drug use just to get by. This is a problem, and while I understand mental health is very real, I don't want my children to think we solve mental health struggles with prescriptions in substitution for taking care of ourselves emotionally, spiritually and physically.
5. I think it's very hard for my parents to understand how different this country is now compared to when they were coming up. My father is my role model. I love him and admire him so much. But my father flunked out of college and walked around rural America with nothing but a resume in his hand, and was able to get a job in a chemical warehouse, where he worked for over 30 years and used to pay for our modest 2-bedroom home and all our bills. He met my mother the week after he got that job at a bar. He always tells me that people can just "be disciplined" and afford a home on the median income in the US. He even told me last week that someone working at McDonald's could afford a home "outside of NYC/Boston/LA/DC" eventually, with enough savings habits and discipline. Needless to say, this is not even remotely possible.
6. I don't use social media (unless you count YouTube). I never understood it. It seems like everyone hates it and complains about it all the time, but we still use it? That would be the equivalent of me having multiple, consecutive horrid experiences at a restaurant and then going back for lunch each day. Doesn't make any sense to me. I guess for people who can make money on social media, it makes sense, but I would guess that's a pretty small subset of people.
7. To me, it's not important, but unfortunately, politics has become a sporting event in the US. I have trouble caring about politics because every policy passed seems to directly benefit the top 1000 or so people, no matter who is in power. I believe all of the social issues are a distraction for us "commoners" while the government allows investment firms to decimate the housing market, continue to run with broken healthcare and education systems, etc.. It's working, sadly.
8. WSJ or NPR. Every other news source is pure entertainment at this point with how sensational and biased all the headlines and coverage are. NPR is a TAD left-leaning, but it doesn't even compare to the likes of CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, etc.. I also feel NPR is open-minded enough to give me the beliefs they feel, but also let me come to my own conclusions
9. Gym is my form a therapy, but I am also still a gamer. That new Donkey Kong game for the Nintendo Switch 2 was one of the best games I've played in a decade. I also like volunteering at animal shelters (cats > dogs), My partner got me into dancing, and while I'm not very good, it's still a lot of fun. I was really into skateboarding, but as I get older, I have backed up on it a bit.
10. I think Gen Z just wants to see genuine efforts made to address our concerns. If you look at all the policies and actions that have passed in the 2020s (i.e., Social Security on a crash course, stimulus, COVID lockdowns, 0% interest during COVID, the mere idea of a ridiculous 50-year mortgage being discussed), all directly benefit the ownership class/older generations. I think a lot of the younger generations feel that their country is actively working against them, rather than trying to set them up to launch and support a family of their own. When people feel they have no control over their destiny, you see things like the lower labor participation rate among young men, a focus on toxic identity politics, and social isolationism.  

@thebrofessor you seem like a good mentor. How many people do you mentor? If none I think you should think about it. 

Location: New Jersey

Stage: Junior in College

Status: Single with no kids

1. what is your general outlook on the world?
   1. I think for a long time I've been a pretty optimistic and happy go lucky guy, but I think as I've gotten closer to graduation I'm starting become a lot more bitter. I'm definitely one of the more doomer people on the platform because I still can not get an interview for an internship even after 350 applications. Besides the job market and having no idea how I'm going to pay student loans and not be homelss in two years, I'd say I've maintained a good outlook on the world. I think people are still inclined to be good more often than not, and I see happy people all the time.
2. what is your definition of a happy life?
   1. I think for me it's financial security at this point. I've always wanted to work in New York(Only came around and started researching how hard that actually is) and to live and work in the Big Apple would really be the peak of my life. I've gone to New York probably more than 50 times at this point and I wish I could stay longer each time.
3. how do you see your financial/career prospects?
   1. This is going to be the doomer side of me. Right now I'm basically fucked. On one hand, if I graduate within the next two years, I'll be entering into the one of the worst job markets since 2008. On the other hand, I'm also entering into a rapidly changing space due to AI. I mean 3 years ago I don't think anyone could have seen AI doing what it is now, and if we're right about AI there's going to be significantly less oppurtunities for kids to get entry level jobs. A third connected hand is that not only am I entering into a field with AI and a bad job market overall, it's just becoming more competitive each year, and I'm not competitive from a resume perspective, so I'm fucked there as well.  I don't want to seriously research grad school yet because I honestly don't want to give up on undergrad just yet, but it's soon.
4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?
   1. Honestly, don't really consider it in my day to day life. I like the company of other people, but I'm just not focused on that right now, and probably will never. Nothing against women or people in general, I just like living alone and doing a lot of stuff by myself.
5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?
   1.  I think specifically for this site, I don’t really see a generational disconnect in my experience. Obviously it’s hard to tell how old anyone is on WSO, but I think older people are in more touch with the younger generation than people give them credit for. Maybe the Boomers are out of touch, but by the time I get to their age, I probably will be too.
6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?
   1. I use it to keep up on topics I like, mainly sports at this moment(Go Browns!). With the rise of AI and Sora I think I’ve trusted what I see on social media a lot less(Never trusted it a lot to begin with). I keep up with my friends and stuff like that. 
7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?
   1. I don’t think politics has gotten more or less important. I mean every president election I’ve been old enough to remember has been “The most important election of my lifetime” and the same two parties has been in contention for more than 150 years at this point so yeah. Socially, I think people have become who they support and why they support them, especially with all the podcasts and tik tok becoming a big thing. 
8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media
   1. Bloomberg is probably my number one choice for all business related stuff(Hardo answer I know). I grew up reading the Star-Ledger like every good New Jerseyan does but they’ve gone out of print. Now I usually watch either NBC nightly news or Fox Sports 1. My dad likes watching Fox News pretty much 24/7 and I get pretty irritated. Same goes with CNN or MSNBC. 
9. what do you do for entertainment?
   1. Play video games. BF6 at the moment. 
10. open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation
    1. Kids these days are pretty smart and can and will call you out if they sense you’re bullshiting them. Far less of my generation are willing to drink the Kool-Aid. 

London -  AN1 

xxxxx

Can't figure out how to edit just wanted to say this was not a feigned attempt at advice giving so unless you specifically ask I'm not giving any, im genuinely curious about your perspectives 

Thanks to all who have replied so far, very interesting!

Location: T2 City USA

Life Stage: 1st year analyst at an investment bank

Status: Single (about 3 months)

1. My general outlook on the world is positive in the long-term, slightly negative in the short term. I have some qualms about state of society from a morality / shared values perspective. In the real world / day-to-day interactions, things are okay and feel normal. Online, things feel very polarized and intense.
2. Definition of a happy life is living in line with my religious beliefs (Catholic), feeling a sense of accomplishment in my responsibilities, having a family, raising my children to be good, productive members of society, and maintaining relationships
3. I'm frankly delusional about my career goals / aspirations so I'm extremely positive and excited for what's to come. I've been gainfully employed for four months and I am eager for my future. I am grateful that I feel good when I know many others my age do not feel similarly at all.
4. Slightly iffy. This career path does not make fostering a long-term relationship easy. I don't believe in one night stands / casual sex (Catholic), so modern post-grad dating can be difficult from that perspective. Feels like that's what a lot of the people who you'd meet out-and-about are looking for, and that's just not me. It will get better though. It can be hard to make new friendships in my opinion (again, hours), but I've met some good people thus far and I have very strong friendships from growing up so I'm not overly worried there.
5. I think some older generations are a bit locked-in to how things were when they were young- affordability, career prospects, dating, etc. all were / seem to have been easier 30-40 years ago. Additionally, boomers need to give up political power and allow younger generations to have a say. The POTUS has been a boomer since 1993 (Biden is actually a member of the Silent Generation - even older)!
6. I'm on social media less during the week given work. I use Reddit a lot. Candidly, I use it too much on the weekends. It's a poison, so I try not to doom scroll. I'm not perfect though. I've set a time limit but I often bypass it. I've debated deleting the apps from my phone in the past week or so, but I have yet to pull the trigger.
7. I was tempted to say that politics are more important these days, but each generation has had its own number of problems to deal with. The temperature is very hot at the moment, but I have faith that things will cool eventually. We haven't had anything as bad as the threat of looming nuclear winter or getting shipped off to Normandy, but I feel some angst about the state of US politics, particularly with the general political divide between youth and older people as well as men and women.
8. Combination of Instagram, Reddit, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNBC, podcasts like JRE / something political
9. I play basketball, exercise, see friends, and watch movies. I go on and off reading, but it's definitely something I should do more, particularly nonfiction.
10. We want to hope. People my age are upset because they think they did all the right things (this is highly debatable imo, but this is the sentiment I see) and their outcomes are not any better than their parents at the same age. That being said, I think we are generally optimistic about what is to come - something can change for the better. The issue is always what that "better" is. 

