The “American Dream” to me is the idea that anyone can build a stable life for themselves with hard work and dedication, no matter what your background is. I think the American Dream has always been a fallacy to a certain extent, but especially now more than ever. Although the economy used to be better, many people still faced disadvantages because of the lack of equality and civil rights. It is no longer possible for people to own homes right out of college. It is no longer remotely affordable to go to college. It is no longer an option to easily find a job right out of college. It is no longer an option to easily find any job, as most employers don’t respond or are quick to reject most applicants.
I think the generations before mine have built their own lives up and then destroyed the economy so that it is now impossible for our generation to thrive. I would love to own a home someday, and I think that will be possible for me, but not for a very long time. I try not to let things get me down, but it’s incredibly discouraging to see how expensive things have become.I have seen the comparison between minimum wage and housing costs in the past compared to now and it is virtually impossible to live off of 40 hours a week with minimum wage pay. There is no sign of things getting any better. Wendys will now be increasing their prices at the peak times of the day. Kellogs is pushing us to eat cereal for dinner despite raising the prices for their products as well. How is my generation expected to have any hope for the future with the current trajectory of prices?
I will try my best to keep on track and continue to work hard, but I am truly fearful for the future. I think it will also cause many people to just give up because they feel that they will drown no matter how hard they swim. I hope to create a better future for myself and my family and do better than my parents, but I know how little the likelihood of that is. I hope that my generation can make a significant change in our economy and our world. We are tired of starving. We are tired of working to get nowhere.
But I know how many people are fed up with the system, and it’s not just my generation. I think people should protest/boycott to the best of their abilities. I think many people have negative connotations about protesting because they feel it won’t get us anywhere. If all the people that felt that way did actually protest, it would make substantial change.
