Reddit user 001135 asked:
"What are we living in the golden age of?"
Here are some of the things that Reddit is still feeling excited and hopeful about.
Sonic Gold
Headphones Jamming GIF by SpongeBob SquarePantsGiphy"The ease of listening to music is pretty incredible right now."
- hypo-osmotic
"I was into punk rock mid-90’s. You had to hunt for records. Actual records. And you had to travel."
"I lived in Northern Virginia, the good stuff was in Georgetown."
- BrownShadow
"Straight up."
"I was chatting with a mate from work last night, and we were swapping all these international artists over Spotify on our phones. Then in a few swipes we were checking out the yearly calendars of gigs in our area."
"It’s actually incredible how easy it is to discover amazing music now."
- Justforfun_x
DIY Education
"Self education."
"YouTube should be remembered as just as important of an invention as the television."
"We can teach ourselves almost anything, watching enough videos and reading about it online."
- Countrydiscipline
"YouTube saved my butt so many times in college when I couldn’t figure out how to do certain types of math problems."
"I could go watch videos of people doing endless examples of the those kind of problems until I understood how to do them myself"
- Wildcat_twister12
"PALEONTOLOGY"
"The things we know now about the prehistoric world are mind blowing. More and more is being worked out about the looks and behaviour of dinosaurs and all their fellow extinct organisms. Compared to what was happening when I was a kid we’ve moved on in leaps and bounds."
"If you haven’t yet, check out Sir David and the BBC’s Prehistoric Planet. Awesome."
- cold-hard-steel
"YES THIS."
"The amount of stuff we know is literally insane."
"We have been able to map sauropod migration routes by locating where the animals got their stomach stones."
"We have a Triceratops and a juvenile T. rex locked in combat complete with skin impressions being prepped and studied as we speak."
"The amount of mummified dinosaurs and dinosaurs with skin/feather impressions only continues to increase."
"Just last year we discovered that the southern continents were home to a whole brand new radiation of ankylosaurs that are totally distinct from their northern cousins and look like they have Aztec war clubs on their tails!"
"The largest megaraptorid known was also just named and the largest abelisaur known is awaiting publication."
"Pterosaur fuzz was just confirmed to be feathers, meaning the common ancestor of dinosaurs and pterosaurs was likely fuzzy."
"We have a whole multi age group of teratophoneus tyrannosaurs that were together in life. "
"The utahraptor block continues to provide insights into the largest known raptors and how they lived, hinting at sociality and also showing us how the animals grew from tiny lizard-bird to hulking ground bear-eagle-dragon (still needs funding btw if anyone is feeling generous look up the utahraptor project)."
"Our knowledge of marine reptiles and pterosaurs are at an all time high and we have been able reconstruct the lives and appearances of both these animals in astonishing detail."
"Pterosaurs in particular have been discovered to have been one of if not the greatest vertebrate flyers of all time, even better than birds, and had astonishing life cycles with bizarre strategies by our modern standards it’s wild."
"The future of the past is so bright it’s nearly blinding."
- EnderCreeper121
Accessibility
technology documentary GIF by DiggGiphy"Disabled person here."
"We live in a golden age of accessibility tools based on technological advancements."
"Just take the car industry as an example. The amount of aftermarket accessibility accessories that were invented in the past 10 years alone, have made driving accessible to many people with disabilities."
- Cristal1337
"Just least month I heard of someone playing and beating a video game, even though they're blind."
"That's when I learned about accessibility options so blind people could play video games, a heavy visual dependent medium. Incredible."
- Hinote21
"3d printers too, if you have one you can create accessibility attachments yourself"
- anotheranonymousredd
"I disagree."
"I’m an occupational therapist and have worked with the med tech 'emerging' assistive device and they are far lacking compared to existing military exoskeleton tech."
"Healthcare tech is always 10-20yrs behind what’s available to the military due to red tape."
"I think we’re on the brink of the golden age though."
- No-Trick7137
Remote
"Remote work."
"We got it during the pandemic and now we need to make it the norm. The ability to make good money and live anywhere is a luxury that was hard to imagine just 10 years ago."
- Aldebaran7790
"Businesses that harness remote work will outperform office centric businesses. Imagine all the capital that can go towards expanding the business instead of towards real estate."
- FrickGoogle
"And you seriously save on HR troubles. No chance of work place drama."
- katanakid13
Yes Photos Please
"Photography."
"Now almost everyone has a camera, usually in their phone. And they are so simple to use it's easy to take decent photos."
