I’m losing enthusiasm for participating in Reddit as it feels like whatever I write is being hoovered up, sifted and analysed by AI to help already rich people get even richer.

Many of the posts I read are also quite clearly written by AI, with the intention of generating comments, and I expect that in the future AI will get better at camouflaging itself.

When I read posts I’m always wondering whether a real human wrote this.

So what’s the point? On the whole, I’m inclined to become a background lurker who reads but doesn’t contribute.

Unlike most Redditors i don’t hate all children but the complete lack of parenting nowadays is making me sympathize with their perspective lol. I was doing some shopping minding my own business and hear this kid absolutely losing its mind SCREAMING and sprinting all over the aisles.

This went on continuously until the kid ran up right behind me and kept screaming for no reason. The parents appeared as well basically crowding me into where I was standing. The parents completely avoided eye contact with me and were also ignoring their child.

So I silently turned around towards the kid with a totally blank expression and just stood there and stared into its eyes for a second. Then I turned toward the parents and stared at them. Then I just walked away. And guess what? Not another peep from the kid after that. Silence! And I didn’t even have to say anything. Just a look. Why am I parenting your child in public?!?

I'm a 30-year-old woman, married to an amazing partner. We're on the fence about having kids and are leaning no for a few reasons, one being that I have some chronic health issues (endometriosis, and part of my cervix removed, which makes carrying a pregnancy to term difficult).
But there's something else going on that I can't quite explain. For as long as I can remember, I've had this quiet, deep-down feeling that I'm not going to grow old. Not in a scary or dramatic way more like a calm certainty, almost peaceful. At the same time, I do dream about getting older. I want to live a long life. I want that future. It's confusing to hold both at once: genuinely wanting to age, and also feeling like some part of me already knows I won't get to.
It's actually part of why the kids conversation feels less urgent than I know it should be. My husband and I love our life together and don't see many pulls toward having children right now but I know we'll need to sit down and really decide soon. And I notice I'm not dreading that decision the way I feel like I "should" be, because some part of me doesn't feel like I'll need to worry about it. Which is its own weird thing to sit with. I catch myself thinking my life is too good …. Too much joy…. Almost like there's some cosmic balance that means I don't get the "full" long version of it. Im not looking for advice, reassurance, or "you're fine!" comments (though I appreciate the instinct) I'm mostly just curious if anyone else has carried a feeling like this. A sense of peace about your own mortality that doesn't come from anywhere logical. Would love to hear if this resonates with anyone.

Honestly, I find peace and just being on my own. I just find it exhausting, seeing other people‘s life updates and everything, because as always, life isn’t always as people depict it on social media. Plus, I don’t like being anywhere in everywhere, seeing everything people post…

Unfollowed about 300 people on Instagram that I don’t even know so it’s only people that I know in person that I follow… Same thing on Facebook, people that I haven’t spoken to you in about a year, I unfriend.

I just find peace and the fact that I could be happy with my own company and I don’t need other people to make me feel happy.

Its my birthday today. If you read my most recent post (tldr friends are phasing me out although ive been there for ages) and I’ve gotten pretty much no acknowledgment for my birthday nor my existence. The others get spammed or just given wishes as soon as it hits midnight but im just wallowing away waiting for nothing. Happened last year aswell. Worst thing abt last year is that I posted a countdown on instagram as a reminder for em cuz why not. People forget birthdays everyday. Yet no birthday wishes. Idk if its me or if they are just horrible. I try my best to include everyone. Wish everyone a happy birthday even if i dont like them. Yet I receive nothing in return, not even an ounce of acknowledgment. I obviously have gotten messages from my family but thats different as we can all agree. Worst thing is people who i consider my best friends havent ever told me happy birthday, not even once. I dont even want gifts or to be put on a pedestal. I just wanna feel like I exist and feel seen.
Sorry for the horribly written thing i just cba to structure properly.

Physically, mentally, emotionally… since I had my son 2 years ago I just don’t feel right. I’ve had bloodwork and hormones checked and everything is normal. I used to feel strong, adventurous, positive, just healthy in general. But I’m tired all the time, I feel weak, I’m anxious, I’m sensitive to dumb things like heat outside... I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m not looking for a diagnosis, just wondering if anyone has ever felt this way? Am I alone in this feeling?

like completely wrong. we were in a meeting today and someone else said it and it hit me like a ton of bricks. the worst part is i'm pretty sure she knows i've been butchering it but has just been too nice to correct me. now i have to decide if i apologize and make it weird or just pretend it never happened lol

Since I was a child did I had a pretty noticeable mole on my left temple of my face. It was hard to ignore, but it never bothered me. Maybe because I grew up with it or maybe because I never heard anyone call it gross or something. And to be honest, I thought it was pretty distinct feature of me. Every time when I made a custom character in a video game did I added it.

