Oh, man, imagine the tingling feeling when Den saw THIS headline swoosh by. Fuck the boomers, may we scalp all their unearned wealth!! #1565551 #1463052, #1527198

When Robin Brill walked into a conference for estranged parents this summer in Chicago, she was stunned by the crowd. More than 200 moms and dads filled the chairs, some of whom had traveled from as far away as Australia. Another 250 watched a livestream.

...turns out the story is pretty freakin sad.

"‘My mom is a narcissist.’ ‘My dad is self-absorbed.’ ‘It’s your fault something is wrong.’ ”"

Many experts believe that estrangements between adult children and their parents are becoming an epidemic in the U.S., just like divorce in the 1970s. Much like then, the movement is driven by a convergence of large societal trends—this time the rise of social-media algorithms, changing therapeutic approaches and a broadening definition of trauma.

“We’re at a cultural tipping point,” says William Doherty, a therapist and professor emeritus of family social science at the University of Minnesota.
Postpandemic statistics on estrangement are hard to come by. Prominent recent research—published in Cornell sociologist Karl Pillemer’s 2020 book, “Fault Lines: Fractured Families and How to Mend Them”—shows that 10% of the U.S. population is estranged from, or has cut ties with, a parent or child at any given time, while 25% is estranged from any close relative.

Adults share personal stories about how cutting off their parents has improved their mental health. Estranged parents—such as Laura Wellington, aka Doormat Mom—say that estranged children are misguided and spoiled.

Whatever you wanna say about Den's Boomer ranting, it's not I who caused the generational divides. Somehow, the scars run deep and wide.

Most estrangements appear to be initiated by young adults, experts say. They point to a mental-health crisis among adolescents and young adults; a diminished skill for tough conversations (thank you, texting); and a focus on identity over family.

That I believe; the youth of today are weak and pathetic. _"Identity," go fuck yourself. #1583743

MAJOR sources of troubles:

• Concept creep: here's a bad thing -> let's expand the definition and pretend that my minor thing applies to that bad thing. THUS, bad thing is enough to tell the the folks sayonara.
• Changing family expectations: family forever, blood over everything etc etc. The youngsters don't care; I'm with my boys, huh.

This idea is now increasingly challenged by a notion Reczek calls “democratized kinship”— the idea that maintaining family ties depends on their quality.

• Personal "Identity" first: ugh, sorry threw up in my mouth.

Young people live in an identity-driven culture, defining themselves by their gender, race, sexuality, politics and mental health, Coleman says. This shift over the past several decades has been driven by both social media and a larger cultural movement that emphasizes personal expression and psychological well-being.
“There’s this idea that if you don’t endorse or embrace my identity, you are no longer an ally,” Coleman says. “And from that perspective, cutting you off becomes a virtuous act of self-care and protecting my mental health.”

• Social media amplifies the message: yeah, obvs. Everything that is is made worse by digital megaphones. Cool.

Most estrangement experts point to social media, and especially TikTok, as one of the biggest boosters of the trend. TikTok blew up in the U.S. in 2020, as people were forced inside early in the pandemic. Its powerful algorithms feed people short videos based in part on what they already have lingered on, liked or shared. Watch one video about cutting off your parents and soon you’re deep down a rabbit-hole of estrangement content.

• Estrangement is self-care
  Fuck, I don't even pretend to understand what this is about. Some degenerate version of via negativa? Addition by subtraction etc...?

For decades, therapists urged families to communicate better and work out differences. But in recent years, many changed tack, psychologists say.
Instead of questioning their client’s assumptions or consulting other family members, many therapists began encouraging estrangement, he says.

...maybe the therapists (short for the and rapists, by the way) needs to be physically removed??

FUCK.

Came to this article hoping for some grand old boomer bashing... turns out I side with the boomers, and the youngsters are (mostly) a bunch of emotional weaklings. (We should still scalp the boomers for their unearned wealth, though; but let's keep their virutes and morals -- they're better. #1584380, #1578680)

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