Gaming, television, music, movies, food, culture and the general appearance of everyone seemed to be so much better in the 90s.

Friends and Buffy posters? This guy shared a room with his sister.

What honestly happened to the optimism of the past that seemed to evaporate when the new century started? Everything feels so hollow and sterile, even your average human looks like they’re either dead inside or infused with microplastics.

>>715783789
9/11
Bad news overwhelmingly covered by the media as society's loss of traditions has left an unsolveable hole where a potentially good news can now hardly matter to everyone
2007 and normalfags + corporations getting more and more into Internet has led to an even more perverse evolution of the aforementioned phenomenon, as bad news, even if irrelevant (see:Internet drama), is among the most efficient ways of getting attention and/or money.

>>715783789
war on terror, war on drugs, 2008 financial crash, weakening unions, patriot act, etc. bush administration made what was already shit worse, and the obama admin didn't revert any of it.

>>715784173
>corporations getting more and more into Internet has led to an even more perverse evolution of the aforementioned phenomenon, as bad news, even if irrelevant (see:Internet drama), is among the most efficient ways of getting attention and/or money.
I think you are on the money in this one.