As someone about the same age, I do understand your concerns, at least in part. And while things look bad, to be frank I think there's also a lot of good to see in the current world.

Traditional values and desires have little place nowadays and are becoming impossible to achieve (though I think a lot of that was true for the boomers as well, they just pretend it's not), but new things are appearing that's good. We're healthier overall than previous generations. We're surrounded with luxuries that previous generations would've considered impossible for the average person to have. We have opportunities abound to find careers, livelihoods, passions, and any number of other worthwhile pursuits that weren't possible even two decades ago.

If you let go of the preconceptions of previous generations, I believe there is a countless number of things that are good now that didn't exist even one generation ago. Maybe having a traditional career, getting married, having children, and owning a home are becoming more and more impossible, but that doesn't mean friendships, hobbies, and any number of other things of value are out of reach.

I don't make a lot of money. I've given up the idea of marrying and having kids. I will never own a single detached house. I don't even see a future where I will ever retire. But I don't think those are reasons to say I am unhappy. I enjoy each and every day, find value in my work, enjoy my hobbies, and have friends, even if some of us argue constantly about our conflicting political leanings. The world now, despite climate change, dictatorships, rich assholes hoarding everything they can, political apathy, insane and transparent corruption, and any number of other horrible things in the world or even in my own city, I think the world now is better than it has been in the past, and will continue to become better.

You just...need to let go of what drove your parents, and find new things to bring you joy that wasn't possible for them. Because there are countless things that are possible now that wasn't even when you were a child.

Do you mean looking around the world with the naked eye? There is nothing visible in that spectrum that should diminish hope for the future. Life only continues to look better and better.

Or do you mean through the lens of precise measuring tools and mathematical models? If that's the case, then yeah, things look distressingly bleak.