"It used to be a camera was a dedicated device you had to learn how to use properly and have the film developed by someone, or yourself if you had a darkroom and knowledge."
"And the photos you could take was limited by the film roll. Use up a 36 exposure roll? You'll have to stop and put in a new roll."
"Using ISO 200 film, but you want to take low light photos? You'll have to stop, remove the 200 roll, and put in an ISO 400 (or higher) roll."
- Chrome_Armadillo
"I remember those days!"
"The insidious thing about that is, you were always second guessing yourself, saying 'is a picture of this (whatever) worth using up part of my finite film supply?' "
"The great thing about digital is you just take multiple pics of everything like only the pros at a football game with a bottomless film bag and an assistant reloading the next camera could afford to do back in the 80s."
- Lampwick
Golden Buns
music video 90s GIFGiphy"Butts."
"The 90s/00s everyone was trying to have small butts. The phrase 'Does my bum look big in this?' was so common it was a cliche."
"Now it's the reverse."
"Plus yoga pants are considered normal fashion. Bikini bottoms have gotten way smaller and are worn way higher."
- privatetudor
"Whoever decided that yoga pants are now considered normal fashion deserves a god damn Nobel prize."
- Lukebekz
Juice
"I was just thinking the other day: Juice."
"It sounds weird, but bear with me. My mom LOVED juice but she passed away in '00."
"Not long ago I realized I had a full OJ-sized jug of straight up Watermelon Juice in my fridge, I got sad that she missed out on the ability to have a jug of watermelon juice without having to juice it herself."
"Or even the POM craze. My fridge has been full of a bunch of super tasty juice from fruits that she may not have even knew existed like açai and whatnot."
"Todays juice options are amazing."
- Hambulance
"My mom and dad both LOVED grapefruit, and we live in Florida and we even had a tree in our yard when I was growing up."
"She would peel the grapefruit with a small knife (can't use a potato peeler on grapefruit peel) and then she would cut each section of grapefruit away from the white tough stuff that separates the sections, and then the sectioned chunk of grapefruit would fall into the bowl and when she was done sectioning that grapefruit, she would squeeze the leftover white stuff to make sure she got all the juice."
"Then she would go on to the next grapefruit and fill a Tupperware bowl with grapefruit chunks and juice in advance about once or twice a week, and then she and my dad would eat it EVERY DAY for breakfast."
"She died in 2007"
"NOW Del Monte sells Ruby Red Grapefruit, all sectioned out and in juice JUST LIKE MY MOM lovingly and meticulously sectioned it out each week for my dad IN A 64 OUNCE CONTAINER (they say there is ten grapefruit in the container.)"
"I buy one sometimes EVERY WEEK and power-feed on it. And every time I eat it I think about my mom and how her mind would be blown that she could buy a GIANT container of already sectioned grapefruit in juice, at the store."
- KathleenFla
Going Green
"Envy."
"Never has it been so easy to witness so many people having so many things you'd wish you'd have, so excessively. People used to envy the popular guy in their town, the pretty girl, the rich family."
"The modern world is Hell for the enviously inclined."
- Redditforgoit
".. the Kardashians man."
"People envy billionaires, but their conversations are so dull, their body movements are lifeless."
- hanatheko
"Imagine how bad it must be for dirt-poor third world people who view how billionaires live."
- TripleR_Official
Everything - But Almost Nothing
Nbc Brooklyn 99 GIF by Brooklyn Nine-NineGiphy"It's literally the Golden Age of Everything."
"There's a good chance that human comfort has peaked in the early 21st century. That in 50 or 100 years there may not be access to enough food, fresh water, jobs, worldwide transportation, access to information, free speech and democracy, or even safety in modern civilization."
"Our global economy isn't sustainable, it's fueled by cheap labor, cheap fuel, and global ecology that may cease to exist in our lifetimes, leading to mass starvation, poverty and war."
"We need to be pushing hard to fix the planet - literally all hands on deck - making whatever sacrifices necessary to ensure that our planet is livable for the 1bn+ humans on the planet at risk of famine / starvation from poor crop production and low fresh water resources caused by global warming."
"We need to start pushing our leaders and governments hard or this whole human civilization experiment is literally going to go up in smoke, possibly during our lifetimes."
- lampposttt
Welp, we're honestly not sure if we're feeling super inspired or super depressed now.
What about you?
Did Reddits responses leave you feeling golden and glowing or like maybe the world is full of fools gold and you're the only one not buying?
Sound off in the comments!
