Delta9:
What social media has really done is make it more overtly obvious than ever before that the game is completely and hopelessly rigged against most of us in so many areas of life including financial/work and personal/romantic relationships that the idea of giving up and not caring to try anymore has become not only acceptable, but encouraged in a growing portion of the population.
All this leads to changing values, with less emphasis being put on relationships, families, jobs, home ownership, health, and even self autonomy. If those things are unattainable, then why try or place value on them?
You can try to find data that contradicts whether these things are really happening, and it's not that much harder than it's ever been.
BUT, I think that many people feel or perceive that it's true, which leads them to behave accordingly.
This is such a self-report.
Something that I've noticed is that you've repeatedly brought up how things have gotten better for women in the dating market, but "certain" men are being left behind.
Let's just call a spade a spade.
Women are being taught that they don't have to settle for a man who will treat them poorly or rely on a man for survival. As such, we are less likely to settle for any old man.
Men from all walks of life are finding long-term partnerships with women. It doesn't matter your age, race, socioeconomic status, lifestyle, etc. - there's a woman who's into that. It might take a bit of patience, but it can be done.
However, if you are out here monologing about how the West is on the decline, and women don't want certain kinds of men, you'll never find someone. That sort of thing is woman-repellent.
When men say stuff like this, women hear, "I'm not happy, so I'll take it out on you. I'm not safe to be around. If you can't fulfill this hyper-specific idea of what I want in a partner, I will make that your problem."
I can't tell you how many times I've encountered a guy I would happily date until he opened his mouth and started talking.
Domme though I am, I will never
ever make the mistake of dating an insecure man. That is, as the cool kids say, hell on earth. I did it once, and I regretted it so much. Never again.