Thanks for doing this. Questions were good and a nice way to think about something else.

I'll answer some of these questions as a 19-year old... 

1. Honestly I'm not an optimist at heart and while I've personally been lucky in life so far (affluent parents, good education, family + friends) it feels like society itself is decaying, especially once you get a way from islands/bubbles of prosperity, which many ppl in finance might find themselves in. I think QOL will likely decline for the bottom 60-80% of Americans in the next decade with AI replacing large swaths of the labor force. and hooking people on hyperaddictive endless scrolling/pornography. And not to mention the political climate is getting worse and worse. I think you'd be hard-pressed to find that many optimistic 25 year olds
2. Family is most important - loving wife + stable house + kids. I don't identify as conservative necessarily but I'll admit my life goals definitely fit that mold of cultural tradition. Connected to answer #1, feels like this was an accessible path to majority of Americans in past generations but now is only for the well-off. That's ultimately why I'm prepared to sacrifice time + health for high pay in my 20s, so that I can build that kind of life.
3. I see myself as intelligent, capable, and hard-working but everything is so competitive and there's no guarantee of a sucessful career in this industry

Too tired to answer all of these but glad you asked the question and it's interesting to have this discussion

Love your stuff man, you're on my Mount Rushmore of WSO users. 

Location: West Coast

Relationship: Dating

Career: Year 2, analyst in asset management.

1. From a personal perspective: I'm trying to stay optimistic and enthusiastic. I'm generally a positive person and have a personality similar to a golden retriever (which is a love-or-hate for some people). Yanno, if I'm stuck in a shitty situation, the outlook is I can either have a miserable mindset or make the most of it, and I try the latter. I try to get along with everyone, and if there's a problem, let it go quickly. People can sometimes get on my nerves and frustrate me, but I can't let others control my emotions or believe that people should act one way or another. I accept what is in front of me and deal with it. "It is what it is."

   Outlook on the world: I think the world needs to follow the "Golden Rule" more. Let's just get along. Let's get to know each other, talk to one another - we're all people! I feel like a fucking hippie, but it's the 21st century! Peace and love, man. Feels like everyone has a chip on their shoulder; we're all too focused on one another, and we don’t want to care about our neighbor. "A stranger is just a friend you haven't met yet." I'm being cheesy here, but I feel like connecting and talking to people directly (in the real world) could help a lot. Will also tack on that it feels like people would rather be online than face reality or be in the "real" world.

   2. A happy life to me is being surrounded by people who love me. I'm a social person; I grew up with a big family. My favorite day of the year is Christmas Eve when my entire family is over and we have an amazing feast, joke around together, and play games. It makes me immensely happy, and when it's my turn to host that event, I will be content with my life.

   3. I'm currently making the transition into a new career back in my hometown, so I'm really excited to try something new. Unsure about the future of this career or even my longevity in finance, but I want to put everything into this new job. The team is great, and the role matches my personality. In the long term, I'd love to be an operator or entrepreneur, but in the meantime, I'm happy to collect some checks and learn more about my likes/dislikes. Recruiting for this role was extremely tough, and this market is not great.

   4. The area I'm in now is a little sleepy and on the older side. It's been harder to meet new people, but I've made some good friends through work while also staying in constant contact with my buddies from back home. Have been dating this girl for the past 5 years; while I've had some worries about "settling," I know this person would make an amazing mother to my children. That is a huge dealbreaker for me.

   5. "The Tragedy of the Horizon" or present bias. Mark Carney coined the term, but it's an unwillingness to make a large change or sacrifice now that will help future generations. It feels like the older generations would rather reap short-term benefits while they're alive rather than make longer, usually tougher decisions that will be more beneficial in the long run. Kicking the can. Another factor is an unwillingness to accept or admit that life is different than when you grew up. This might be more aimed at those 40 or 50+, but technology has changed, behaviors have changed, businesses have changed. Things that worked in the past are not surefires anymore, and how the world operated when they were our age is not applicable. Now, it's fine if they believe this, but any attempt to persuade them otherwise is met with instant rejection.

   6. Deleted Instagram and YouTube. Never had TikTok or Twitter. Unfortunately use LinkedIn more than I should. Those platforms are echo chambers and bring out the worst in people. There's also an insane amount of misinformation or rage bait on those sites. We've given too many people a platform, tbh.

   7. More important. Similar to my answer from five, but I think we're at a point where you can no longer kick the can down the road or place the problem on the next generation. If someone doesn't start making the tough changes now, then I think we really start to see some problems. It feels like no one wants to be the adult, and they just want to continue promising BS or putting band-aids on everything. Politicians are more focused on keeping their seats than doing something unpopular but good for the country. This also seems to be exacerbated by two-party politics and the decrease in bipartisanship. There's less moderation or willingness to cross the aisle. It feels like those loud voices on the left or right are beginning to make up larger portions of their party, and as younger generations grow up on the platforms where they can be heard the easiest, these identities will spread across the younger voting pool.

   8. WSJ, Reuters, BBG, FT, or PBS. Those are the big ones. I listen to various business podcasts or will watch/read local news stations as well.

   9. Wish I had a fun hobby for this section, but normal things: going to the gym, hiking, movies, playing videogames, reading, spending time with my gf or friends, or watching sports. I'm currently learning a new language, and when I move I'm gonna start improv classes.

   10. It really feels like there is less hope in this generation and a lot of anxiety. I don't know if this stems from feeling like opportunities for wealth/American Dream are shrinking or that social media has skewed people's perception of what success looks like. I'm lucky enough to not feel this way, but that's the doom you sometimes get from talking to drunk guys at the bar. A positive about this generation is that we're more focused on living a balanced life. Feels like WLB is much more important than it was to our parents, and I know many people (myself included) who want to be more active in our kids' lives compared to how our parents were with us. That might also come from laziness too haha (I know wayyyy too many kids who are into get-rich-quick schemes).

I’ll try to weave the questions into my response but Large City, dating, in IB.

Life is great for me but I know it’s not for a lot of others. Knowing Jesus has completely changed my life and it seems like my generation is coming to Christ younger than many generations have in the past. A perfect life would be to have a Christ centered marriage, running a business that benefits my community and family, and having as many kids as my future wife and I can afford. Career prospects are great but I know they aren’t for the majority of my generation.