That changed when my nephew called it gross and disgusting and others agreeing to it.

"Fine. Then I will get it surgically removed."

The last thing I want to do is gross out others, especially kids, so it makes sense to have it removed, right?

To be honest, now that it is gone and healed do I kinda miss it. It was always there when I looked in mirror but now it isn't. It feels like I miss something of my identity.

That's weird, isn't it?
To miss a gross mole?

I just felt like sharing this. If this isn't the right place for this then I will delete this post.

Anyway, I'm probably posting this partly for validation and partly because I genuinely want some honest opinions

A few months ago, I got an offer to play the lead in a show about a second marriage and a blended family. The script was honestly amazing, and the role felt perfect for me.......I'm 44F, and I went through everything with my agent as well as another senior person in the film industry whom I really trust

After a couple of rounds of discussions, I officially signed the contract and joined the cast. Principal photography starts in November, and I have my first photoshoot on Saturday

I've been acting for about 20 years. I've done lead and supporting roles in Hollywood, French, German and Spanish films/shows, but I've never done nude intimate scenes. I've obviously done kissing scenes and a couple of scenes that were intimate in nature...... but nothing like what this project requires

There are 2–3 intimate nude scenes in the series. They're completely relevant to the story and not meant to be erotic for the sake of being erotic. The production is also backed by a major studio, and there’s an intimacy coordinator, proper contracts, closed sets, etc.......so professionally I feel like I'm in a pretty safe and well managed environment.

My husband is also very supportive, so there’s no issue there. And yet......I've started feeling this weird heaviness about it.

I'm genuinely excited about the project. I love the script, I love the character, and I'm proud that I got this role.... But now that it's getting closer and becoming real, I'm feeling something I didn't expect

Maybe it's because I'm 44 and have been married for years. Maybe it's because I'm a mother of three teenagers......Maybe it's simply because I've never crossed this particular boundary professionally before.

I know intellectually that it's acting, it's part of the story, and that my body is my own. But emotionally, it still feels like a big step.

20m. Just got off a shift from my minimum wage retail job where i was told I was slacking behind everyone else even though i was trying my best. Safe to say i feel awful because theres no excuse for underperforming a job where you stock shelves and can be done by high schoolers. Made me feel like shit and its the reason im writing this.

Throughout my entire life myself and my parents have tried to find something that I both A, actually enjoy doing, and B, can actually get good at given reasonable practice. Piano for 7 years? Teacher thought I sucked ass and I quit. Skating? I was below average at it I guess, but i didnt like it. Wrestling? Fuck no. Cried in front of a stadium and realized I was way over my head. Fuck, even most online competitive games im dogshit at even after actually spending time practicing.

I'm currently in school for Engineering, which looks like the closest I've gotten to something I'm actually decent at. But even then I get average grades and I honestly have no idea if i would actually be a good fit for a job in that field. I'm honestly just relying on my interest and knowledge in the subject.

I genuinely just feel useless man. I'm a good person outside of my lack of skills, but I just feel like I don't belong in society. Even if there was something I would be good at given enough practice I don't think anyone would even have the patience or the time or the give-a-shit-ness to help or guide me.

I understand that reddit is full of mostly toxic losers whose whole life is based on how much they can be jerks but I always find it odd that you really can't just ask a question in subs geared toward a specific subject because of all the lifeless idiots who just insult you for not knowing.

I will always do a search in the sub first to see if my question has already been answered, and if not, just assume half the posts will be insults. If you go to the USPS and ask a question, most of the regulars will tell you how stupid you are. Same with the Ebay sub (one of the worst for this) - it's impossible to ask a question there because every single person in that sub is condescending and it's apparently hurting them to respond to your query.

I just find it weird that this is acceptable. I often find myself with a question about something and then realize going into a reddit sub and asking is just going to get a bunch of insults.

What other subs do you find this in?

edit: note the couple trolls in this thread proving my point, it's like lifeless MAGA nuts who make completely predictable cliched responses - you know it's coming, they know it yet they still do it. Just odd.

I’m in my almost-mid 40s and finding myself at a point where I genuinely feel like I have no one.
I have a husband and young children at school and preschool, but outside of my family I feel pretty alone. I’ve tried putting myself out there, including joining an online group and meeting new people, but I’m just not finding people I really mesh with.
It feels strange because I always had friends through high school and beyond, and I never expected to reach this stage of life and find friendship this difficult.
Even school drop-off and pick-up can feel uncomfortable when it seems like everyone already has their established groups. It’s not that I’m wanting to be part of the “mum crowd” — I’d just really like to find a few genuine people I click with, where the friendship feels mutual and natural rather than forced.
Has anyone else found themselves in this position in their 40s? Did you manage to change it, and if so, how did you actually meet your people?

