A wicked suspicion came into my mind a few days ago.

[zanana1]

There are crowds of young people going unmasked all over the country. Now I'm 68 and I might be a tad sensitive, but could it be that, because older people are particularly susceptible, young people don't care if they get Covid? Do they think we have "one foot in the grave" anyway?

[sunonmars]

1. There is a big element of selfishness in it, its true, they think these things won't affect them

They like all of us did at that age, learn the hard way. Its also a product of the "now now now" generation they are in too.

[Eyeball_Kid]

7. Youth carries its special brand of invincibility. It's natural even if it's deadly.

The younger demographic that is denying the potency of the virus don't yet understand that the virus does more than infect the respiratory system. It harms the vital organs of those who are infected and survive. From what we know so far, the organ damage is permanent. This virus is not the flu, and it's not a variation of the flu. It's far worse.

It apparently DOES have something in common with another old friend of ours, the common cold. The common cold is a virus: a coronavirus. After we catch the common cold and recover, we have an immunity from infection that lasts for about 2-3 months. That limited immunity appears to be a characteristic of the COVID-19 virus as well, according to a recently released Chinese study.

Further, it appears that the virus mutates rapidly. Consistent with any natural selection process, random mutations can variously benefit or damage the survival of a virus. But there may be further evidence coming from China that a mutated strain is even more transmissible than previous strains. That's not good news.

[Fresh_Start]

2. I don't find the young today to be particularly selfish

that being said, if I was old and a child that paid no attention to me for the last 5 years suddenly starts lavishing attention on me, I would wonder if they are trying to accelerate their inheritance.

[brooklynite]

3. This verges on a conspiracy theory worthy of alerting on...

[lagomorph777]

5. Kidding right?

I don't even understand how it could be considered speculation. We see it on TV every day. There are COVIDiots everywhere and they clearly don't give a shit about anybody else, nor do they think COVID will hurt them.

[Hoyt]

4. I don't take it personally, and don't believe most youngsters want to expose us old folks.

They just want to live and have fun, and aren't mature enough to see that might hurt others.

I do wish we could convince everyone to wear a mask.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

6. Agree. They're not "out to get me".

I'm just irrelevant. They don't see me.

Or my lawn, dammit!

[forthemiddle]

8. Boomer Remover

In the beginning of the pandemic, that was a catch phrase used on social media by the young kids to describe the virus.

https://www.newsweek.com/boomer-remover-meme-trends-virus-coronavirus-social-media-covid-19-baby-boomers-1492190

[Mariana]

9. You're really, really reaching here.

Whether you believe it or not, everything isn't about you.

[empedocles]

10. I suspect many, including; binge drinkers, alcoholics, drug abusers, mill/grass cutter/toxic

environment workers, etc., etc. - often never have protected themselves with masks, etc. For various reasons, they don't get it.

Since they don't get it, they don't see themselves as being possible Covid carriers either.

Then, they may see themselves as getting off with light symptoms, if exposed.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

11. No. Young people think they're invincible and immortal and take stupid chances.

They aren't out there intending to kill off us old folks; they're just doing what they've always done. I probably would have behaved the same way, considering the stupid, dangerous stuff I did as a teenager.

[dhill926]

13. exactly...

I'm actually kind of surprised to still be here at the ripe old age of 66 after the shit I pulled...

[LakeArenal]

12. Young people give old people very little thought.

They are concerned about how everyone views them not the other way around.

No offense, but what makes you think anyone is thinking about you at all.

My experience is I get more invisible as I get older.

Like homophobes who think every gay guy is going to make a move or “recruit” them.
What an ego to think gay men look at them at all.

[Hortensis]

15. A lot of truth to this. Adolescence doesn't end in adult

brain development until after about 25. Anyone besides me look back at him or herself at that age in dismayed wonder? Their friends are their world, what others think of them far more concerning to most than the pandemic. Just how they're wired.

That said, they're all individuals of all types, with individual family realities, and not at all too stupid to realize they could inherit whatever from a relative while young rather than 20 or 40 years down the road. Most are probably horrified at a thought quickly banished, but some not.

Lol, to the reality of getting invisible with age. (Might as well laugh.) For service workers. For our older, teen grandchildren I feel more like I suddenly became "background" to their absorbing lives. Presumably someday to be bequeathed to their own small children as a gift of the loving grandma they had. If I'm not too breakable or dead by then.

[Hestia]

14. At first, I was wondering about the "old folks" getting and passing from COVID-19.

Just read somewhere that the "Silent & Boomer" generations are sitting on $845T of assets (average $250,000 due to homes) that will be inherited. Kudlow's definition of pulling yourself up by your bootstraps.

Plus, savings in Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security.

I guess they did some ciphering that showed the cost benefit of letting grandma being up against the death panels. They really do do that, the human cost vs the economy. Powell came out in, I think March, and talked about it, that the human toll is too large to not put money into people's wallets until the virus runs through the country or vaccine or ??

That is when IQ45 went on the rampage about opening up the economy. (Remember, he gets the reports 12 hours earlier than we do.)

Now, it seems the average is 27 y/o - 39 y/o, the party age range. Their moms and dads, along with grandparents are staying home.

Again, if all consumer debt had just been forgiven, we'd be in a better place right now. People can sit down and think rationally and long-term about how to go about this when the bills are paid off. What new economy and workplace/jobs will be created. We ain't going back and now is the time to kick out the billionaires, who get absolutely no seat at the table. But if they are holding our debt, they will demand one.

[zanana1]

16. I could have worded this differently.

It's really about being thought of as irrelevant.