On the dating side, I will likely marry the girl I’m with right now. My experience dating for hookups was extremely enjoyable/easy, but once I wanted to find something serious, the dating game turned very difficult. The sheer volume of toxic, childish, and vile behavior that exists in the “real” dating pool (dating to marry) rn is actually quite disturbing. I think it all boils down to this: people (both guys and girls) are growing up much later in life, and becoming good partners much later than they otherwise should. That has been motivated by hookup culture, which causes a handful of guys to get a lot of action and the rest of guys to not get any (I was a professional athlete prior to IB so I’m not complaining in this post, but it’s obvious that some guys aren’t getting any attention from gals despite being solid prospects).

Politics time: the main gripe my generation has with the older ones is that we are forced to go into more debt than ever before because of the debasement of the USD/inflation of asset prices, mainly motivated by your generation’s political decisions. (Not trying to quote Ray Dalio) Things have gotten genuinely more expensive as a result of poor economic policy and kicking the can down the road in terms of pretty much every economic decision made in the last 50 yrs; my generation gets to deal with the can.

One last thing on politics: my generation is becoming very nationalist. We’re tired of being the worlds plow horse, and seeing our tax money be shipped overseas when statistically, the majority of us will be worse off than our parents and will not own a home. I’m not saying nationalism is necessarily positive but that’s where it’s looking like it’s heading.

. That to say, there’s still a lot of opportunity out there for us, and it’s on us to seize it! I’m an optimist on pretty much everything, but for these things a spade is a spade. I’m confident in my generation to make the world better for our kids and grandkids.

Also, thank you for writing this post the responses have been really interesting to read!

Undergraduate student, regional target university / LDN semi-target in W Europe. 24 years old.

1. General outlook: Could be (a lot) better. The Middle East is doing its thing, there is war in Europe, and we will likely head towards WW3 once China decides to take action in Taiwan. At the same time, global warming continues.
2. A happy life would be one where I am able to do what I want without financial or political constraints: travel the world, have a little family, and do a job I genuinely enjoy. For me personally, that would probably revolve around food/cooking.
3. I am not in a horrible position. I still have time to collect more experience, but IB / M&A is a tight space here at the moment. The economic outlook is bad; recruiters see me as a privileged white guy, but I am a working-class kid and therefore don’t have connections to help me either. However, I should be able to land a job even if the situation here worsens and the job market tightens more. Maybe not a fancy one, but Big4 M&A or whatever. If it gets better, EB/BB should be realistic entry options.
4. Socially… I don’t know. I think many people my age are a bit too obsessed with social media and the likes. I am a bit special in that I don’t like most of it and genuinely don’t care. Many people have many friends on these apps, but I genuinely think it’s harder than ever to make friends you can count on when it matters. Romantically, I seem to be doing fine. I haven’t found the love of my life yet, but I go on dates regularly. I don’t have stress here; maybe in my early to mid-thirties I want to have children.
5. In my region, the main issue is political influence. Demographics make it so that they are the center of everything. They block every single change that doesn’t directly benefit them, and life for young people gets harder each year—from the job market to housing to having children.
6. I don’t use social media much, mainly for informational or educational purposes. I want to vomit when I see people gloating on LinkedIn or only posting manufactured Instagram pictures to make their life seem like something it isn’t.
7. It’s more important than ever. War today is way more dangerous for civilization than it was back then. Climate change is an existential threat. Demographic problems are highly important, as they can lead to societal collapse.
8. Regarding social media—often Reddit is where people tend to post summaries of paywalled articles most of the time. Apart from that, it’s a mix of different news sources: CNBC, Reuters, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and local news.
9. Usually, I watch sports with some friends. I am a big fan and practitioner of martial arts. Additionally, I also enjoy cooking when I have the time, either with friends together, like BBQs in the summer, or simply for cooking dates. I also really like eating good food in general, not necessarily cooked by myself. So eating is more of an actual experience for me than just a necessity to live.
10. I think it’s a bit hard to say something here.

I'm reading a lot of responses that mention affordability being an issue because of myriad factors. how do you all grapple with this? I'm being deliberately open ended and obtuse to not insert my opinion...

@seekinthealpha1 @Greenspan's Panties @ojapar20 @Colonoscopy3 @anonf0fty @datboi1234 

thank you all, this has been eye opening

1. Worse and worse.
2. Where I live in a major metropolitan city (London, NYC etc) without roommates, in a decent area
3. I'm still in college. It's demoralising but I know there is a perfect role for me and I know I will succeed because I have to succeed.
4. My social life is on the decline because I keep cancelling plans to sleep or to prep. I also play a competitive sport, which takes up most of my mornings and afternoons. My romantic prospects are little to none. I've never had a girlfriend. It makes me a little bit angry sometimes when I scroll on my social media feeds and see people I know who are awful people have partners.
5. Telling you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps. A house was nothing in my parents' youth. I also don't like the career services at my college - they tell you to call up the company. I'd likely get blacklisted
6. To catch up with friends from high school - everyone has changed numbers and moved. I only post when I succeed - winning a competition or for my friends' birthdays. I try to use it less and less because I can feel my brain rotting from the inside.
7. It's terrible. It's just getting worse.
8. FT, NYT, sometimes a podcast
9. I DJ and play sports
10. I find it very hard to connect with people 30+, it seems like they lived in a different world and reaped the benefits of that. 

Can I opine as well?

Big city USA
Final year of college
Single

1. I am very excited about technological advancements in the future, but other than that I am bearish on our future. Feels very hopeless for a lot of people.
2. Closeness with God, family, friends. Having a happy wife and kids, and being financially free. Having great health also.
3. I have an offer post grad , im fine here I guess
4. Eh, I get girls but I find a lot of them very annoying. Social wise I have lots of friends, not an issue.
5. Other than political stuff like support of Israel, not much honestly. I guess I am upset about how the deck is stacked against younger people though.
6. I just use Instagram to scroll on reels, use Twitter for financial info, that’s about it
7. It’s much more important now than it was prior.
8. Twitter, general internet, AI, friends , group chats
9. Exercise, go outside , sports, Netflix
10. The smart people of my generation are doing fine, the dumb are not. Not much has changed in this regard.

SE USA, 20, dating
Currently sitting in a Starbucks for a few hours waiting for my car to be serviced, so I thought I'd leave my ramblings.

1. what is your general outlook on the world?

   I worry for the world my children will grow up in. I can't predict the future, but the current K-shaped economy narrative gives me the feeling that we are trending towards split classes. There will, at the current pace, be a more clear and amplified divide between the haves and have-nots. That is a scary future in my opinion as it is likely to have far less stability and compassion frankly than modern or historical eras. That being said, I know which side that I would rather see my kids end up on, so I work as hard as I can to set them up for success.

   Another thing I would like to bring up is that people are far too attached to screens. Not to sound like a boomer, but it saddens me to look around a restaurant for instance and see families sitting together, but not interacting. We're losing the importance of physical social interaction which as other students here will know, is extremely apparent when watching student presentations in class. I fall victim to this myself as I find that I can communicate much better in written format when I have time to think out a response instead of say the first thing that jumps to mind. I talk a little about it in Q6, but I am actively trying to get out of my comfort zone here, and I unfortunately bring a lot of other people along with me. I try to start social interactions with everyone when in otherwise awkward situations like being in an elevator, waiting on a coffee order at the same counter, or being in an Uber. One major reason for the relative recent rise in popularity of more extreme political ideologies, in my opinion, has got to be that people are not talking to each other anymore. Social media companies are extremely efficient at selecting exactly the content we react to, and this becomes a positive feedback loop, which ultimately leads to political/racial/social extremism. If we actually talked to each other and made an effort to understand that everyone has their own life, I think we would find that we all have a lot more in common than we have different.

2. what is your definition of a happy life?

   Being surrounded by people I love and doing the things I love. 