I realized it when I noticed I was happier on the days they weren’t around. I had spent years trying to fix things, making excuses, and putting myself last just to keep them in my life. One day, I finally walked away. It hurt, but for the first time in years, I felt like I could breathe again. Leaving them didn’t ruin my life it gave me my life back.

Im suposed to make the most of the cards ive been dealth with but i only have garbage cards!

For ex im creative and talented but ugly and unhealthy. I much rather be untalented and boring but attractive. I could work so much better with that!

I hate this life im like a fucking stillbirth

Posting this again from this account because why not loll 😺✨

16F

Well I was just minding my own business cruising through insta because what else is there? And some guy starts to massage me, at that time I was really trying to find online friends so I replied back. Turns out the guy was from my school and asked me for some notes he wanted so I was ready to help him and that's how the conversation started at first, I was thinking he was guy really sweet and gentle UNTIL he started to ask me for "pics" which i assumed were supposed to be normal selfies so I told him to just look at the ones I posted yk well it wasn't unfortunately and when I realised what he wanted I told him to go fuck himself which really hit a nerve ig because he got fucking madd about it and possibly cursed out my whole bloodline, he even started calling me again and again laughing about how I'm too scared to pick up and honestly who wouldn't be with your mother right next to you? Anyway I blocked him and just tried to forget about it.

The next day at school was really boring as always since I'm an outcast and don't have any friends not to mention the school bullying.......and I was just wondering why I didn't get anything thrown at me today but well it didn't take long before I got pushed into THE corner and I can't really recognise any of these new bullies before that guy comes in and idk what different story he told those girls but they were clearly mad at me and before I could say anything the first kick landed right on the stomach mind you I was on my period that day so it felt way worse than ever before, at the end almost had my uniform ripped and my hair was a mess but atleast my face was fine after that I just ignored and avoided all the trouble that i could.

Please don't tell me to Complaint about this to the teacher or smth

Trust me they dgaf and I'm gonna switch schools next year so ig just a little more time hope I don't die before that but other than that everything is fine and I don't get bullied like this everyday at school just on some occasions. Usually it's just verbal, stealing my stuff and acting like I don't exist, it doesn't bother me anymore hehe.

✨✨✨

I don't know any bad people, am I sheltered

Looking through things around the house, and you're everywhere. You were an amazing human being. You weren't an angel or perfect, but you've been the greatest influence in my life.

You grew up in the fields of California, picking. Lived in Mexico as a child when things were hard in the states. Grew up in poverty. Dirt floors. Found a mentor to help you read and write even though the schools in California said you were "retarded". You almost made the Olympics as a wrestler and you surfed professionally. You raised award winning sheep and cattle and you always spoke with mastalgia about your time in the FFA. You talked about how the kids made fun of you in public school for bringing beans and tortillas from home. How you wished you could afford school lunches like the white kids.

I remember you telling me about the first time seeing a color TV at a well-to-do person's house, it was nothing like you'd seen before. It was something Disney, and Tinkerbell came out in the intro. She tapped her wand and color exploded. Decades later you always talked about the aww of it.

You were the only one in a family of four boys who accepted your Vietnam War draft and didn't look for a medical waiver. You served 30 years and ended your career as a Green Beret. You went on after you retired to help veterans for another 20+ years. To this day people still know you. People of importance tell me how you made a difference in their lives.

You're my idol. I know not every decision you made was the right one. But you always put family first. I love you Dad. I wish you were here to guide me now.

I hung your surf board up in my home. On the wall. It's at least 70 years old and I tell everyone about you when they ask. You might be the greatest human being I've ever known.

Vaya con dios

I'm in a terrible spot in life and don't see a way out for several years. I went through bankruptcy a few years ago, owe my family like 80k, I live in a low income apartment where I have a fridge and sink in my room and the bathrooms and kitchen are shared with the 30 other tenants on the floor.

My car is stuck half the country away and I can't afford to get it shipped yet, and public transit to my work means what would be a 27 minute drive takes me an hour and 55 minutes to get there, and I show up 20 minutes early. I'm effectively wasting 3.5 hours every day on transit.

I went from making $65/h to $17/h.

I'm stuck in a state where I have no friends, no family, and my attempts at trying to befriend some coworkers were met with soft no's to hanging out outside of work. This last rejection got to me because I thought this person and I clicked really well and they've been really social with me while we're taking the train together the last two weeks. After we went our separate ways on our transfers I zipped myself into my sweater I had on, put my hood up and bent over bawling my eyes out until I got to my stop.

And if I didn't need this job I have, I would've quit after how the GM of my store talked to me multiple days in a row. Two managers overheard it both times and couldn't believe I didn't walk off the job.

