Young People These Days...
A reflection on the struggle of the next generation
During a recent visit to Singapore, I found myself quite bothered by a pervasive sense of negativity among the younger generation. At a Christmas gathering, as we sat down for a grand feast prepared by our hosts, I observed two young men, both in their early 20s, discussing their jobs and lives.
Their conversation was riddled with dissatisfaction and complaints:
“The world is stupid.”
“My company is stupid.”
“My boss is stupid.”
“Everything is stupid. And everything is a stupid scam.”
They are good boys. They are polite and helpful. Not like the entitled, spoiled kids we sometimes come across in other circles. So why are they so angry with everything?
And this casual whining was not an isolated incident. Throughout my four-week stay, interactions with various young (and not-so-young) people revealed an underlying discontent with society and everything in it. Despite their education and opportunities, these bright, tech-savvy individuals seemed highly disillusioned.
Singapore in the 1960s
Growing up in Singapore during the 1960s, I am familiar with the daily hardships and struggles that are alien to today’s generation. Singapore was a third-world country. I remember being hungry all the time. My father worked in construction, and my mother, a housewife, raised five children in a 2-bedroom, 60-square-meter government flat, with my 82-year-old great-grandmother living with us.
Luxury was eating chicken twice a year. On most days, it was mostly vegetables, meat ends, liver or tripe. We sat and slept on the floor, and our prized possession was a second-hand black-and-white TV that was always sent for repairs.
Dettol was for everything.
If you cut yourself, apply Dettol. If you fell and skinned your knees? Apply Dettol. Got a heat rash? Dettol. Mop the floor? Dettol. I once accidentally stepped on a nail at a construction site. Dettol.
Life was tough, but there was a sense of optimism: We were looking towards the future to improve our circumstances and those of the next generation.
Singapore Now
Today, Singapore has transformed into a beacon of success and wealth. GDP per capita has grown from approximately US$500 in 1965 to about US$88,450 in 2024, a staggering 17,600% increase. Life expectancy has risen from 65 years to nearly 84 years, and home ownership stands at an impressive 90%, the highest in the world.
Education has massively expanded, with over 76% of each cohort achieving university or diploma qualifications. Infant mortality has dropped from 35 per 1000 in 1965 to just 1.4 per 1000 in 2024. By every measure, Singapore’s progress over the past 60 years is nothing short of miraculous. And yet, despite all this success, many feel dissatisfied.
The “Already Arrived” Generation
Singapore’s rise from a struggling nation to one of the richest and most advanced countries in the world presents a paradox: when success is a given, what’s left to strive for?
For past generations, the challenge was survival, building a future, and proving themselves. Today, young Singaporeans inherit a world where those battles were fought and won. With little struggle, many feel restless and unfulfilled.
This suggests that prosperity alone doesn’t guarantee happiness: without something to fight for, life can feel strangely empty.
Tough Times Make Tough People
Back when life in Singapore was tough, hunger was real, jobs were scarce, and opportunities were limited. Everyone knew they had to fight, and what to fight for. A formal education and a stable job weren’t just aspirations; they were lifelines to a better future.
The mission was simple: survive, improve, and build something better for your children. Every challenge overcome felt meaningful because it represented real progress. Struggle gave purpose.
Fast forward to 2025, and Singapore has arrived. Most needs are met, most luxuries are within reach. The country is safe and orderly. In a world where everything is already built, what’s left to look forward to?
Many young Singaporeans feel adrift, not because they lack opportunities, but because they lack a meaningful challenge. An overarching purpose. Without something to push against, life starts to feel empty. It’s the frustration of having arrived without effort, only to realise that the journey was what made arriving meaningful.
It’s like playing World of Warcraft in cheat mode. - Anonymous
The Effects of Having It Too Easy
When everything comes easily, it doesn’t always lead to fulfilment and can make life feel empty. There are common side effects when I listen to young Singaporeans’ complaints.