   I had the pleasure of spending a day in southern France last year during a study abroad trip with family friends of my aunt. In the morning, everyone gathered to the back porch to have coffee and chat and get to know each other before going to the (very busy) market to buy fresh meats, vegetables, seafoods, street food, and whatnot before getting back and spending the next several hours around the same table, enjoying cocktails, food, and company. Nobody had to worry about checking Outlook or taking a dozen calls for some "this is priority" silliness. We all got to enjoy each other's company and have a non-stressful day of enjoyment. 

   This past Easter, me, my girlfriend, and four of our friends woke up and went to church, made a large feast of ham, mac and cheese, and the works, and had an easter egg hunt. Again, just a very memorable and enjoyable day that I think about quite often.

   I kept trying to think into the future for this question and what I thought would bring me a happy life, but I kept remembering happier days in my life that have already happened. I don't know what I've been doing right, but I've been blessed so far in life. As long as these good memories keep coming, I think I have a happy life.

3. how do you see your financial/career prospects?

   I have the blessing of having the majority of my family in the South, near me, so I don't have much reason to really chase New York/SF. Surprisingly, career opportunities are far better outside of T1 cities than this website would lead you to believe. Not to count my eggs before they hatch, but my SA stint next summer has strong pay and fairly generous return offer rates, so I think that the next few years of my life will be stable financially. 

   Further than the next couple years is so difficult to predict and thus plan for that I try not to spend too much time thinking about it. There's no telling what could happen to the industry with how much technological disruption is present today. It would be amazing to work up to MD or make the switch to corporate and land a fat C-Suite role, but I think these things come differently for everyone, so planning for it is a fool's errand. Maybe it would be nice to have a big boat in the Mediterranean.

4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?

   I have been dating the same girl for 7 years, and she is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I see a lot of people my age really pushing the "date around" thing, but I don't think that really applies to me. I am never afraid to tell her that my favorite thing about her is that she is a do-er who doesn't let even the smallest detail slip through the cracks. I tend to be very go with the flow and she is the antithesis of that. In that way, opposites attract and I think we complement each other very well in that way.

   I know how fortunate I am in this department, and I wish all of you the luck I've had.

5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?

   I had to think about this one for a while, but I think the general answer is stubbornness. Generally, when I am having a conversation with someone much older (45-50+), I find them generally unwilling to give my ideas merit. I think that my generation is more willing to admit when they are wrong (in person, not necessarily online), especially when confronted with concrete statistics in the opposite direction of their initial stance. 

   I don't feel a strong answer for this one as I don't think that entire generations are terribly easy to generalize and I would personally be frustrated if someone from an older generation wrongly grouped me in with others in my generation.

6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?

   So for the longest time, I was 100% lurker on every social media platform. I wouldn't even like/dislike a post, let alone comment or make my own post. I've felt an urge to change that lately mainly by my experience browsing WSO. There is an overwhelming difference between older threads (5+ years old) I read and the typical front page stuff of today. Not to talk down to anyone on this page, but I feel like 80% of posts nowadays are low-thought low-effort rants about DEI or UBS, questions which have already been answered (I've seen the quit with nothing lined up thread so many times I can't see straight), or AI slop.
   
   I see lots of AI slop on other media platforms as well, and I think that sets the tone for a horrible future for the internet. Forum based websites like WSO and StackOverflow are facing a major downturn because everyone just uses Chat to answer any question they have, missing the human element of these forums. I am making a conscious effort to use AI less because I can genuinely feel it decreasing my ability to think independently sometimes (Same goes for short-form "brainrot" content). Therefore, I have decided to contribute more to the forums I stalk regularly, WSO being one of them. 

7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?

   I think now more than ever, politics is more entertainment than policy. We've seen this since really explode since 2016 which is when I feel the turning point was. Debates turned from cordial events to discuss policy to essentially shouting matches at who can create the greatest insults. 

   Like another commenter said, neither the Democratic or Republican party care about me. Almost every policy enacted or introduced is more of a band-aid to any given problem than a long-term well thought out solution. The most top of mind example is the 50-year mortgage. Sure there are instances where a 50-year mortgage could theoretically be a valid financial option like if you're planning to rent the same unit for 15 years, but you still lose all of the advantages to renting.

8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media

   WSJ, X, Reddit, Bloomberg sometimes, Youtube, Tiktok and ESPN for sports you get the idea

9. what do you do for entertainment?

   Play video games, most recently EU5 and factorio. Work on computer projects, trying to get better using Linux (Only use Windows whenever I have to use Excel) and working on my home server. I'm currently catching up on classic "Greatest of All Time" movies that I've never seen: Next up are Shawshank Redemption and Oh Brother Where Art Thou? Recently watched Goodfellas and The Dark Night. 

   On the weekends, you will find me glued to the TV watching every minute of my college's football game. Sometimes you will find me watching other college football games. I hear the bread and circuses crowd moaning, but life today is so full of meaningless, anxiety filled headlines that it is nice to be fully into something light hearted that I can devote my full attention to for a couple hours per week. I never watched football until I got to college, but learning how all of the positions interact and the intricacies behind the play designs makes it a fascinating thing to watch.

young-to-mid-20s, big city, USA, married (no kids), buy-side equities

what is your general outlook on the world?

• I would say neutral to negative. Don't really have a high-level framework for how I view the world outside of a Biblical one. Feels like we're on a running wheel that's moving faster and faster until eventually we'll all fall off.

what is your definition of a happy life?

• Used to be making a ton of money to provide for my wife. Then as I started making money, I realized that the things I worried about with money and without money were the same, therefore, why stress about making a ton of money? This is of course within a band of poverty/lower class and old money rich. I understand that I'll likely never make it into the top band and (hopefully) will never fall into the bottom band. So, what's a happy life? Living virtuously/ethically, caring for those I love, being in the moment, doing hard things, and for me, most importantly, following Christ. I focused less on being happy and more about what makes a good life. What happened? I became happier.

how do you see your financial/career prospects?

• Financial/career prospects are fine. Like others have said, the golden age has sailed and I understand that. At this point, it's about having a job that stimulates/challenges me and pays enough to support my wife/future family. Become good enough at something, and people will pay up for your service.

how do you see your social/romantic prospects?

• Social prosects are grim. I've had a hard time finding a community as (it seems) most my age are into sports and drinking, both of which don't appeal to me. While my faith is strong and important to me, I haven't found a good community there either. Everyone seems so closed off and sucked into their phone that making friends/community is tough, especially in a big city.

what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?

• Don't have a good answer here. I guess being so devoted to their jobs. It's sad. They grind for years and years to get the promotion and the raise, sacrifice time with family, relationships, health, and wellbeing. All for what? To get some extra money to spend an extra week in Hawaii every year? No thanks. I'll take a more balanced approach to my life.

how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?

• I've been off all the mainstream social media platforms for years now. Haven't regretted it one bit. I quickly understood the algos are stronger than my will so decided to go cold turkey. If I want to catch up with my distant friends, I'll call or write them a letter.

relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?

• For me, I would say more important (someone has to try and turn this ship around). Not for a political party but for human decency. For my peers, it seems most are indifferent.

how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media

• Bloomberg, Allsides (unbiased news publication), Substack. I stay off/don't have any social media outside of that.

what do you do for entertainment?

• Big believer in Cal Newport's high quality leisure activities. My physical pursuit is just weightlifting and sprints (trying not to listen to music while doing so). Intellectual pursuit comes from reading Christian apologetics, philosophy, fiction classics. Creative pursuit is writing, by hand. Social/Community is largely spending time with my wife. Would love to get into other hobbies but they aren't feasible in a city.

open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation

• Reading this back has made me realize that it doesn't seem like I work hard. I do work hard, put in extra hours, make sacrifices, do hard things. But it's important to realize that the golden age to prosperity is likely over in this country. Got to take a more balanced approach to life.

