TomTeriffic
Active member
Americans today are working longer, harder and with more stress and/or brain strain and with less fun time to attain a certain degree of material wealth than their parents, grandparents or great grandparents did.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
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Nameless Range
Well-known member
Statistically and on average, when looking at the history of the American work week, whether or not Americans today are working longer/harder than our grandparents or parents I think is somewhat contingent on sector, no I think generally the case is that they are not.
My grandfather lived with me until he died when I was younger. As a child during the great depression his parents sent him to live with his uncle on his uncle’s farm. Aside from the six years he spent dropping bombs in the Asian theater from PBY Catalinas, he was a farmer his whole life.
I do not work harder and longer than he did. The same goes for my dad.
In terms of less fun time and strain, I don’t think that’s really true either. I do think we are a very stressed species right now in America - largely because we are living in an increasingly digital world our brains did not evolve to handle.
My grandfather lived with me until he died when I was younger. As a child during the great depression his parents sent him to live with his uncle on his uncle’s farm. Aside from the six years he spent dropping bombs in the Asian theater from PBY Catalinas, he was a farmer his whole life.
I do not work harder and longer than he did. The same goes for my dad.
In terms of less fun time and strain, I don’t think that’s really true either. I do think we are a very stressed species right now in America - largely because we are living in an increasingly digital world our brains did not evolve to handle.
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ignorethefringes
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Purely from a personal perspective, I think this is the biggest problem. Our down time is increasingly used to stare at screens rather than other people or nature. I don't think our brains get the disconnect time for leisure and reset from work like we used to. We are being constantly stimulated by one screen or and other.
belshawelk
Well-known member
no even close. My dad, his dad worked harder then I ever could.
They were farmers. I am not. case closed
They were farmers. I am not. case closed
LuketheDog
Well-known member
FIFY...but seriously, is this what is racking your brain so much at 3:06am?
LuketheDog
Well-known member
Nonsense. I'm going to turn off this screen now and go get get some exercise on my wife's treadmill, where I will watch the trainer run down a trail on that screen, while simultaneously watching Vikings on the iPad on the shelf above it, and with my phone handy in the cupholder...
Interesting observation. Not sure I could substantiate it one way or another in terms of total hours worked vs net worth. However most likely current net worth as percentage of the country’s total net worth is proportionally less. When you look at trends for current wealth distribution I am not sure how you can conclude otherwise
Gellar
Well-known member
Everyone you talk to who hires employees is having a hard time finding candidates and quality candidates to boot. Employers who continue to expect 50-60 hours a week are taking the brunt of it while the ones who are offering flexible benefits such as work days and times you need to work and/or working from home several days a week are luring the quality candidates.
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I would disagree. More stressed, sure, but because of shitty priorities. But, lazier with more dick-off time than ever.
ShootsManyBullets
Well-known member
Gov't steals more of our wealth and purchasing power with their never ending growth in new taxes, BS wars, wasteful spending, entitlement programs, and money printing.
Can't wait for April to see how much $ I owe Ukraine.
Let me know when the gov't wins the war on poverty, the war on terrorism, or the war on drugs.
Can't wait for April to see how much $ I owe Ukraine.
Let me know when the gov't wins the war on poverty, the war on terrorism, or the war on drugs.
SFC B
Well-known member
I in the camp of "no" when comes to us in any way working harder or longer. Granted I have made much better life choices at this point in my life buuuuut I was retired by 50, hunt and travel pretty much as I like within reason and live at a much higher standard than they did. I think expectations and entitlement are at ridiculous levels.
NAHMINT
Well-known member
FARMERS- farmers/ ranchers never rest,least not the ones I have ever known.......some do hunt on their thousand plus acres when the ''kids'' are watching the goings -on. back east ,the produce farmers/small farms, had the steady BELOW ZERO/HEAVY SNOWFALLS that brought things to a halt.but then,they were ''making things'' in their barns.
JohnCushman
Well-known member
They also had cocaine in their soda and could buy morphine over the counter.....
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Not even close. My great-grandfather spent a good part of his early childhood in a partial sod, partial dirt outcrop dwelling burning cowpies for heat as his family scratched out a living in the harshest conditions western ND had to offer.
And for those who have great grandfathers who worked the coal mines of Appalachia, etc etc etc. Even a minimum wage employee in 2023 has health care, transportation, inexpensive and plentiful food, and communications toys that the King of England couldn't have dreamed of at the time of our great grandparents.
We work fewer hours, and less physically demanding jobs, safer jobs, have more education options, with more financial support in the down times, spend more $$ and time on hobbies, travel, etc. than our great grandparents.
That doesn't even get us started about the society our great-grandmothers lived in, let alone the ancestors of those on HT who are black, Hispanic, asian, (were gay) or other non-WASP males.
We have lots of things that need fixing in this country, but for the truly average American there has never been a better time to live than the lifespan of the boomers, Xers, and millennials.
Irishman
Well-known member
It looks to me like back In the 1960s the average American family was better off than today for the same amount of work. It used to be that the typical family had a stay at home wife and still could own a house and car etc, and have kids. Now many families can't afford to own a house with both working, unless they choose not to have any kids.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
I think it's fuzzy memory nostalgia. My parents brought my sister and I home to a standard house of the day and it was less than 1,000 sqft above ground, no garage, no fancy appliances, no deck, postage-stamp backyard. And the majority of homes in that town were the same. I guarantee you that a working family of 2023 can afford that. But they don't - they seek out multi-floor 2,500+ sqft homes with all the amenities. Our tastes have become richer and when we can rise to their new level blame the world when we were disappointed.
Well, there were these wars, see.
406dn
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You beat me to it. The home we grew up in was typical for the north side of Fargo, in the 60's. Our home was built in the mid 50's. My dad paid 15k for it in 64. I shared a bed with my brother until he and I graduated from college. My sister had a tiny bedroom. My youngest brother born just as I got out of high school, slept in a crib in my parents' room. For years, we shared one bathroom, before adding one in the basement.
I doubt many if any new homes are being built that are of similar size.
geetar
Well-known member
I think this is true. I’ve noticed people seem to have half the kids now and twice the house that my parents grew up in during the 60s and 70s.