Work Feels Pointless
Many jobs today are hyper-specialised and buried in corporate KPIs that feel completely detached from the real world. Young people grow up hearing they should “follow their passion,” only to land in careers where efficiency matters more than meaning. Even if they succeed, it often feels like they’re contributing to nothing that matters.
Perhaps that’s why our younger son decided to study paramedicine, and the older one wants to work in hospitality. They both didn’t want work that has no purpose. I think I get it.
Meritocracy Feels Like a Rigged Game
It has always been. The only difference is the extent to which the game is rigged.
Meritocracy is an ideal. Although hard work still counts, we know it’s not always enough. Connections, family wealth, and privilege tilt the playing field, and success is usually reserved for those who already have a head start. This fuels cynicism, and over time, some just stop trying. Why play a game where the odds are stacked against you from the start?
Social Media Exacerbates
Then there’s the endless scroll. Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms flood young people with highlight reels of other people’s “perfect” lives. Careers, relationships, vacations, and success stories. Staged contents and clickbait: “You can have everything without doing anything.”
It creates the illusion that everyone else is winning while they’re stuck where they are. When success looks instant and effortless online, real-world effort starts to feel pointless.
Why a Good Life May Not Be So Good
Friction gives meaning. It forces us to confront challenges, develop resilience, and take pride in our achievements. Makes us strong. Helps us appreciate the struggle.
But today’s youth in Singapore (and other developed countries) have been handed a world where much of the hard work has already been done. They inherit a society built on the sacrifices of previous generations, yet they don’t have the same opportunities to contribute meaningfully to its continued growth.
Without a real challenge to overcome, many feel disconnected and aimless. Imagine that 72% of Singaporean workers under 30 say they’re “just going through the motions,” and start-up rates among young founders, a key sign of optimism for the future, have dropped 40% since 2015. These point to a growing sense that nothing is worth doing because the system feels “stupid.”
And so, many drift. Some chase artificial struggles like gaming, outrage, and meaningless competition, just to feel something. Others disengage completely, numbed by the ease of a world that offers instant gratification but little genuine fulfilment.
Without purpose, comfort becomes a cage.
Redefining Success
The answer isn’t to reject success, but to redefine it. If work feels pointless, find something you care deeply about. Without the burden of “survival”, you have the freedom to take more risks. Start something, build something, explore uncharted paths just like our forebears did when they had nothing to lose. Move abroad. The world isn’t short on problems, and meaning comes from tackling them.
If meritocracy feels like a rigged game, learn to play it anyway. And play it well. The system isn’t always fair, but that’s never stopped those who know how to navigate it. Be likable, be useful, and build relationships that matter. Success isn’t just about what you know, or even who you know. It’s about who knows you and values what you bring to the table. Learn the nuances of human connection, strive for your personal success, and achieve big goals.
And if social media makes everything worse, step back. Use it as a tool to move forward, not as a distraction that drains your energy. Addiction, whether to social media, comfort, or mindless consumption, is essentially soul-crushing. Be disciplined. Make your bed. Wake up early. Exercise. The ability to control your focus and attention is one of the most powerful skills you can develop.
These were the qualities that built the world we live in today. The drive to create, the ability to adapt, and the discipline to stay the course. Learn from those who came before you, and carve out your own future.
Hope
The two young men at the start of this article are in their twenties. Well-educated, capable…but drifting. They’ve had jobs, but nothing that excites them. When asked about their dreams, they struggle to answer. They have no long-term plans, no partners, and for now, they’ll continue living with their parents, unsure of what comes next.
Unless the trajectory changes, it won’t go well. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Singapore’s rise from swamps to skyscrapers was built on hope, perseverance, and a belief in something bigger than oneself. The next challenge is not just about growing richer, but rediscovering purpose. Success must be redefined not as wealth accumulation, but as building, creating, and striving toward something meaningful.
The future isn’t written yet. The young still have time to shape it. If they don’t, comfort will turn into complacency, and a slow, quiet decline will set in.
That would be a far greater tragedy than any struggle they might face today.