Keep in mind I don't have a great world view. Optimism aside, I've tilted towards nihilism more than anything. 

1. what is your general outlook on the world? I have a jaded/nihlistic view of the world. I find that very few people can afford their desired/comfortable life. I've personally seen my generation step away from the rat race at the fastest pace yet; it appers the glamour of the prof. services industry (consulting, IB, PE, etc.) has withered due to climbing costs of living and stagnant salaries that give rise to adjusted depreciation of dollars earned to dollars spent.  
2. what is your definition of a happy life? Freedom and independence measured in time in pursuit of long-term happiness (as compared to short-term pleasures). Having a life of fancy dinners and travel is a really easy way to escape the realities of adulthood and not actually build something to be proud of. Building in this context is just anything you derive joy from, a hobby is a combination of joy and discipline. 
3. how do you see your financial/career prospects? Since H1-Bs are shot and TNs are in questions and I happen to live in the third world country formally known as Canada, I'd say I have a better shot at becoming a nurse than pursuing any of my desired careers in finance or consulting.
4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects? I've noticed that we have a mindset of abundance in our early and mid 20s where men and women (though I've noticed more with women), will be highly selective due to the fact that they can be. Both parties typically date out of convenience or ease and many are quick to pull away when their ease fades away. Obviously, there are exceptions to the norm, but this has definitely been the case within my network of conversations. I think it's become increasingly harder to prove authenticity because for men, any location to approach has become suspect so if it's not out of school, mutual friends or shared community/interests, it's immediately seen with inherent apprehension.
5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why? Older generations are advising we optimize for life. They're advising we specialize early and find a romantic partner early desptie many not doing any of that. I've always defined enjoyment as having the freedom of choice and failure and the independence to not be influenced by archaic traditions. But no matter the circle, there has been this mindset the older generation has been looking to pass that this exploration era of the 20s is misguided.
6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that? I've certainly had trouble curbing this from time to time, but I think use of social media is a byproduct of the rest of my mental and physical health. Days when I'm drowsy, low on energy, eating like sh*t and not taking care of myself are days where my mind seeks an escape. That escape ends up being social media, but if not social media, it'd be a TV show, if not a TV Show, a youtube video, or a book. Accessibility to distractions will always exist. I think on the navigation side, the first is improving myslef physically and mentally with small things (sleep, food, water, exercise) and then just mindset shift of pivoting towards the mountain (reference to "The Mountain is The Way").
7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important? I'd say since COVID ended the bullish run the markets had seen post 2008, everyone is looking to their politcians to do literally anything that tanks the economy a little less than the economic turmoil we endured. Unfortunately, that politician ended up being a racist dumb-f*ck named Trump who's single-handedly forced a recession on North America.  But it's not like the Canadian politicians have done literally anything in 15 years.
8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media Morning Brew, Big Banks/WM/AM News Letters, Reuters, WSJ, Financial Times, and late night comedy shows such as Last Week Tonight, Daily Show, Late Show with Stephen Colbert for social commentary and satirical views. I'll be honest: I never keep up with social trends so I usually hear about these after they've occurred. I literally had no idea about the whole "67" thing until AFTER Stephen Colbert aired the episode. There was that one post by Isiah that confused the hell out of me.   
9. what do you do for entertainment? Primarily, watch TV shows, being in the suburbs with friends in high-stress positions leads to social isolation which I'm sure many have felt in their own way. I think a lack of a physical area of congregation and greater apprehension to striking up conversations has led to a decline in social skills. People seem almost shocked when you take interest in random observations such as the floor they're going to on the elevator or the restaurant in the food court.  I try to meet up with friends on a quarterly basis when our schedules align, sometimes bi-monthly.
10. open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation. If I could sum up my generation, it would be the Isolation Era - where we've seen nothing but greater separation on all fronts. Polticial division sewn for momentum, identity politics, or to force feed narratives; digital division by these echo-chamberesque platforms that re-affirm our own views and polarize us from other communities; and then just geographic separation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and change in social dynamics that came of it. I've found it incredibly difficult to meet new people in my age range without committing to some pay-to-attend hobby on a recurring basis. 

Location: big city USA

Stage: Current senior at an ivy, law school soon 

Status: dating

1. what is your general outlook on the world?

   Very bad. The world is going to shit unfortunately, and it's sort of weird how I experience it. On one hand, all of the smartest people I know are convinced there's something of a "monocrisis" coming that is going to destroy the economy and a lot of what we take for granted. Other people have touched on this so I'll try to add a new perspective: This isn't just young people. I've had federal judges and tenured legal scholars tell me in hushed tones that they think the rule of law in this country is beyond repair and we are headed straight for a dictatorship. I have very strong connections to a premier public defense office in the country filled with very serious people, and it's... bad. These guys aren't prone to exaggeration either, which is... concerning. On the other hand I'm still in college and having fun which is enough of a distraction.

   I will say it is getting harder to compartmentalize these two things. I'm sure others know what I mean.

2. what is your definition of a happy life?

   I want to feel like I am successful. This comes in a few ways: One, making my parents proud. Two: making enough money to provide an upper class lifestyle for my family and a nice house, and yes, as cynical as it is, outperforming my peers on this dimension. Three: I want to feel like I am part of a broader society.

3. how do you see your financial/career prospects?

   I have no idea. I think the next two to three years are going to be pivotal in determining the future of work, both for political and technological reasons (AI). Because I have no idea I've essentially committed myself to the path of maximum flexibility at a prestigious law school. I'm just trying to hedge: on the one hand, setting myself up nicely for the career I've had planned for years in law, while also hoping that this pedigree will be enough to talk my way into an entry level role if the new paradigm of work is something unrecognizable. I've also secured a nice consulting offer as another hedge and am currently interviewing with startups. Again - just trying to maximize flexibility at this stage.

4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?

   Very good! Maybe I'm still in college and so I have a biased perspective, but even when I was dating in the city during summer internships I never felt like I had a problem.

5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?

   Older generations don't really understand how competitive every process has now. My grandfather - a poor immigrant by the way - once recalled a story to me of how he called the dean of Yale law school to ask why he wasn't admitted. The dean responded he needed a higher LSAT score, so my grandfather got the higher LSAT, was admitted, and then decided to go somewhere else instead. This is obviously an extreme example, but it does feel like older generations are operating off of a fundamentally broken mental model when it comes to anything application related (jobs, schools, or otherwise).

6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?

   Twitter and instagram are enormous time sinks that I know I have to remove from my life. I'm still working on how.

7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?

   I don't think it's a matter of importance, but a fundamental difference in how politics is viewed by young people. Older generations definitely have their idea of a "shared commons" and society, to me this is totally absent from my generation because it's done nothing for them. No one my age has any investment in a broader societal project, nor do they understand collective obligation.

8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media

   Informational: WSJ app and NYT. Twitter

9. what do you do for entertainment?

   Solo: Instagram, Twitter. I don't watch much beyond this. Trying to read more fiction.

   With People: Drinking and house parties still unmatched.

10. open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation

    I think a driving force beyond a lot of zoomed behavior, even if not all of us have the words to express it, is the feeling I talked about in my first answer. It seems like everyone around us knows that something big is about to break and are trying to loot as much as they can before then.

