Participating in the extraction economy is certainly a choice.

Young people complain about being worse off than their parents. Sure, the income gap has exploded, and there are many factors that are making things worse, but what exacerbates this is our complacency.

First, people are just more miserable in general because everyone on social media seems to be living the "Miata life", to quote "Workaholics".

Do you see any starter homes being built? I don't. All I see is starter mansions. Everyone thinks they are entitled to one at 26, while THEIR parents lived in a starter home until they could afford something bigger, at 45.

Secondly, and it's more to the point - spending money has never been easier. Want. Click. Get. Within hours. All this tech revenue is coming from somewhere.

What was the last time you audited your subscriptions? How much do you spend per year? If you watch two shows and a couple of movies on a streaming service, is it really worth the $240 per year? Do you listen to 12 books per year to justify the $180 Audible subscription just to break with the a la carte price? And so on. This stuff adds up. But, sure, it's CONVENIENT. These companies are counting on your laziness.

Become a responsible consumer, refuse to participate in being a product. Yes, I know, it takes effort and focus, but it's not like we do no have the power to walk away.