this post was submitted on 13 May 2026
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A Boring Dystopia
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American culture is stuck in adolescence because culture has shifted towards the complete annihilation of any and all significant rites of passage into adulthood.
A child is someone that needs to be told what they can and can't do.
An adolescent is someone who tests the limits of what they can and can't do.
An adult is someone who enforces socially responsible limits of what they themselves and others can and can't do.
Never telling people "these are now your responsibilities towards others and we all expect you to take them seriously" in an in-equivocal ceremonial way is how you destroy a society.
I don't think you can say that no rites of passage means not becoming an adult. Rituals smooth or explain transitions, they're not a requirement for the transition to happen.
And besides their are plenty of rites of passage into adulthood in the US - first car is huge, moving out of home, first job, etc.
Telling people they don't have no responsibilities to others is the thing
There's nuance and nothing is absolute, sure.
I don't think they reached adolescents. They are still just wasting time escaping like when mum hands em the iPad so she can do the dishes.
Nothing wrong with escaping here and there if responsibilities are fulfilled.
The problem is when escapism becomes the purpose of living.
The great lie of western culture is that we are first and foremost, individuals and we should strive for maximum freedom i.e. our purpose is to be free. Let's take a look at the people in the world that can afford maximum freedom and have no practical accountability and see how/what they're doing.... yeah...
Purpose is important. If purpose strays too far away from "the best for others", bad things start happening really fast.
Nah read a real book watch a real movie. Sure like play your cod but follow it up with some disco Elysium cruelty squad specopstheline something read your ya fiction but then read some fucking literature have a meiville or a leguinn or something if you only ever escape you never engage or grow
Barely.