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Bored Panda

Donata Ruzgaitė

50 Photos That Make You Wonder If We’ve Already Crossed The Point Of No Return

VeryWell Mind

If you feel like you’ve been living in a dystopian cyberpunk story these past few years, you’re definitely not alone. There are silver linings to be found in life, sure… but overall, it seems like the world’s stuck in a perpetual crisis. And stability seems even more of an illusion than usual. It’s hard to know what to do when every week brings something unexpected.

What feels like it should belong in books, movies, and video games is, unfortunately, real life. To show you what this looks like, Bored Panda has curated this list of images that show just how dystopian things have gotten in the 21st century. Keep scrolling to lose some of that remaining faith in humanity that you’re protecting so hard.

#1 Good Article. No Surprises. “It’s Not About Wanting A Pay Raise Or Extra Income, It’s Just About Wanting A Livable Wage.”

Image credits: twentysixdoubleO

Arguably, the world is stuck in a permanent crisis or perma-crisis. Essentially, this refers to a prolonged period of insecurity and instability where crises are interconnected and overlap.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that life is completely awful, there’s no hope, or that there’s no beauty or happiness to be found. Quite the opposite. But it would be naive to turn a blind eye to all the major challenges that people living in modern times face. Life is complicated, and problems are often intertwined with the positives.

Not to mention the fact that human beings are hardwired to pay more attention to negative news than to positive information, meaning that the extent of the dystopia you think you’re in is (probably) exaggerated.

#2 Wow

Image credits: Krallorddark

#3 A Letter To Humans Of The Future On The Site Of Iceland's First Dead Glacier

Image credits: Lord_Balconyham

Negativity bias means that people tend to dwell on negative events longer, and they register negative stimuli more readily.

According to Verywell Mind, this is why you might feel worse after being criticized than you feel good after being praised. In a nutshell, due to this bias, traumas have long-term effects, bad impressions are hard to overcome, and people tend to notice (and later remember) negative things much more.

#4 Smiling Through The Dystopian Nightmare

Image credits: CrimsonGrimm

#5 Ad Is More Important Than Daylight

Image credits: LunarLuxa

#6 School Bus Advertisement For Body Armor

Image credits: reddit.com

Human beings tend to:

Pay more attention to negative events compared to positive ones
Learn more from negative experiences
Make decisions based on negative information
React more strongly to negative stimuli
Think about negative things more frequently than positive ones
Remember negative events more vividly
Be more motivated to avoid something negative than to gain something positive
Believe negative news to be more truthful

#7 Whoever Made This Billboard Can Shove It

Image credits: zuzuofthewolves

#8 Upvote If You Would Never Donate Money To Kylie Jenner

Image credits: reddit.com

#9 It Went So Far It Doesn't Seem Real Anymore... But It Is

Image credits: reddit.com

There’s an evolutionary basis for focusing on all the negative stuff so much. It’s basically your brain’s way of keeping you safe(r).

As per Verywell Mind, paying attention to negative, dangerous, threatening things found in the world “was literally a matter of life and death.”

Individuals who paid more attention to all the bad stuff in their environment were more likely to survive and procreate, passing on their genes.

#10 Reality Is Often Disappointing

Image credits: cunnyslam

#11 Shout Out The Worst Place I Ever Worked (Minimum Wage, Of Course)

Image credits: reddit.com

#12 Having To Scan A QR Code In Case Of Emergency

Image credits: mymantheguy

So, how do you actually function properly when you’re constantly bombarded by stress and anxiety-inducing news? It’s not exactly rocket science, but it does require discipline. For one, you’ve got to reprioritize your well-being, getting your physical and mental health back in shape. And secondly, you’ve got to limit and recontextualize all the negative things you see online.

In terms of your well-being, make sure that you’re getting the basics right. Make sure that you’re getting enough sleep, water, and nutritious food. Spend time with your loved ones, friends, and coworkers who energize rather than drain you.

Get plenty of exercise. Spend time outdoors. Focus on your hobbies and other purposeful activities. Meditate. Avoid drinking alcohol, smoking, eating processed foods, and spending time with toxic people.

