The Vanishing Generation

Why are young women choosing to recede into nothing?

I recently experienced a perplexing situation, and was hoping that some of you readers might offer insight, because I have no idea what has happened to young women, or why.

These past months I’ve been taking a beginners’ oil painting class, which is open to the general public. Any and all adults are welcome. Fourteen (14) students signed up for the class, as follows: 11 women in their 20s, 2 older women, and 1 elderly woman. (No guys, though I’m not sure why.)

First day of class, as students arrived, the strangest thing happened. Of the 11 women in their 20s, 10 presented themselves in the exact same way, exhibiting the same affect. Each entered the room head down, looking at the floor, shoulders slumped not only forward but inwards, chests concave, walking slowly and silently in unusually short steps, feet barely lifted above the floor, so tentative, almost shuffling. As each appeared, I said good morning, or hello. And each of the 10 young women reacted to my greeting in the same way. She looked up at an angle, head still down, wide-eyed, blankly startled, with a clear hint of fear as if suddenly threatened. Not one of them replied, all frozen for startled seconds, before looking back down and drifting away.

Strange. Bizarre. And more than a little disturbing.

Ten (10) out of 11 young women.

To tell you a little more about them. They are all college educated, and from their vehicles, clothing, grooming, etc., they are all clearly middle to upper-middle class types. So they are among the most privileged young women out there.

Perhaps my description of their affect sounds exaggerated, but it isn’t. If anything, it doesn’t fully convey the reality. As the weeks have gone by, class after class occurring, I’ve continued to observe them. They don’t really acknowledge each other, or speak more than a few words and only then when necessary, or outwardly engage in any normal (to my thinking) way. They seem impassive shells of nothingness. Every class, I always say good morning or hello to each as she arrives (because I’m not going to stop being an appropriately pleasant person). But though they see me every class, and know I’m not a threat, they all continue to react in that wide-eyed startled way, tinged with fear. And not one of them has ever said hello in return.

I have no idea what has happened. Zero. Nada. Why have young women become flinching and hesitant, folding in upon themselves as if trying to disappear, having no ability whatsoever to interact in a safe and benign location? If you know, please tell me.

(If you are thinking they are introverts, in the classic sense, they aren’t. I’m a fairly extreme introvert myself, so know of what I speak, and this ain’t that. It is something strangely different.)

Ten (10) young women. Perhaps that isn’t an adequate sample from which to draw general conclusions. But then again, maybe it is, because these 10 young women are originally from different parts of the country, come from different backgrounds, and attended different colleges, so they do seem to be a reasonable, if unscientific, sampling. And though each reached the painting class via her own unique life route, they all ended up with the same disturbing affect. Riddle me that.

An unrelated topic, though maybe not entirely. I was just reading an article that discussed the ideal job for many 20-something women. They want to work from home, doing as very little as possible, while being paid high salaries and appreciated for their scant efforts. This isn’t a conclusion- they are openly candid about wanting to work as little as possible. They call it the “lazy girl” goal. They believe that if they have such a job, then they’ve won! Somehow. Having no concept of the soul-sucking existence they’re craving.

I don’t know what to think. I’m not sure how to avoid being disheartened, heart-broken, sad, and a little angry. What has happened to young women?!?!

Sad and disheartened, indeed, but I will leave you on a positive note. The 11th young woman in the class? She is a big, natural redheaded farm girl from Texas, well-educated, who has zero problem standing tall, squaring her shoulders, and looking a person in the eye while conversing. I thank her for her existence.