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"Europeans of Reddit, what do you imagine life in the United States to be like?"
One thing is certain. Americans are full out.
Everything Big
"Big. Big country, big cars, big buildings, big voices, big personalities, big ambitions, the Big Apple, the Big Sky Country, Big Sur. Big portions."
– HoneyGlazedBadger
So Much Pride
"Shopping malls and big cars and sports games and lots of national pride."
– foxmachine
The "Loud" European
"Moved to the US from Europe 5 months ago. What's most noticeable to me is that you have to drive everywhere and that everyone calls me soft-spoken... In Europe I was perceived as loud."
– un-BowedBentBroken
They Have It Made
"All my American friends are highly educated and middle to upper middle class, they have it ever so good. I know they are far from the norm, but if you have skills in high demand, the opportunities are almost endless it seems."
– D-Rez
Decent Aesthetics
"Generally good, the roads are wide, It’s very spacious and it’s a land that stands for freedom, Quality of life seems good, the only downsides that I probably would not like is a lack of a NHS, and the fact that you have less annual leave, you should get way more then you all currently do that’s for sure."
– The-Rare-Road
Things that needed room for improvement were pointed out.
Work Rights And Healthcare
"I’ve been to the US a few times and never had a bad encounter. A lot of really nice people, genuinely nice interactions.
As an outsider looking in, the working rights and the healthcare is absolutely insane to me and a crying shame for some of the kindest, most giving people I’ve come into contact with as a foreigner."
– Sylviabutler04
Land Of Opportunity
"All my American friends are highly educated and middle to upper middle class, they have it ever so good. I know they are far from the norm, but if you have skills in high demand, the opportunities are almost endless it seems."
– D-Rez
Positive Perception
"It ain't perfect, but I think more people are pretty decent off than most think."
"I grew up in poverty. I had free public schooling (which was quite alright), subsidized school lunches, free healthcare, free transport to and from school. I was also blessed to have a vehicle my parents could use to get me from sports practices/activities, and a warm place to live with cheap but functional clothing. All while my parents never made more than 30k a year combined whilst I was growing up with my sister. There are plenty that have it WAYYYY worse, and there are problems to be solved, but it isn't all as terrible as everyone makes it seem."
– derrickmm01
"Every Good, Every Horrible"
"Impossible to generalise. To the best of my knowledge, it varies enormously place to place, between socio-political and economic backgrounds, and between various groups."
"It seems to have every good and every horrible thing thinkable of."
"Overall, I'd say the standard of living is comparable, and in the grand scheme of things world class, but if things go bad, life becomes hell, and when things go well, they go brilliantly ."
"If it helps, I really found visiting America great fun, and found out most Americans are nice people, and you have this sense of optimism and hope, which I really appreciate."
– PayNoNoticeOfMe
Different Social Ladder
"Seems like the social ladder is just overstretched. It's better to be a cashier in Europe than in the US, better to he a software developer in the US than in Europe."
"I definitely prefer Europe in that regard, even if I know for a fact that I'd be making three times as much in the US. imo It's just part of the social contract that those at the bottom of the ladder should be able to live life in dignity, even if it's at the 'expense' of those at the top. It's not the only reason, among other things american work culture would overwhelm me, 8 hours of work, 8 hours of leasure, 8 hours of sleep is how it should be. And I'm not about to burn the midnight oil and burn out and not have a life outside my job just because "that's how things work around here", too depressing of a prospect for me. (at will law is insane by the way)"
"That said It's on my bucketlist to visit it one day. Seems like a lovely country to do tourism in, but working and living there isn't that enticing."
– AndyBales
Others, however, saw chaos.
Walking On Eggshells
"Uncertain..the fact that you can get fired just like that, the lack of paid sick leave or paid absence due to giving birth, the cost of health services...I don't know how you guys do it, without having a panic attack every week."
– StopIntegral
Stresses
"its such a f'king mixed bag of everything. The united states values libertarian thought to such a degree that youll find literally every cultural subset, political idea, food, and religion. Even the legal codes vary INSANELY across state lines. I could theoretically buy semi auto rifles and huge amounts of marijuana legally in one state then travel across an arbitrary open border and the people will treat you like a terrorist there if caught. This is totally what the founding fathers wanted mind you, just a perfect amount of nuts i guess."
"Honestly this country is really f'king stressful as f'k and you have to have a lot of context and reasoning and awareness to not piss people off and see the good parts in america. Living in a blue state is totally different than living in a red one. Definitely a lot to sh*t on for sure."