#13 This Billboard Like 100 Ft Off My College Campus

Image credits: Aarwolf

#14 Ah Yeah Heaven

Image credits: giz-a-kiss

#15 This Dystopia Is Boring, I’m Plugging In

Image credits: buzzwrong

Naturally, if you’re constantly anxious, then you need to review your digital habits as well. If you spend a large portion of your day scrolling social media, browsing the news, and getting agitated, clearly, something needs to change.

That’s not to say that staying up-to-date with the news isn’t important. It is, very much so. But there’s a balance between staying informed and obsessing over every tiny update.

#16 My Fortune Cookie Had A Qr Code Ad Inside

Image credits: CAD8033

#17 We Live In A Dystopia

Image credits: JPHilllllll

#18 Ads Playing On Repeat Inside My School

Image credits: AragamiDF

When every piece of new information is world-shattering Breaking News, nothing is. If you think everything is urgent and that your life depends on following every single social media post or bit of news that comes out, you’ll burn out sooner rather than later.

According to Search Engine Journal, the average person worldwide spends around 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every single day.

The New York Times suggests that one of the ways you could cut back on screen time is to use apps that gamify how long you don’t use your smartphone. The goal is to turn time away from your phone into a habit.

#19 AI Company's 'Stop Hiring Humans' Ads All Over Sf

Image credits: MetaKnowing

#20 How Is Underpaid Child Labor Legal?

Image credits: LilPeep1k

#21 This Year, Give Your Special Someone The Gift Of Accessing The American Healthcare System

Image credits: RumHam2010

Another way to do this is to physically separate yourself from your devices so that you’re present and focused on the people closest to you.

For example, you could set one day each week when you and your family put away your phones. Of course, bring your phone with you in case there’s an emergency, but keep it out of sight.

#22 We Are Truly Living In A Dystopian Time Period

Image credits: Phil_Lewis_

#23 My University Is Replacing The Graduation Announcer With An AI Announcer

Image credits: fruitytonic

#24 This Packet Of Microwave Noodles Has AI Generated Packaging

Image credits: Sjknight413

What’s more, you could try charging your phone in another room than where you sleep or getting a physical alarm clock to wake you up. You could even consider getting a so-called dumbphone so that you only use it for what’s strictly necessary, instead of mindlessly browsing social media.

#25 Don't Solve The Problem, Just Spend Tons Of Money To Ignore It

Image credits: reddit.com

#26 USA Auctioning Humanitarian Daily Rations In Hawaii

Image credits: Bigbadmayo

#27 Had My First AI Drive Through Experience

Image credits: lonelywhalien52

At the end of the day, staying informed about the most important news and trends is vital not only to survive but also to thrive. But your physical and mental health come first. And that means limiting how much negative information you consume (even though your brain is constantly urging you to!).

#28 What A Time To Be Alive

Image credits: 1195Goldust

#29 This Is Veterans Row. A 3 Block Homeless Camp In West L.A. Where Homeless Veterans Live In

Image credits: reddit.com

#30 Large Company Filled With Over Worked And Underpaid Employees Decided To Do A Squid Games Themed Team Building Day In An Apparent Lack Of Self-Awareness

No one seemed to notice the irony… That the contestants are victims of a dystopian capitalist society and are out for themselves, not the team…

Image credits: Witty_G_22

What do you think, Pandas?

Which of these images do you think most accurately represents the current state of the world? What do you personally believe are the biggest challenges that people living in this day and age face?

Realistically, what do you think could be done to move the world away from the dystopian nightmare it seems to be stuck in? How do you moderate the amount of time you spend on social media and reading the news? Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions in the comments at the bottom of this post.

#31 Stop This Dystopian Acceptance

Image credits: Dragonwick

#32 This Store Announces They Collect Your Biometric Data

Image credits: wood_nich

#33 This Display Is How I Learned That Missouri Banned An Introductory Book About Oil Painting

Image credits: UndyingCorn

#34 My Company Made $1 Billion In Revenue And We Get Cupcakes To Celebrate

During my annual performance meeting, I thankfully received a 4% raise, but I am still paid $18k under the poverty line for my city. But at least I get free cupcakes next week!