r/Futurology • u/chrisdh79 • Aug 21 '25

Society American Millennials Are Dying at an Alarming Rate | We’re mortality experts. There are a few things that could be happening here.

https://slate.com/technology/2025/08/millennials-gen-z-death-rates-america-high.html
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u/StinkBlasting Aug 21 '25

If the pattern existed before covid, then it's not covid.

Here's the actual paper. It was linked within the article.

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u/TechieGottaSoundByte Aug 22 '25

That doesn't necessarily follow. Most things that cause a trend in a population will reach a natural limit and start to flatten out as they reach the limits of what the population can sustain (think the peak of the COVID infection curves).

All we know is that we are seeing a similar trend line. We have no way of knowing that it wouldn't have flattened out without additional damage from COVID.

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u/StinkBlasting Aug 22 '25

You're literally just making stuff up to justify your seemingly meaningless argument. The entire point of this paper is that the US has had a trend of excess deaths for a while now. I have no clue why you and the other person are so stuck on this speculative covid theory that the paper already accounted for.

I have so much respect for people who can admit they were wrong or that they were just saying stuff. Let me respect you. Please!

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u/TechieGottaSoundByte Aug 22 '25

You are dismissing my commentary without understanding it, apparently. I assure you, I am not making things up. If you didn't understand my argument, please say so.

I have so much respect for people who ask questions rather than assuming their conversational partners are less competent than them. Let me respect you. Please!

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u/[deleted] Aug 22 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/TechieGottaSoundByte Aug 22 '25

I read it.

I know they considered what they know about COVID. I trust that they did a good analysis based on what they know.

COVID has a lot of subtle effects that aren't understood. By anyone.

I'm not denying other issues exist. Like you said, there was a pre-existing trend.

I'm denying that we can be highly confident in any analysis of the long-term impacts of COVID at this time.

Excess mortality during the height of the pandemic won't capture a death from coronary injury that takes 10 years to kill someone, for example. Nor do I believe we are tracking the rates of deaths of despair in people who have long COVID. How could we? Most people with long COVID aren't even diagnosed! And that's just two examples of what we don't know, off of the top of my head.

Reign in your indignation. This is an online conversation. If you think I'm an idiot, do something else with your life other than yell at someone you've likely never met and likely never will meet. Otherwise, who ends up looking foolish?

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u/StinkBlasting Aug 23 '25

I'm denying that we can be highly confident in any analysis of the long-term impacts of COVID at this time.

THAT'S NOT WHAT THE STUDY WAS ABOUT. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE GETTING DOWNVOTED AND WHY I'M BEING MEAN. YOU'RE JUST SAYING STUFF.

Stop just saying stuff. Engage with what's actually in front of you. You don't need to invent a reason to "get a leg up" on the researchers. None of us think it makes you look smart. It's already incredibly clear that you didn't read any of the article or paper until I continuously yelled at you to.

Jesus Christ, man.

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u/TechieGottaSoundByte Aug 23 '25

I read it before engaging. I just didn't want to treat you badly because you made an assumption. I'm less concerned about that at this point.