Are we all DEPRESSED!?

[@christineharclerode3101]

Hello ! I am an old soul and I was thrilled when I found your channel. I wear dresses everyday and surround myself with as much vintage and antique pieces as I can. I love the comfort of older pieces and how they give you this warm content peaceful feeling. Growing up in the 80s and 90s without social media was such a huge blessing and I only wish my own children didn’t have to deal with the pressures social media brings to this generation growing up. We try very hard in our family to maintain traditional values… We go to mass on Sundays, have sit down dinners together, movie nights with popcorn and so on. Keep making your videos and speaking on this beautiful lifestyle.

[@Melonlordrinrei]

As someone that has long covid now, I do think that a reason for depression worsening in many people is that they saw how society could be in the pandemic, in terms of community care, and it was taken away from us in the name of capitalism. The social contract has been broken (at least in the UK) by the breaking down of even the illusion of care. Many don't have a community anymore, and reach out to times where they had that community, or a time era where there was community support. There's a lot of knowledge, and a strong disconnect from your surroundings that affects the mind massively

[@Realvintagedollshouse]

You are so right, that is incredibly interesting ❤

[@Realvintagedollshouse]

Also I wish you positive health with your long covid ❤❤❤

[@buntysvintageemporium3632]

I absolutely agree with you. I'm not keen on the "Modern" times. I'm a Typewriter collector and use them every day. I write with Fountain pens and have penpals all over the world. I lived with my Granny who was born in 1921, I have inherited her values.

[@susanjames2994]

I think each generation steps further away from their parents values. Pride in your home - when I was growing up my mother, and all the neighbours, cleaned their doorstep, swept the path, my grandad kept the garden tidy regularly however now I never see my neighbours doing either. Gardens tend to be hit and miss, whether they're owned by someone who can pay someone to do it, or those people who enjoy gardening. A quick look out my window and the only "neat" garden is mine.... My grandparents knew all their neighbours up and down the street, my parents knew their neighbours a few doors up and down and I know by name my immediate neighbours left and right and thats only because I pass the time of day with them going out to work in a morning. So the sense of community there has reduced. Commercialism and credit cards - now everyone has them, however my parents and grandparents would never dream of having one. If you couldn't afford something, you did without. You took care of the things you did have (washed the car every week if you had one, cleaned and buffed your leather shoes etc. If something wore out, you tried to fix it before replacing it (think resoling your shoes). But then on the other hand, they could get mortgages much easier than people can now. They could afford to have one (typically the wife) stay at home to look after the children and they had more money leftover after paying their bills to put something aside for holidays or a rainy day. Nowadays all we hear are adverts for people in financial distress and I wonder how much of that is due to taking on credit cards and loans for items not actually required. Everyone seems to want the best cars, the best phones, the best holidays, the best clothes etc.... Speaking of houses, I'm with you - i think that historical houses are much nicer to look at (build quality can sometimes be hit or miss "God bless double glazing and loft insulation"), Nowadays new builds, in my opinion, are very samey. However I couldn't live without today's technology - I love my ipad, laptop, phone and would hate to be without them (OK maybe I could lose the ipad and phone). Technology is one of the few ways that sense of community is achieved with you able to communicate with like minded individuals. As someone with depression, i don't know if it was as prevalent in the past as it is today (and just hidden or diagnosed as something else (neurosis or shellshock being examples)) however I do think the modern times do not help it. All we ever seem to hear is bad news and I know that doesn't help mine. I do like the vintage aesthetic however not necessarily all their values (sexism, racism, homophobia etc). However I do applaud their make do and mend, lack of consumerism (credit cards etc), that sense of community as well as common courtesy and manners that people had then which seem to have disappeared a lot now. I think its a shame that you no longer know who you're going to see if you go to the doctors - IF you can get an appointment. And when you do, you're rushed through your appointment so that they can conveyor belt the next patient in. OK, going to quit rambling now as I go back and forth....

[@juliette47575]

🎩 - for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons though is that the past is defined - it happened. It cannot be changed. There is a kind of safety in that which is not present in the present or future, which are full of unknowns.

[@Realvintagedollshouse]

This is such a brilliant and thought provoking response ❤

[@juliette47575]

@@Realvintagedollshouse Thanks lovely - have really enjoyed your first three episodes. Super excited for more!

