The Age of Meh

Netflix, iPhones, Spotify, Facebook, Twitter, Frozen, Candy Crush, Pinterest, iPads, Breaking Bad, a new Marvel Superhero film every 6 months, Kate Upton’s rack, in-flight WiFi, The Book of Mormon, America contends for the World Cup, a black guy is President, a woman runs the Federal Reserve, Elon Musk is a real-life Tony Stark, gay marriage legalized, weed decriminalized, the new Batman trilogy, Uber, the Eagles are touring again, Game of Thrones, Daft Punk’s breakthrough, 50 Shades of Grey, all-time highs in the stock market, record household wealth, Jennifer Lawrence, Zach Galifiankis, LeBron, Arcade Fire and Chipotle.

What the f*** else do you people need to be happy?

meh

PRINCETON, NJ — Twenty-two percent of Americans are satisfied and 76% are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. at this time. Americans’ satisfaction has been quite stable this year, ranging narrowly between 22% and 25%.

The last time a majority of Americans were satisfied with the direction of the country was more than a decade ago, a 55% reading in January 2004. Further, satisfaction has not topped 40% since July 2005, amid a struggling economy, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and declining confidence in government. This period also saw satisfaction sink to an all-time low of 7% in October 2008, shortly after the financial crisis hit.

While satisfaction is higher today than back then, it has only exceeded 30% for two brief stretches since 2008.

Some good stuff has happened, like the above examples – all since the January 2004 “happiness peak” – have we forgotten how to be satisfied?

It’s the Age of Meh.

You probably feel sort of ambivalent about that too.

This content, which contains security-related opinions and/or information, is provided for informational purposes only and should not be relied upon in any manner as professional advice, or an endorsement of any practices, products or services. There can be no guarantees or assurances that the views expressed here will be applicable for any particular facts or circumstances, and should not be relied upon in any manner. You should consult your own advisers as to legal, business, tax, and other related matters concerning any investment.

The commentary in this “post” (including any related blog, podcasts, videos, and social media) reflects the personal opinions, viewpoints, and analyses of the Ritholtz Wealth Management employees providing such comments, and should not be regarded the views of Ritholtz Wealth Management LLC. or its respective affiliates or as a description of advisory services provided by Ritholtz Wealth Management or performance returns of any Ritholtz Wealth Management Investments client.

References to any securities or digital assets, or performance data, are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Charts and graphs provided within are for informational purposes solely and should not be relied upon when making any investment decision. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The content speaks only as of the date indicated. Any projections, estimates, forecasts, targets, prospects, and/or opinions expressed in these materials are subject to change without notice and may differ or be contrary to opinions expressed by others.

Wealthcast Media, an affiliate of Ritholtz Wealth Management, receives payment from various entities for advertisements in affiliated podcasts, blogs and emails. Inclusion of such advertisements does not constitute or imply endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation thereof, or any affiliation therewith, by the Content Creator or by Ritholtz Wealth Management or any of its employees. Investments in securities involve the risk of loss. For additional advertisement disclaimers see here: https://www.ritholtzwealth.com/advertising-disclaimers

Please see disclosures here.

What's been said:

Discussions found on the web
  1. bmo online commented on Jan 14

    … [Trackback]

    […] Read More on that Topic: thereformedbroker.com/2014/08/16/the-age-of-meh/ […]