1. what is your general outlook on the world?

its a really weird time right now I think the us and europe is heading in an awful direction

1. what is your definition of a happy life?

freedom good family and friends pretty simple 

1. how do you see your financial/career prospects?

happy where I ended up feeling good to transfer jobs next yr, but me and my friend spent some time and money building a software in the construction space, really happy where its at its like 98% completed, starting beta testing with a couple customers next week really excited for it, if it takes off I am 100% taking the jump to do that full time, if I hit like 6-7k mrr i am def quitting 

1. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?

I have amazing friends and a great girlfriend, I am only 22 but it is really insane how hard it is to just have a decent partner, I feel like people date way less now its incredibly sad. I really can see a lot of kids in my generation not having kids, its ridiculous how expensive is the birth rate is going to fall off a fkn cliff the middle class can really only afford 1 or 2 kids to raise now. I think where a lot of families can save money though is college education, more people really need to consider community college and then transfer into their state school. With that path you come out with no debt if you just work in the summer. I have friends families who are not even that well off that spent close to 1 mil in education. Like my friend spent 400k on education still does not have a job, that kid wouldve been 1000x better off if they just gave him the 400k.  

1. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?

I think the view of older generations has become insane, the majority of them fucking hate young people think they were 1000x smarter and harder working when they were our age, and overall it just does not seem like they want whats best for the world they want whats best for them. The previous generations of old people genuinely wanted a better world for their kids they wanted to support the futures generation and build a country for the future generation. For example old people have put most younger kids into the basket of spoiled brats. Additionally what I noticed is my friends families that are well off, a lot of them not majority of them are donating all their money to charity when they die leaving the kids with nothing. 

1. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?

deleted it never felt better

1. elative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?

more, I feel like our generation has no understanding of what actually matters the fact that a decent amount of people actually voted for kamala is wild

1. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media

mainly newsources like bloomberg deleted instagram and tiktok never felt better  

1. what do you do for entertainment?

very active play soccer and bball a lot lift, drink, read 

1. open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation

Brofessa!! I'm unc now as a couple months ago (26) but I'd love to chime in. Lurked these forums in college and you always had a ton of valuable life & career advice that molded my life for the best especially coming out of COVID.

26 y/o mixed fella living in the best part of the country (socal). 3 years into my first job in AM and love it, but currently pushing myself for more. Single and not dating.

1. what is your general outlook on the world?
   1. I have a glass half full outlook in general; I see good people with positive attitudes because that's how I keep my circle/energy. I find alot of people who have a bleak and dark view of every aspect of the world need to touch grass more. I am being a bit of dickhead here but alot of the people ive met who are very dark about the world are somewhat losers (social rejects, no hobbies, dont talk to women or socialize with guys, not working towards anything, overall low vitality people)
2. what is your definition of a happy life?
   1. pushing yourself out of your comfort zone, valuing deep friendships (not just acquaintances & drinking buddies), and going after what you want. I noticed the more productive I am towards my goals the more confident and energetic I am; this trickles into other aspects of my life suh as my hobbies, social life, etc. Go getter energy = happy life
3. how do you see your financial/career prospects?
   1. I've accepted that I will never achieve true financial freedom from a corporate job. My current job is extremely cushy and that's reflected in pay. I'm fortunate enough to afford in a VHCOL area but I want more disposable income to buy more toys without having to plan for it (truck, surfboards, getting into scuba, picking up the tab for my close friends, upscaling my apartment, taking girls on more fun dates, etc)
   2. I interview around a lot, and the job market seems alot tougher in terms of finding an opportunity to swing up.
4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?
   1. Personally I'm in a ton of great social groups with alot of women, but nothing has clicked yet for me. I don't really like dating apps as the dates feel super forced and transactional. Focusing on being more intentional when i'm around a cool girl in our friend/friend of a friend's group. I was alot shyer growing up but have grown out of my shell recently and find myself hitting/approaching girls more often outside of a bar/club with less nerves, so im getting there. I have a couple of friends in great relationships so I'm optimistic
   2. Overall, i am not attracting the girls i want at the moment so I'm focusing on other things but shooting my shot where i can. There is some truth to accepting who you are already, but i know i can do better.
5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?
   1. Very hard to relate to us them in terms of navigating life (career, dating, coming of age, etc). Parents and older gen expect me to be married and buying a house soon, they are extremely out of touch and are not in touch with the times. Personally, I don't seek advice anymore from older generations unless they are someone i want to emulate and become + have been in my shoes.
6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?
   1. For fun really, easy way to stay in touch with friends when life is busy -- sending a funny ig reel goes a long way. I was always nonchalant about social media (1-2 posts a year, look at me i do cool shit and feel handsome), but im starting to see how important it is for dating. Example, you go to a party/gathering -> you exchange instagrams -> this is your resume giving insight into your 'niche' and who you are (burnt out frat party bro? nature/adventure guy? gym bro? family/religious man?)
7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?
   1. don't care for politics honestly. i tell my friends if you have a gun to your head and have to call one friend to answer a question about our political situation/state to be freed, i am the last person to call
8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media
   1. chatgpt, reddit, linkedin, instagram (for sports & leisure stuff)
9. what do you do for entertainment?
   1. working on my side biz and studying for my certification for work; sounds nerdy but its given me alot of raw energy and drive when im working towards something, i get that feel good rush. My friends are always inviting me to watch football and drink beer all sunday but i dont find this fun anymore, i did the whole party thing excessively the last 2-3 years (enjoyed every bit of it) but have moved on
   2. in terms of hobbies tho -- swimming/surfing, tv shows, playing pool with some friends, going out occasionally. Love going on a good date too when the opportunity presents its self
10. open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation
    1. I'd love to hear what you see lacking in younger generations and their biggest handicap compared to their older peers.

Context: 18-year-old Actuarial (finance major) first year at target equiv. (UNSW- 2nd ranked in the nation), based in Sydney Australia (large city). I grew up in low socio-economic areas and was an immigrant. Still figuring out what specific finance sector I'll be gunning for.
Relationship status: Dating (long term)
My perception of the world won't match my peers but I'll provide a note that estimates the general consensus in square brackets [].