– Artistic-Wolverine16
A Sad Reality
"Guns. So many guns."
– taaadaaa
Money Buys You Peace
"It's all peachy as long as you have money. The pressure to keep up with your neighbors and the credit card payments must be immense. And damn you must be scared the SH*T out of cops. And other people in general, but especially cops. And Jesus not having 28 paid days of vacation, as well as paid sick days, that's just uncomfortable. Also do you deal with the homeless situation, the fact that basically all mentally ill live in the street and that half of the population seems to be fascist religious nutcases? Also do you have any hope for your children given the state of your educational system?"
"Disclaimer: lived in CA and VA for a few months. Good times."
– TAastronautsloth99
Pure Satire
"Pretty much any episode from South Park."
– coppers_pencil
There's Room For Improvement
"It's all peachy as long as you have money. The pressure to keep up with your neighbors and the credit card payments must be immense. And damn you must be scared the SH*T out of cops. And other people in general, but especially cops. And Jesus not having 28 paid days of vacation, as well as paid sick days, that's just uncomfortable. Also do you deal with the homeless situation, the fact that basically all mentally ill live in the street and that half of the population seems to be fascist religious nutcases? Also do you have any hope for your children given the state of your educational system?"
"Disclaimer: lived in CA and VA for a few months. Good times."
– TAastronautsloth99
It's interesting to hear from the perspective of those who are not from any specific country commenting on other nations.
While many observations are spot on, others seem to be very much influenced by the movies and the media.
Which of those would you say are portrayed as most accurate?
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"What is one experience you think every single human should have?"
Positive humanity-related experiences seemed to be a good place to start.
Perfect Role Model
"Having a really good boss. Work is totally different when you have someone who mentors and cares about their employees."
– NeverCallMeFifi
Embracing You
"Being comfortable with yourself, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, and in all other ways. Just being happy with who you are."
– Prismatic_Dragon
Going After Laughter
"Finding something so funny that you roll on the floor laughing."
– CoelHen2021
Attain The Goal
"Being Debt-Free as an adult"
– kittybidapadoop
"Paying off my student loans felt better than an orgasm. I was stressed for years trying to pay it off and I finally was fortunate enough to land a good job and a good partner who allowed me to skip paying half rent for a couple months."
– pale_moon_pixie
Love Matters
"Feeling loved. Doesn’t matter if it’s romantic or platonic but feeling loved in some way."
– DoYouReadMuch
Taking in certain sights was strongly encouraged by these Redditors.
Cosmic Wonder
"Seeing the milky way."
– Jayciflash
The Ultimate Blackout
"A total solar eclipse. Did that once back in 2017 and it was amazing. There’s another big one in North America in about two years."
– ShanghaiTed
Foreign Travel
"Visiting another country. I feel like it would put people in a different perspective for everyone."
"Also, swimming in the ocean."
– boot2skull
Get Out There
"This is important but I want to add: visiting a country that’s significantly different from your own. Going from US -> Canada or Denmark -> Sweden is great but the cultures aren’t drastically different. The people, the food, the ideologies. I feel like you learn a lot more about the world and yourself when you visit someplace different."
– GivesCredit
"Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving." – Auntie Mame.
Don't be a poor sucker.
Wintery Playtime
"Getting to play in snow."
– brokendowndryer
Spend Time Alone
"Having no obligations or responsibilities, even if it's only for a few days. Nowhere you need to be, nothing on your schedule that you need to do. There are no loved ones around who you need to consider. You literally have the freedom to do whatever you want whenever you want."
– domino519
Channeling Walden
"A breathtaking moment in nature."
"It’s hard to put words to it but it conjures up so many different emotions that somehow all combine to create pure awe."
– iguanaherder
I think traveling to a foreign country is important.
Getting to experience different cultures firsthand and engaging with and learning from locals can be a life-changing experience.
I was lucky to have worked on a cruise ship where I traveled the world and worked with people from all over the world.
Without my exposure to different cultures, I would be a different person.
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Redditor Cochrane01 wanted to discuss the items that you have to win the lottery for in order to be able to afford to buy. They asked:
"What do you wish wasn’t so expensive?"
Have y'all tried to have a vacation lately?
It basically costs $20 from the front door to the mailbox.
That's a fun trip.
Stay Healthy
"Getting sick. Was in hospital for less than an hour I'm getting charged 2k." ~ AgreeableRub7
GiphyIt's All a Mess!
