Most American millennials I know have the same retirement plan as myself : a bullet or shotgun shell to the brainstem.

Why? The reasons vary:

American optimism gave us big dreams, but the American economy crushed them.

The open internet made us realize that we are, in fact, the baddies on the world stage.

A decent retirement for millennials will cost $6-10million, a feat most cannot achieve without inheritance.

Climate change is making our only planet uninhabitable, and our nation is leading the effort to make it even worse.

it’s apathetic exhaustion. we don’t give a fuck anymore lol. all the death rates are up across categories because self-care applied anywhere is difficult.

I honestly laugh to myself when I work out or go to the doctor. I keep thinking "why am I even doing this if I just plan on eating a shotgun at some point in the future?" That's about the extent of my optimism for the future, a final "spicy" meal at some point lol

There is no future in the states.

We don’t know exactly why this is happening.

Research

But sometime after 2010, for almost every cause of death, this changed. Hmm its almost that was a turning point in the GOP capture of redrawing district and the start of them going whole hog on not playing fair in order to win. That census was a turning point for the US.

In the last 5 years I've lost at least 5 friends. No idea how many friends of friends are gone, can't keep track.

Americans have the disadvantage of their culturally ingrained puppydog optimism, which worked great in the mid-20th century but is a poor fit for the age of climate apocalypse, oligarchy and fascist recrudescence.

Eventually, the survivors will have an almost-Russian cynical nihilism, and things will get back to some degree of normal. Though historical fiction set in the 20th century will be weirdly off, either assuming that everybody was always a jaded nihilist like now or that the past is a foreign country, in this case populated by cheerful simpletons.