1. what is your general outlook on the world?
   1. From my exposure to media and forums on how the financial inequality is increasing and technology is rapidly evolving, I think the general job opportunities in 5-10 years will be little to none from replacements of grunt work and whatnot by technology. Despite that, I find this really exciting as I love tight competition and I'm all for navigating uncertainties and tough environments. 
      [My peers usually focus on the cost of living situations and how it'll suck in the long run of things. Same theme of negative outlook]
2. what is your definition of a happy life?
   1. I wouldn't really focus on a happy life but I'll be satisfied when I begin to have real impact on the economies of the world in a positive manner as well as the ability to appreciate those around me whether through time or material goods. All in all, my current partner is big on travel so I'll have to tough it out to eventually get holiday homes or what not. 
      [Will vary]
3. how do you see your financial/career prospects?
   1. Being in the academy, I have the opportunities to explore unlimited resources whether it be courses or networking with peers, so I'm confident that I'll have at least stable professional growth prospects after graduation. I am however oddly obsessed with finance and choose to live and breathe it within my spare time so I must agree that I will have more time spent on preparation than my peers.
      [From what I'm hearing everyone is done for and competition is tight after graduation.]
4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?
   1. After a few stints and now going strong with my current one, I believe I'm essentially set for life romantically. Socially however, I do see that it's quite hard to be surrounded by like minded peers even in mid-high tier university societies. Understandably at my age everyone has their eyes set on partying (which I've done that earlier in high school bit I digress) so my social prospects are going to be fine professionally but personally I'll be sticking with high school mates.
      [From observation I have been surrounded by a group of people who 8/12 are in a relationship with some stemming all the way back to high school -so range may vary. If I'd have to guess, there is an influx in short term relationships but some will think they're doomed or struggling with meaningful connections (long term).]
5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?
   1. I can only speak for myself here as I don't here peers complain on that due to lack of exposure professionally. If I had to pick, I'd definitely say that hesitance to meaningful change, office politics (obsessive amounts is annoying), or anything that strays away from meritocracy. I have strong positive experiences with seniors I've worked for professionally including senior partners and VPs but I'd definitely say if there are residual traditional notions of any behavior that doesn't build up the firm or bank than it sort of forces my generation to hustle more unnecessarily.
6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?
   1. I only use social media for communication and notification. For example, messenger for important messages, and Instagram for up to date opportunities within my university. I had to ban myself from linkedIn because I'd be scrolling on that infinitely. I use app blockers and have found great success with screentime of 1 hour on average daily. 
      [A lot of my executive club directors have destructive social media addictions. A lot of brain rot in my peers and I can only guess that it's a strong problem. I remember a tedxtalk saying 96% of free time for the average American teen, once extrapolated, will be spent on phones.]
7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?
   1. Of course there's still residual politics left within the senior levels which is unavoidable but now we have systems to reduce that so we are observing decreases in its impact as the years go by. However, I do believe it is really important in building strong relationships (if considered politics) as it is the separator from strong and weak candidates. With saying that, it is very much more important for recruitment and promotions but besides from that it's definitely something to consider for younger generations like myself.  [I can only comment on myself but I'm sure my peers would agree]
8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media
   1. I don't trust a lot of sources as I realise that even some published papers are questionable due to bias and falsified sources. I however keep up to date on bloomberg and linkedin (desktop). I do also trust people with more experiences than me so word of mouth does have strong influence on me as well.   [From what I'm gathering everyone is sponging up all information regardless of platform with social media such as Instagram have strong prevalence. Subject to my cognitive bias due to limited range]
9. what do you do for entertainment?
   1. I like to spend time researching through the WSO archives and courses to see what to learn. I rarely indulge in Bloomberg media videos. I definitely enjoy watching Youtube videos on Jim donovan explaining IB topics or the 2 minutes between meeting series by black stone. I like to explore, whether it be learning poker and competing in tournaments or trying out case competitions. Otherwise, I'm watching financial crime documentaries (or any film with my partner) and exercising via lifting weights or cardio. [From observation, a lot of wasted consumption on social media but for higher performers, I can see them using their spare time as opportunities to create. such as coding projects or partying]
10. Open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation.
    1. I feel like there's definitely going to be more perception of stress and worries within my generation and it might be displayed oddly; will be negated with higher performers that are well prepared. Apparently, Gen Z has a specific behaviour and I see in my partner every now and then (harsh humour with deadpan unfriendly looks that aren't ill intentioned). From experience, the gap between guys who build particle accelerators in their free time and strong emotional intelligence is increasing at an alarming rate; which I find interesting. The theme here is that top candidates (or those wise enough to focus in interviews) usually don't display the general consensus I write here and it generally describes what is common nowadays.
       
       Again, all my perceptions are subject to bias and it's only my opinion. Hope that helps, and best of wishes to whoever reads this.

25 in a T2 City in the Southeast, switching Careers from Back Office at MM to CRE Brokerage (taking a chance on myself while I’m still young), about to be married in March.

1. A lot of things going on in my life are out of my control, so try and focus on what is.
2. Being able to raise a happy healthy family along with general career success (now with my move to brokerage, I’m not aspiring for any title rather getting to the point where my BoB is substantial and I’ve saved/invested enough to where I don’t need to be worried about a 2008 type drought).
3. After proposing to my fiancée in 2024, I figured the chances of getting /staying in an IB role typical of everyone here was never going to happen, as I personally couldn’t stomach the idea of being away from her for that long every day. Excited about my career pivot as I’ve known the team socially for awhile and if it works I’ll be much better off financially for it.

4. See my (soon to be) wife every day. Glad to report back I’m very excited about my “prospect”.

   5. (Not sure why the spacing is fucked) the overall claim of how hard they had it as the average house price to income ratio has increased up to 6-7x. It seems that the hardships are seen to their respective generation are seen to them as the worst hardships of all time, with nothing else being comparable.

   6. I keep my Instagram so that I can post pictures of my fiancée when she asks, but outside of that I only use social media for sports/ funny content consumption.

   7. Likely the same, with social media it can be projected to be more or less than a loud minority 

   8. Newsletters recommended to me (1440, ground, etc).

   9. Love to go Golf, play some hoops at my local gym, and spend time with friends and or my fiancée 

   10. What is posted on social media and perceived as “culture” is really applicable to a small vocal minority (outside of the Rizzler, that guy rocks).

Bio: medium city USA, in corporate finance (FLDP) looking to switch to buyside LO, single w/ no kids

1. what is your general outlook on the world?
   1. I'm generally pretty optimistic. There are obviously a lot of bad things happening in the world, and things just won't be the same as they were given the pace of change over the last 5-10 years, but it's easy to fall prey to negativity bias and forget the opportunities that are opening up at the same time as some of the old opportunities close.
2. what is your definition of a happy life?
   1. My faith informs my philosophy in life, so I believe that you can only be truly happy through loving others - and not in a cheesy way either, but in a meaningful, self-sacrificial way.
3. how do you see your financial/career prospects?
   1. Pretty good overall, I'm not so much in the "High Finance" bucket but I can make plenty of money to support myself and a family, and that's what matters to me. Money is just money - you need some to get by, and it can take away some of your problems, but it won't make you genuinely happy. Like I said, hoping to switch to buyside LO because the work aligns with my interests a lot more, but I don't define my happiness by my career. That being said, I think you definitely should try to work in a field you like, given that so much of your life is spent working, it should be something meaningful and interesting to you. You'll be a lot more successful that way too.
4. how do you see your social/romantic prospects?
   1. Social: great, I have a solid core of close friends, I'm close with my family, and I have plenty of friendly acquaintances. No complaints here.
   2. Romantic: less good, still single but i'm hoping to get married and have a family when I find the right woman. Not in a huge rush since I'm still young, but I feel like sooner is better than later, so it can be frustrating at times.
5. what sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? why?
   1. Unpopular take, but I actually don't like Millennials' (and Gen Z for that matter though I'm Gen Z too) incessant whaling on Boomers on social media for causing the problems in our world. I think it can be easy to pin your problems on other people without understanding the numerous causes that can go into a given outcome (most economic phenomena are a result of innumerable variables acting together, and most people have a reductive view of the world).
6. how do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?
   1. I don't really use social media unless you count LinkedIn and WSO. Used to use IG, but decided it just wasn't healthy, and my time would be better spent elsewhere
7. relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?
   1. I don't really have any particular view on this. It's easy to say more, but actually I think most of what's wrong with the USA is that we overfocus on politics, choosing a camp and "fighting the other side" rather than trying to learn more and become wiser and better people. Once enough people do the latter, you've already fixed many of the political problems. I like and agree with "Fast and Fidicuary"s opinion on this question.
8. how do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media
   1. The Economist, NYT, The Daily Peel, Wall Street Breakfast, LinkedIn, and just plain old Google searches (and using ChatGPT as a sort of advanced google search to find info sources). Finance/economics podcasts. And most importantly, lots and lots of books
9. what do you do for entertainment?
   1. Strategy games (both board games and computer games, especially with friends). Books, youtube, martial arts, hiking, history, stock research, chilling with friends, etc.
10. open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation
    1. a lot of my generation is genuinely pretty messed up - mental health problems, no sense of purpose in life, brainrot online all day, lazy, etc. A lot of these stereotypes are sadly pretty true. But as always, there's a bright side too. There are plenty of people who are rediscovering meaning in life, cleaning up their habits, and trying to achieve great things. And the tools that are out there for achieving things are genuinely pretty incredible, you just have to know where to look and how to use them and how not to use them (re: the internet - WSO is mostly a good example of the bright side of the internet).
    2. Mostly I think a lot of Gen Z just wants to be understood and appreciated, and this post is a great example of someone older trying to do exactly that. So thank you