[@yellowbirch2498]

I'm a stay-at-home mum of four and 1940s enthusiast and I find that it really helps me remain positive. With the cost of living crisis in the UK, I totally attempt to marry what we're experiencing with the Keep Calm and Carry On attitude during the war. The past wasn't perfect, but neither is the present. For example, I would have died in childbirth with my youngest if I had been living in the 1940s - so glad to have had him in 2022! However, so many things have been thrown out in terms of traditional values, in the pursuit of progress and modernisation. Women, far from having a choice about whether they stay in the home or go out to work, are now financially forced to go to work and pay someone else to look after their kids. And the vast majority hate it. I don't think that's what women's lib had in mind. We are bombarded with social media telling us what we should weigh, eat, wear, buy, believe. Again, I think people in the past would be shocked by how little people read, walk, spend time with their family. Don't even get me started on hook up culture. When did we teach young men and women that they were just a chew toy to be mauled and then spat out? I think self worth these days is somewhere down with the dinosaur bones. So no, there are some things that are best left in the past but I think people are also starting to realise that, when it comes to values, we may have thrown the baby out with the bathwater.

[@mabel8179]

I feel you and I have some things in common: growing up in a low income working class background where many items where hand me downs, charity shop buys (which has been an on going feature of my life). a liking for old things and history plus a grandparently influence (in my case my paternal Granddad's 1930s semi full of old things and had pretty much stopped in time to the early 1940s. He even had the Bakelite light switches!). I still prefer shopping for "pre loved" and vintage items (whether in charity shops or online) over new things.

[@samryanenv]

This is why I love the alternative / eco / permaculture world. You can bring the best of the past and present! And its hopeful and meaningful. We live in an intentional eco community where neighbours know and support each other, we grow our own veg, we have a community hall for shared events, we have chickens and goats in collectives / coops. We also still have internet and double glazing etc. Its not some sort of paradise without its problems, but it is a pretty amazing way to live balancing old and new. To be achieved, we built a small simple strawbale house, we both work part time (so we are both part "trad" roles, both part moden working roles). I know this comes with priveledge but also choice. We are in our 30s, grew up working-middle class (first in our family to go to uni etc). Really just sharing so others can hopefully find this eco / permie / whatever-it-is way

[@tommyatkins1914]

To answer your initial question: yes. Modern life and the advent of Big Brother is very depressing.

[@susandamico3184]

In the 70s many folks went to the live off the land trend, solar, gardens etc.

[@practicalspirit90]

A thoughtful meditation on why nostalgia and escapism are so popular these days. . I teach college students and there is definitely a anti-tech/modern vibe right now - and I don't blame young folks for slowing down, enjoying life, and smelling the roses. (Also - haven't heard the word "cluttercore" yet. Hilarious!) Just discovered your podcast and look forward to catching up on all of them! Looking forward to watching your interviews!

[@rubylace9963]

Hii I'm also a gamer who loves old things and I love your videos 🥰 It's funny because I watch older movies and not seeing them on their phones makes me feel nostalgic *yet* I love my phone as it feels like having a computer inside my pocket. If you took my phone away I'd be pissed off yet I dream of "old times". Being able to connect online with others has helped a lot of people feel less lonely but it makes you wonder if we've all just relied too heavily on social media so much to the point that we don't feel the need to connect to those around us in our own neighbourhoods. People now are more lonely than ever yet we can talk to anybody. It's a lot to think about..

[@lisaj9412]

Interesting this came up now as it was only the other day I thought how really we may have suffered collective trauma due to the pandemic .It’s got to have affected us all in some way surely??

[@Ashs-mini-vlogs]

One thing I’ve done is got rid of my social media sites best thing I ever did

[@elysiumnat2958]

My parents hate how the 1960’s is depicted in the uk. Up north, life was pretty rough, and a lot of it is London wealth and pop culture. There wasn’t 18yrolds pushing coal in a pram up a street 6 months pregnant 😂 Whether today, tomorrow or yesterday, life is a struggle.

[@susandamico3184]

Log burner is this century fuel instead of eons old fuel

[@ashlingsmith2256]

Loved it 😊

[@ginapritts6158]

🎩

[@smileyraw]

I’m not on social media , was a kid in the 90s, try to live a vintage lifestyle but considering how happy I was and the hope in the uk in the 90s, I feel so fed up most of the time. There is nothing to get excited about. Everything is too expensive, education sucks, I know I work in it, everything fun has been replaced with technology and we have also had the Tories in power for so long. British culture has also disappeared.

[@peacefullyme4556]

I’m a stay at home wife and mother who has found after many years with my husband that we work a lot better and cohesively when a few “traditional” roles are established. More because we both know what is happening by who and when. I’m only 32 and have been a 1950’s fashion/music/decor enthusiast since I was a young teenager so I’ve accidentally fallen into the tradwife category but I’ve honestly never been happier 🩷