the rise of suicide in middle aged white America: retirement no longer bonus, but time of struggle

[Lorien]

20. Notice how television dramas and comedies rarely show people

in "average" American homes and apartments? The characters almost always live in upper middle class homes at the very least.

I saw a clip from "Roseanne" not long ago. I was struck by the fact that we thought of them as a blue collar, working class family at the time. But honestly, a home like theirs would go for 400k in my neighborhood. Blue collar families around here live in small cramped apartments, ramshackle little rental houses (1,200 or smaller) or trailers. That was only the 1980s. In the 1970s my grandfather worked a lower middle class job and put four kids through college, retired at 55 with his home paid off, took a trip around the world with his wife and never had to worry about not being able to pay his basic bills. That's unheard of these days! We're more productive than ever before, but all of the gains go to the 0.01%. Young people know this, and I think some of them wonder if it's even worth it to try anymore. Even my top students can't find regular work after graduation. The bounce around freelancing for one company after another, sometimes not getting paid. And the more average students? I have no idea what happens to them, but it can't be good.