I feel old and I'm only 33

I'm already using expressions like "kids these days" and "back in my day".

Kids these days have excuses for everything.  They don't want to be exposed to anything negative, which they call being "triggered".  They just want to stay in their "safe spaces" and remain ignorant to the world.

To be fair, it's not their fault.  It's their parents' fault.  Parents of the newer generations have been engaging in wanton shielding of their children from reality, complete with the reinforcement that they're a "special little flower" and "unique".

Unique?  You mean, just like everyone else?  Come on.

This is why we have people insisting there are more than two genders.  This is why SJWs are a thing.  This is why cognitive dissonance is running rampant these days.

Sorry, did I just use big words?  Look them up and read about them for a while, maybe then you'll understand.

Freedom of Speech, one of the freedoms specifically carved out by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America, is bigger than your feelings.  You now probably want proof, seeing as how you're in denial that your feelings don't matter more than others' right to speak their mind.  Fortunately for me, there's a handy little quote floating around, that goes something like this: (slightly paraphrased, of course)

"I may not like what my fellow man has to say, but I will defend to the death his right to say it."

Despite the misinformation you may have heard, it's not from Voltaire.  Do your own research into the matter and you'll see who actually wrote it.  Don't cheat by asking someone else either, it's a really simple thing to just look up yourself.  It takes about five minutes, and Google, whether you like them as a company or not, has a very accessible search engine that will give you the proper result.

When you're done doing that, I've got a movie for you to watch.  Don't worry, it's a comedy.  From 1994.  Starring Jeremy Piven and David Spade.  It addresses, and pretty much predicted, the frivolity of this younger generation in a truthful, yet comedic manner.  Don't know the name?  Well, it's a cult classic, so I'm not really expecting you to already know about it.  Look it up.  There's a really good website full of information about movies that lets you see who's been in what, what genre it is, and a lot more.  I've already given you enough information to locate the title yourself.  Getting a copy of the movie, on the other hand, is a point of contention.  It may or may not be available on one or another streaming service.  I honestly don't know, so you'll have to search on your own.

Stop sticking your head in a hole and pretending that a problem doesn't exist if you can't see it.  Stop covering your ears and going "I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" when people say things you don't agree with.  You have a choice.  Speak up and let your beliefs be known, or keep your beliefs to yourself and stay silent.  Regardless of which choice you make, be sure to consider opposing viewpoints.  It will make you a much more well-rounded individual if you can learn to see an issue from both sides.  Even when one side doesn't really have a leg to stand on, make sure you know why people are saying what they're saying.  Don't trivialize someone's viewpoint.  Don't generalize into easy labels.  Also, don't be pedantic.

Also, for all the wannabe activists out there: make sure you're actually willing to practice what you preach.  It's so easy to speak loudly on an issue these days, that people seem to be forgetting that in order to make change happen, it starts with the person proposing the change.  Learn what is and isn't constructive behavior.

I really feel old now.  Don't mind me, just gonna go play games on my Nintendo Entertainment System...