I'm so lonely and desperate just to be hugged that I literally want to pay someone to have that support for like 30 seconds.

I am always floored whenever I come across someone who love themselves despite not being conventionally attractive or who detached their value from external things like being employed, money, whatever.

Idk how they do it. Maybe they got nothing to lose but usually these metric in our society determine one's place in society. I mean it is all over us- billboards, tv shows, what is told online and by others, social media, yet these people seem to phase it all out and just be.

They never waver or feel less than anyone or bend, and hold themselves like CEO of a big company/president (as they should)

How do they do it?

I have a horrible habit of being so anxious that something will happen, that I make it happen. It’s to get it over with, even though it would’ve never realistically happened if I didn’t intentionally trigger it.

Scared I’m going to hurt someone’s feelings? I make a hurtful comment.

Scared I’m going to have too much to drink? I have way too much to drink.

Scared I’m going to stay in bed all day? I stay in bed all week.

I become so exhausted by the anxiety that I just do it so I can stop worrying about it. I have brought this up to friends, and they don’t seem to relate or understand. I am wondering if anyone relates, and looking for advice on how to sit in the anxiety?

I'm in my late 20s and I don't look the same as I do when I was 16 to 18, maybe even in my early 20s.

Progress has been slow but real over the years, perhaps due to age and greater responsibilities, and I no longer sleep all day or have such debilitating social anxiety that I don't go outside. I had no friends at all/no one to talk to besides two of my lifelong childhood friends and my mom. I was bullied and shunned for being odd, I was extremely anxious all the time, I never had the normal life experiences teenagers do when they're exploring themselves and the world in that developmental period.

Still, that same feeling of loneliness prevails. I have friends now but I don't, I feel fearful of deepening friendships because I'm afraid they'll see the embarrassing mentally ill parts of me and see me the way I see myself. I have close friendships but I live in perpetual fear of losing them, so I hardly text anyone or answer texts, I keep to myself. I feel embarrassed when I reach out to friends for a conversation, it's a weird complex that is self-conscious and insecure. I only talk often with my mom and dry out any other social contact. They say you should talk to friends daily or multiple times a week especially for social support, I don't have that and it feels humiliating to "beg" people for attention.

I've lost a lot of weight through exercise and put a lot of effort into my appearance for the better in the last year or so, and I think i get more attention because of it. Yet I feel this disparity between my looks and how I feel about myself. I think I'm still very much the same awkward loser who wore a hoodie every day with my hair hiding my face, who stumbles over their words, who is often ignored or talked over, someone with no real friends. It is strange, but the increased attention feels like a spotlight on my insecurities and weaknesses.

I want, need connection to others and I feel both desperate and avoidant. I'm embarrassed to admit that I've also always wanted to be friends with the "cool kids" and that has followed me as an adult. I want to be friends with people I admire but I don't feel worthy, and my awkward lack of social skills usually put them off anyway. My autonomy goes beyond what I was used to as a kid but I'm still stuck in that old box. It sucks.

What you attribute as a lack of intelligence is probably often just a lack of curiosity. Curiosity is the root of all learning. You cannot get answers if you don’t ask questions. And knowledge/intelligence is nothing but the knowing the answers to certain questions.

Recently I was working on my car with a friend and I forgot which is the clutch master cylinder and which is the clutch slave cylinder. I told him I’m being dumb again and that I forgot what the one I’m looking at is called.

He then explained to me why they’re called that. One is by the clutch pedal and takes your “master” input of depressing the clutch. Then the fluid that’s pushed out this “master cylinder” forces the slave cylinder to also move. It moves when the master tells it to, like a slave. Hence it’s the “slave cylinder”

It’s such a simple answer. And now I’ll probably never confuse the two. It’s not like I wasn’t smart enough to learn that. I just wasn’t curious enough. I didn’t bother to ask why they were given those names. For years I just thought it was a peculiar name for a car part and didn’t question it.

The world won’t put knowledge in your lap. That ends with school. For the rest of your years, fight against the urge to decide you know enough about something. “Rage against the dying of the light.”

There’s always more to learn. So never stop asking questions. It’s why children are such quick learners.

TLDR: Stay curious!

I love people are always going to argue and lose their shit about something and then I will have absolutely no clue about it like not even a hint I wouldn't even consider this is happening until it's mentioned

Like just imagine that. It's like a whole other world that you haven't been in

And this shit will die too so it's like a limited edition kind of world. Like sure people will argue about this until the end of times, but it won't be anywhere near like when this topic was at it's peak of popularity

And even at the peak of it's popularity, you might never hear of it

It makes everything seem more meaningless. How can I ever justify getting so upset or so emotionally invested in this, when there's a reality where I don't even acknowledge it's existence? It doesn't matter. I feel like the only thing that matters are only the thing my heart calls for because it desires it.