Big city Canada, 19, Undergrad

1. What is your general outlook on the world?
Really negative; I always feel like everything I do is never enough, and I'm constantly stressed and burned out. A degree or just "networking" is not enough these days; they're the baseline. A degree is pretty expensive, yet there's no guarantee of a slightly more stable future. Imagine getting in debt for 40k in student loans, rigorously networking, participating in case competitions/ students' associations/ events, self-teaching yourself the skills school doesn't teach, all while handling coursework, maintaining a decent GPA, and that still doesn't guarantee that any of your hard work and efforts would be paid back.
Too many things are happening at once, and everything seems so volatile, especially when AI is in its boom, and everything changes rapidly in a matter of months, if not days; it's just a constant level of trying to keep up but still getting left behind.
Every time I talk to an upper year, and they talk about how they got their internships, it requires hundreds of cold emails, follow-ups, and knowledge of niche sites where they could find those companies, and now it's even more competitive because every website is now known, so there's 10 times the competition.
2. What is your definition of a happy life?
Reaching a state of internal fulfillment and contentment, maybe having a nice home that belongs to me with some pets & great friends.
3. How do you see your financial/career prospects?
I have no idea. It seems like I need another 24 hours a day to learn all the skills just for my resume to pass the screening. But also, it might just feel overwhelming for me because I've heard of the insane grind of upper-year students, while I don't have any tangible skillset yet (most of my courses in my 2nd year are still just general courses)
It also scares and stresses me out because I just moved to the country a few years ago, and I have to figure out every step without anyone telling me if I'm doing the right thing or just wasting my time and energy. My parents don't really have any connections here (they live in another province while I'm here for school), so I'm basically starting everything from scratch. (starting from a negative head start, if I count learning about Canadian culture and all)
4. How do you see your social/romantic prospects?
Not too great. I'm not actively seeking out a partner because all my time is allocated to working on my mental state, school, work, and learning new skills on the side. However, for the general scene, I find it pretty hard to meet new people as I'm pretty introverted, and there are barely any 3rd spaces where people could meet. Everyone seems so busy with their own thing, and it's also really expensive to go out, too, especially in Canada.
ps. it's not too great, as I've heard countless stories of both how guys and girls act. The amount of "she accused me of sexual assault," "I need to record consent," to the stories of how badly girls have been treated during their relationships (being cheated on, forced to have intimacy against their will under the name of dating, etc) makes it seem impossible to believe that there's still someone decent out there. Please don't get me started on how people would post on social media captioning "cousin/ brother/ sister" while in fact they're just hooking up because they don't want people to know they're hooking up.
5. What sorts of things do you see older generations do that you dislike? Why?
Undermining how competitive everything has become. 
I know first years who already did deep research and started working on their career pathway the moment they step foot into university. I genuinely didn't know what was going on or where to go, what to do in my freshman year (still have no idea what's going on now, but my path cleared up slightly)
6. How do you use social & digital media? knowing the effects this has on your life, how do you navigate that?
Maybe it's just me, but honestly, it's like a noise-cancelling outlet for me when too many things are overwhelming me at once. My phone is one of the few things I could use for entertainment, and I'm not into games, so that leaves just a few apps on my phone used for entertainment. I feel like the gaps in my time are just big enough to go on my phone instead of spending time on my physical hobbies (I like art/ painting, and it takes quite a while if I want to finish a piece of work). Sometimes, the only time when I have time to do something is late at night when I get home after school/ work, and I'm just too tired to do anything physical.
Social media is pretty bad, as whenever I have it on, I take twice as much time to do my normal tasks, but it's easily accessible even when I'm physically/ mentally tired, so that's just one of my outlets.
7. Relative to the older generations, do you feel politics is more, less, or similarly important?
I have no idea about what politics were like back then, and I'm not actively on the news, so I don't really have a say in this. Even so, I feel like the political state is pretty bad and is freaking me out, like, what do you mean trade war, physical wars/ genocide, and a lot of protests all over everywhere are casually happening every day? It's just really overwhelming and feels really scary 
8. How do you get most of your information? feel free to list all media
Bloomberg, Wealthsimple newsletter, and some other newsletters I signed up for years ago (I don't remember the names). I'm still new to all this finding news outlet thing
9. What do you do for entertainment?
I like going out for food or to try out new cafes/ restaurants I see on my feed. I'm learning how to play the guitar and want to get back to piano when I have the time (it feels like I don't), and learning how to play chess. From time to time, I'd do physical art, either painting with oil pastel or watercolour (can't afford high-quality acrylic paint and am not a sketching type of person).
10. Open to share anything you'd like to in order to have me better understand your generation
I feel like our generation splits into two main groups: the overworking grinders and the “party now, think later” people. The grinders push themselves so hard that even hearing their routines stresses me out, and the partiers genuinely don’t seem worried about tomorrow. A few of my friends are pretty chill, but honestly, I don’t understand how anyone can be relaxed in this job market and economy.

Currently a student (sophomore if that helps) in a large east cost city (not nyc) and am single

1. My outlook is positive. I know many of my peers from high school are in much more physical fields (mechanic, plumbing, etc) and so being in the position I'm in, particularly career wise, I'm feeling amazing. I am an AI optimist, and so that certainly plays a role. Only part of my outlook on life that isn't positive would be my dating life, I'm on the apps but am not very successful there. I don't have a roster or prospects at this point but I figure I have some time to figure it all out.
2. I'm benchmarking a happy life to if my life turns out better than my parents (short term, I'm thinking over the next 5ish years.) While I am studying a higher paying field than they did, they also both graduated without debt (thanks to cheaper college.)
3. I've been fortunate to see decent prospects career wise. I was able to land a role at a hedge fund after my freshman year thanks to a LinkedIn DM to their head of TMT (insanely lucky.) Sophomore/Junior recruiting isn't going as well, but its still relatively early in the process.
4. Could be better! Part of the issue I have is that I'm very good at not noticing things. I've missed many times where people have flirted with me, particularly in high school but that's continued to be the case in college as well.
5. I think theres a disconnect between what the older generation sees in the media/news and what the rest of the world is really like. This more applies to those over 50 though.
6. I use X to read buy side conversations from CIO's (nerd, I know.) Instagram to keep up with people, snapchat because people from high school still send me stuff there, and youtube as my primary source of entertainment. In terms of negative impacts of it, I don't spend much time on anything outside of X so I'm not too worried about it.
7. I think less. My grandparents are really political, I don't really care about it though. There's so little that politics at any level outside of the local level that impacts my day to day life. It seems to me like politics is used as a scapegoat for why things aren't going the way people want.
8. X, bloomberg, WSJ
9. Youtube and HBO are the 2 places I watch the most media, but I'm also an F1 fan
10. There is a large amount of resentment felt amongst my generation towards the baby boomers. From the perspective of many people I know, they benefited the most from the US hegemony, were able to build what they wanted, and then regulated so no one else can try to build for themselves. I think that resentment is both real and fake, there is certainly some (likely the majority) people who believe strongly that the Boomer's have hurt the US. There is also a minority of people that think this way simply because they've ruined their own lives and need to blame someone. 

If you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer!