Isn’t it ironic the most pessimistic people always tend to live in a first world country? You don’t see the neglected orphan children in Guatemala, or the forlorn beings scraping by in the thick of India’s poverty talking about how depressing their lives may be and how they will never amount to anything in life. Because, they have hope. This hope begins with their constant human instinct to survive; it’s what they live for. They haven’t become desensitized to real issues, or distracted by their country’s technological advances like first worlders, which has become a major deterrent for today’s millennials. I believe these certain millennials are too pessimistic despite their privileges, which even other people our age can agree on.

     In the past, a huge dilemma for millions of Americans, for example: a male in their family being drafted for the Vietnam War, which some would view as a death-wish. This was a legitimate reason to be negative about life for once, to lose hope. But now, most teenagers’ hearts crumble at the sight of a low battery, or waking up one morning realizing they had lost all of their life-altering SnapChat streaks from the night before.

     It’s almost embarrassing this is what we’ve come to. All along we could have been worrying about helping that homeless child in Central America, rather than maintaining an artsy Instagram page with the perfect following to followers ratio. Those distractions are evident in too many of us, and some people have become too lazy and arrogant.

     And it’s not only teens; adults do this too. Have you ever seen your mom scream a few curse words after she simply forgot her phone in the car, or your dad become riled up after driving in traffic, affecting his mood for the rest of the night? Pessimism is holding all of us back, only you can control how positive you are.

     Depression rates extend higher in first world countries, including America, home of the brave, the place where dreams come true. “At 19.2 percent, the U.S. had the second highest lifetime rate of depression,” said Matt McMillen, reporter for WebMD. “Low to middle income countries, by contrast, reported much lower rates overall.”

      Those who believe the reason we see the glass half empty tend to think it’s only because of the crime and social issues the modern world faces. This holds truth to an extent, however most people with negative outlooks on life have no ties to those current issues in America. We are simply comfortable living here, which has made us lazy. And when that laziness is disrupted by even having to search for your car keys, it’s as if the world was ending.

     We, as privileged humans, should influence other less fortunate people in a positive way, and appreciate what we already have rather than only giving light to the things we don’t have. Mankind by nature tends to point out flaws and recognize grievances more clearly than our achievements. It’s time to flip that switch and focus on our advantages and how we can use those to benefit people living in poor conditions by a possible charity, mission trips, or any other outlet to serve, globally.