"Houses." ~ NirvanaPenguin
"I bought my house 7 years ago. I thought I paid way too much for it. It is doubled in value since... and I hate it. The value of my house does nothing for me, if I sell I would need to buy another house that is similar in price anyway AND qualify for a mortgage based on value that is double."
"My house is supposed to be a starter house for younger couples, I don't understand how a young couple is supposed to afford 5k a month on mortgage payments and $600 a month in property taxes and another $100 for insurance. Then car payments and cell phone and groceries. It is f**ked. You have to make $150k yr to live in a starter home." ~ Sintek
Pricey Farewells
"Funerals... as some one who is arranging my husband's funeral, and he had no life insurance, the whole thing is a racket." ~ SlowpokeLib
"My parents arranged to donate their bodies to a local hospital for research. When my dad passed away they picked up his body and cremated it when they were done doing whatever with it. No cost to them or us. They spread the ashes at sea, which is what my dad wanted anyway." ~ pittipat
After Taxes
"Not having a car, or having a car. Public transportation is so unreliable that not having you own car often means not working, and because you're not working you can't afford a car. But just take the bus? Well rural America let's say I have an 11:30am appointment."
"Bus runs at 9am or 12:30pm so you take the 9am and wait 2 hours before your appointment which wouldn't you know it your appointment gets out just after the 12:30 bus, so you wait for the 4pm bus. Now imagine trying to coordinate a work schedule around bussing that can arrive 15-30 minutes early or late and require you to spend hours on top of an 8 to 10 hour shift."
"So you HAVE to have a vehicle your own to be reliable. But now you have purchased your $800 beater that might last a few years. But now continue $120 a month for insurance that costs $1440 a year, or $640 more than your vehicle was worth. Plus $60 a week in gas because you're again rural and the nearest employer is 50 miles away or 100 miles round trip."
"20 miles to the gallon, $3.50 a gallon, or $17.50 a day to travel. Insurance $120/month. Fuel $260/month. So $380 is what you pay each month just for the ability to work. And maybe you're making $1600 after taxes if you're lucky. Minus the $380, so actuality $1220." ~ KnowsIittle
Smile
"Dental care." ~ pk1950
"I spent $5,000 to get Invisalign. I'm poor but no longer want to be told I'm poor because of my terrible teeth." ~ Ambitious_Piglet
GiphyHousing and dental... the stuff of dreams.
Wouldn't it be nice to have health and a home without bankruptcy?
Is it Cheaper to Die?
"My insulin and diabetic supplies. It’s unreal how much I pay just to stay alive and healthy. I didn’t ask to get sick (pancreatitis), I didn’t ask to become type 1. Life’s unfair but you have to keep your head up and not be so angry all the time." ~ KingSean910
GiphyProblems Down Under
"Cost of basic utilities and fuel prices in Australia are through the roof. Luckily our federal treasurer gave us great advice on how to afford it was to 'Just get a better paying job' and 'Poor people don’t really have cars or drive far anyway if they do.' Meanwhile he said this on TV while sitting in a leather wing bound chair in front of a fire place with a picture of a thoroughbred horse above the mantle." ~ chiselmybrownpants22
It's a Pen
"Epipens would be nice, but nah I gotta fear for my life every time I think about wanting a dessert that wasn't homemade." ~ That_Anonymous_One
"The worst part to me is the cost of materials for an epipen is so negligible. The epinephrine itself costs maybe 1$, the materials to make the device probably costs like 5$. There’s likely a small chunk of change which is dedicated to paying research and development royalties but at the end of the day we’re still talking about a maybe 6$ object being shelled out for more than $300."
"Would you be surprised to learn that Mylan has hiked the price up 500% since 2008? No, probably not. Because this is America, where essential, life-saving items will cost you as much they possibly can before too many people will literally choose death over buying it. One day a freaking bee will probably kill me simply because I refuse to buy into that dystopian nightmare." ~ TimPoundsCornish
Food
"Getting almost impossible to buy eggs which don't make vague promises about animal welfare and come with a 25-50% mark up in price. Hell, the humble cucumber tripled in price during the height of the pandemic, and is now merely doubled in price. Before the pandemic I used to be able to do my weekly grocery shop for between $40-$60; now it's more like $60-$80." ~ ENGAGERIDLEYMOTHERFU
Life Itself
"What depresses me is that most of these responses are for things people actually need. It’s almost like without major policy reform, life itself is a luxury." ~ DoctorTaco123
GiphyLife is hard. And the prices to live or die just keep soaring. Oh well. Save those pennies.
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