Being A Loser Is Not A Flex

A young man posts a video of himself playing video games at 2 PM on a Tuesday. He is proud of his rank. He is not proud of his life. He has no job, no girlfriend, no plan. He calls himself a gamer. He is not a gamer. He is a loser. And social media has convinced him that this is something to celebrate.In this episode, I examine the dangerous trend of normalizing failure. The anti-work movement celebrates unemployment. The body positivity movement celebrates obesity. The incel movement celebrates romantic failure. In each case, the message is the same: you are fine just the way you are. Do not change. Do not grow. Do not try. The result is a generation of young people who have been told that their worst traits are actually their best features.The episode explores the psychological damage of this messaging. People who are told that failure is acceptable are less likely to persist through difficulty. They are less likely to seek help. They are more likely to remain stuck in situations that make them unhappy. The people who profit from this messaging are the influencers who need unhappy followers to stay unhappy so they keep watching ads.Turn down the lights, put on your headphones, and press play because being a loser is not a flex. It is a tragedy that someone has convinced you to celebrate.