Or, as my DS would say: opinions are like assholes. Everyone has one and they all stink. 

Thing about the internet. About Social Media, especially, is that the Narrative in your head. My head. Everyone's head. Can seem so real sometimes. Not only siloed, but you can say a thing, then if there are enough people who agree with you, it can feel right. A bunch of people feeling like main characters. You know? Everyone has 12 disciples, sorta thing. Suppose I've been inoculated of this, given the lack of followers. But I see that as a positive, currently. Better to stew in ones thoughts then interact with people in a thoughtful manner. 

So I see this chart above. And, immediately, people start blaming a bunch of things. An easy narrative is: good times in the 90s helped drop the rate (like crime), followed by the recession that made things worse (note that I think that Rise also happened in older men post 08). 

That all seems fine [1] but why, if the economy was a thing, was there a consistent rise from 70-95 or so? 

Could lead play a part (then why is it up again? Another variable?)? Could social media? [2] I'd like to think that, tbf, but dammit all, if it doesn't quite have any evidence backing it. Same with smart phones. 

Same with 3G and the newer Gs allowing rural areas to see how far behind they are, perhaps a loss of youth, leading to more social friction. Thing is, since they arrive right around the time of the Great Recession, it truly is hard to make a case, right?

Another narrative [3], and hell any narrative could work, is that it's about blood lust. Post 70s we were recovering form the Vietnam loss. Then 90 we beat Iraq to a pulp and feel better, stopping the slide. Late 90s we're beating some small actors, but it still feels good. Then more war at the turn of the century, but we start losing and pulling out and, well, you see what happens then, right?

Now, the above is just for arguments sake, but I think you can make a million other narratives. 

All I'll say is, the society is sick and things are only going to get worse if we don't spend money here at home. 

[1] But like the rise in deaths of pedestrians killed by cars, people seem to infer whatever they want. I looked at it and it seems to come down to Obama being elected as well as the rise of smartphones (more distractions than texting before... though texting not doing anything to the stats is nuts). The Obama thing I put off to racism, though many just want to blame SUVs (though SUV usage was always rising and thus 08 being some inflection point doesn't make sense)

[2] Note even some friends of mine are falling for the latest yellow peril. TikTok is here! Note that it really picked up steam in the past few years. Maybe past 4. And one cannot associate it with any specific ill of ours:

[3] Did I complain about Summers? And other highly paid economists who claimed anyone currently sans job was not of their concern? Stating we played video games, and did drugs? jfc, the narratives truly are inane. But just like an idiot spouting vax and 5G Soros shit on twitter or reddit, these types are barely removed in terms of deep thought. 

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