The number of older Americans living alone is on the rise. Nearly 16 million people aged 65 and older in the US lived solo in 2022, three times as many who lived alone in that age group in the 1960s. And as Baby Boomers age, that number is expected to grow even more, raising big questions about the country’s future.

  • jackpot@lemmy.ml
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    11 months ago

    “Edith Heyck, 72, was thrilled to land an apartment in senior housing, where her rent is adjusted to match her income.” I fucking lost my shit, boomers get fucking everything. Rent that is matched to income? Are you fucking serious they protect their own I swear to god

  • TheDarkKnight@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Lemme whip out my tiniest violin to express my sympathies for the generation that completely fucked over our entire species with their selfish choices.

    • Tylerdurdon@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      You ever notice how easy it is to take a brush and cover an entire population segment with a certain view? Ever consider how racism and stereotypes become prevalent?

      I’m not a part of that generation, but if you think it was any different than today, you’re wrong. Power was weilded by rich corporations and government officials who were doing their bidding. It just wasn’t as blatant.

      Besides writing a snarky post, what will you tell the future generation you did to stop the current situation? Exactly…

    • anolemmi@lemmi.social
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      11 months ago

      You can’t paint such huge populations with a single paint brush, and even saying “generally” doesn’t cover your complete lack of empathy. Many or even most of those 16 million made choices that they thought were right at the time and tried to live good lives. You think these are the people that emptied pensions and raised prices and drilled the oil despite scientific warnings?

      Sure, statically some of them did. But most of them did not. Most of them worked hard, harder than our generation, and provided for their families.

      Having that much hostility for an entire population is no way to live your life.

      • CeruleanRuin@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It’s also a distraction from the real real villains who hollowed out the middle class and funneled every drop of wealth into their own pockets. They’re laughing from their superyachts whenever the middle classes bicker.

    • Hank@kbin.social
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      11 months ago

      Man I’m on my magical journey to become the most cynical person who ever lived myself but c’mon. There are better reasons to hate someone than their age like for example their weight, fashion choice, how they sound or how much they’re into mechanical keyboards.

      • Kikkertje@aussie.zone
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        11 months ago

        I’m getting so tired of the boomer bashing. It’s lazy and just helps to divide us even more. Isn’t that what the people with power want?

  • CobblerScholar@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    This is the another consequence of the 1950’s version of the American dream. Single income family brought home by the husband where the wife stayed home to raise children. Husband needed someone to tend to the house and the wife needed someone to support her. Marriage was imperative for both sexes to participate within society even if you hated your spouse. Kids grow up and move out and then BOOM(er) divorce.

    Now that a single income household for a family is almost unheard of people don’t get married just for the money so later divorce is much less likely

    • TheWoozy@lemmy.fmhy.net
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      11 months ago

      Those jokes predate boomers by at least 2 generations. In fact, they became much less acceptable to boomers. Their trend is continuing.

  • RichardBonham@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    Interesting that there was a significant increase during and following the pandemic due to irreconcilable differences over masking and vaccines. Probably wasn’t helped to be locked down together at that point, either.

  • catshit_dogfart@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    You know, sometimes I think if my mother hadn’t passed away, things with my parents would’ve gone this route.

    I had moved out, dad was spending more time at home, and she couldn’t stand him anymore because he’s an obnoxious racist.

  • pelicans_plight@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    Well old age is a bitch, I’ve seen this scenario happen twice in my life, so I’m guessing this situation may happen a lot… but who knows. Anyway I had a friend… well not really a friend anymore, but he was a cheater, he was ugly as fuck, but this motherfucker (term used completely correctly) tried to sleep with every woman he could, including everyones girlfriends, the shocking part is that it worked, that ugly piece of shit sleep with more women then anyone I’ve ever known. Our friendship ended when one day we were just chillin smoking a joint and he casually says to me, you know what my fantasy is??? aaaah… sure, tell me, one day I hope to get aids so I can give to all the woman I sleep with… … … aahhhh… shit… I don’t think I’m friends with you anymore. But to get back to the topic, later in life he went after his best friends girlfriend, she was vary naive and trusting, and he got her, they got married, started a successful business together, had kids, he became loyal, he really loved her. One day decades into his fantasy he had an emergency, he had to go to the hospital, they ran every test they could think of to find the cause, some of the causes could be from STDs, and it was. When the wife found out it was over, fantasy now turned nightmare. He deserved what he got, but I’ll always be sad when I think of all that time that cheating narcissistic piece of shit took away from her.

    Sorry if this is slightly off topic, but this reminded me of her and what she went through.

  • rynzcycle@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    I always knew my father was an asshole to my mom. Nothing abusive, just an insensitive typical boomer man. But it wasn’t until years after they divorced, in their late 50s, that I saw him change for the better, and realized her far more passive aggressive attacks towards him.

    They made each other miserable, and while I don’t think either of them is really happy still, they are definitely better off than before.

  • Metaright@kbin.social
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    11 months ago

    Heyck says she got divorced in her 50s after her son turned 18.

    “It was really more of a working relationship than a full marriage,” she says, and Heyck was emotionally ready to be on her own.

    But the financial transition, she says, wasn’t easy. For years, she struggled to make ends meet, living with roommates and couch-surfing as she waited for a spot to open in income-adjusted senior housing.

    “I was an artist. I lived on the edge financially. I didn’t have a 401(k) … I always thought that I would be married. That was the big surprise,” she says.

    How was it a “big surprise” when it’s implied that she wanted the divorce to happen? You have an unstable job, divorce your spouse, and then go all surprised Pikachu when it occurs to you that your finances are unstable?