My tip for young people, at least the majority that will not be advantaged by having relatively well of parents, is don't live for the day and don't blame culture or society.

That option will lead to disaster.

Life starting out in 2020 is much harder than previous decades. So set important goals, look for someone compatible to achieve your life goals whatever they are, and get on with it.

And find the right balance between material, social and cultural goals, by developing different goals by observing the world around you.

I don't want to make it sound easy, it is not. But the sooner we find important life goals, and be prepared for some failure along the way, the sooner mental health issues may be minimised.

We live in less fortunate times, with more pressure to emerge with budgets and well-paid employment, so we have to try that much harder.

In the meantime, we can only hope that our society has enough measures to help people and the world overcome disadvantage

the absence of a father in the home has led to untold misery for many boys and girls growing up. The social engineers have got their way by the destroying of the natural family and are now reaping the fruit of such insanity. One day someone will realise that with massive increases in education expenditure we are getting dumber by the day, massive increases in mental health expenditure has done nothing to decrease suicide or mental health. Marxist dogma and the rejection of the natural order of things (nuclear family) is producing its natural fruit.

When mothers put babies into childcare as soon as they can, trouble ensues. Children not having the full time care of their mothers until they start school are doomed. It is not natural to place your children into the hands of strangers, particularly during the years when they are gaining impressions that will be with them for the rest of their lives. The problems are worse in the author's "high income" countries because it is the high incomes that mothers neglect their children for

I can agree with most of this! So what needs to change?

Well, we can't go back to failed systems,i.e., communism or extreme capitalism! Both of which require a level of slavery to survive! And or slave wages that are often worse in real terms, than actual slavery!

We need to stop doing what we've always done while expecting a different result!

Nor the allowed practise of concentrating more and more of our finite wealth in fewer and fewer hands! And the underlying cause of both the Great Depression and the GFC.

So where do we go and what can we accept as change we can all believe in/benefit from?

Well, first we must lift the politically motivated prohibition on for peaceful purpose, nuclear energy, specifically, walk away safe, MSR thorium, which can also be tasked with very safely burning up the world' stockpile of nuclear waste, and should sanity prevail, all weapons-grade plutonium!

Then introduce, fund and facilitate cooperative capitalism as employee-owned and operated co-ops. Understanding as we do so, that the giant Microsoft was just a small operation and a co-op started in somebody's garage!

And one or two Australian manufacturing startups are competing and beating China, with the inclusion of Automation!

Imagine how many more could emulate that if they had not only the world's cleanest, safest, cheapest energy but reliable, dispatchable and, walk away safe, carbon-free to boot!

Co-ops stood almost alone as the only private enterprise, free-market business models that survived the Great Depression, mostly intact, but allow one dollar to do the work of seven or more as the money stays working in the domestic economy!

All the above is how one ensures our young folk are better-off than proceeding generations!
Alan B.

If we could just get rid of psychologists & sociologists we would be a long way towards solving these problems. Continual chatter by this group has led to a couple of generations of people who spend far too much time meditating on their navel, trying to discover the meaning in their useless lives.

We can no longer have meaningful examinations in schools, as the less successful may have their fragile self esteem damaged. They get moved ever upward, with a pat on their useless heads, rather than a kick up their lazy butts, until university, where no one can be allowed to fail, provided they attend some lectures, & next years tuition fees are paid by tax payers.

Then suddenly they are chucked out into a big nasty competitive world, where unless they get into some government bureaucracy, or the education industry, they are suddenly expected to actually do something for their living.

This shock sends many into depression, or activism, where they can again mouth meaningless platitudes with little meaning or reasoning, but gain acceptance from the useless throng in so doing.

No wonder many feel sorry for themselves, & expect someone else to hold their useless hand with things like a universal wage, or high welfare benefits.

Stick some hurdles, & the possibility of little failures into the mix. Little failures overcome would prepare these petals for the big nasty world that awaits them. Experiencing failure will help most of these problems evaporate, just like they did for us oldies in tougher times, where failure was available at every turn, & earned a kick in the butt, not a pat on the head.

Hassy, all too true.
I have described this generation as "entitled", and that's being kind.
We know we're on a good wicket when the govt can afford to throw money at anyone who wants it, without having to REALLY show cause or justification for why they want it.
Given, if put to a vote or referendum, I would be the first to vote for the reinstatement of National Service.
By doing this we are not only instilling some discipline back into these jelly brains, but also preparing them to become a useful and worthwhile part of society, and instead of the dole, they will be getting paid to do something to be proud of, which should go a long way towards giving them a very real boost in their self esteem.
There are too many other benefits related to what I am suggesting, too many to list here, but I think you all get my drift.