Two-Thirds of Young Americans Are Thinking About Bailing Out
This is not about baby boomers although it should include them. I believe too many of us are backing Trump. The younger citizens are getting it. They should find all of this despicable.
“Nearly Two-Thirds of Young Americans Are Thinking About Getting the Heck Out of Here” (Vice)
SUMMARY: America’s biggest export might soon be its own citizens. According to the American Psychological Association’s Stress in America 2025 survey, 63% of adults ages 18 to 34 have considered leaving the country this year because of “the state of the nation.” Among parents, more than half—53%—say the same.
These aren’t impulsive fantasies about Parisian cafés or permanent vacation visas. The study, conducted between August 4 and 24 among more than 3,000 adults, found that stress about the country’s future has hit a historic high. Seventy-five percent of Americans say they’re more worried about the direction of the nation than they used to be, and 76% call that fear a “significant source of stress.”
. . . Among adults who named it a major stressor, 83% experienced physical symptoms in the past month, like headaches, fatigue, or anxiety, compared to 66% of those who didn’t. The same group was more likely to lose patience with family, cancel plans, or struggle to plan ahead.
MY TAKE: No, this doesn’t mean that 63% of Americans are going to leave the country or even want to leave; just that the country has reached such a scary state that they have allowed themselves to consider it. When I was a kid growing up, I couldn’t imagine anyone considering leaving America for good. I had my beefs with certain aspects of the country, but everything seemed fixable. And I was heartened by the number of people who wanted to fix things. But now a lot of people don’t see what’s broken, so they’re content with it getting worse.
The important information to take away here is that there is a serious discontent among Americans with the direction the country is heading. It’s similar to being in a marriage where one member is suddenly acting erratic, distant, mysteriously spending all your joint money, being rude to your close friends, and constantly lying. Naturally, you’ll start thinking about divorce. But most people would try to mend the relationship—which is what we’re doing in our elections.
Trump and the GOP hope they can force children to be patriotic by indoctrinating them in schools with false history the way one’s grandparent my exaggerate their contributions in the military or during the sixties protests. They want to get the kids high on the sugary treats and empty calories of American exceptionalism while hiding historical truths. Throw in pledging allegiance to the flag, school prayer, and tacking up the Ten Commandments, and you have instant patriots. Instead, they’re pushing young people away from the country.
A true patriot loves their country not just because they happened to be born here, but because of what values that country stands for. They love it not just for its achievements, but because of how it acknowledges its mistakes and tries to do better. Young people are feeling detached from America because this administration is detached from any moral values, and that makes us all complicit in their crimes against democracy and humanity. Every time our military kills people on a boat, we’re co-conspirators in murder. No one wants to feel that way.