Why aren't many young people fascinated by space anymore?

[JakeWIlls92]

It seems like back in the 1960s all the way up to the 90s people were optimistic for humanity's future. People were optimistic even under nuclear annihilation. Now it seems barely any young people are fascinated by space. Most of the older young people I know who are senior High School and first year college students who enjoy sci fi other than Star Wars or Marvel have only gotten into a game series called Mass Effect. They have never heard of masterpieces like Babylon 5 or Battlestar Galactica. Mass Effect is heavily influenced by BSG and B5.



What happened to us an society? And what can we do to promote fascination in space? What makes Mass Effect better than Star Trek or BSG?

 

[miketx]

Because a lot of them are stupid and think the moon landing was fake.

 

[Gracie]

Millenials.

 

[MarathonMike]

Video games and cell phones occupy young people's minds now. Not much room left for imagination.

 

[miketx]

Video games and cell phones occupy young people's minds now. Not much room left for imagination.

Or the math and science needed to get there.

 

[gulfman]

The younger folks are too spaced out to care

 

[MisterBeale]

They know we are controlled, on a prison.

 

[MisterBeale]

If it is any consolation, this game was in the top ten games for 2019. My kid wanted it for xmas.

 

[BULLDOG]

Trying to determine our interest in space by comparing popularity of video games? That's one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.

 

[miketx]

Trying to determine our interest in space by comparing popularity of video games? That's one of the dumbest things I have ever heard.

You must never heard have Joe Biden speak, or Nutty Cortez.

 

[toobfreak]

It seems like back in the 1960s all the way up to the 90s people were optimistic for humanity's future. People were optimistic even under nuclear annihilation. Now it seems barely any young people are fascinated by space.

The answer is simpler (stranger?) than you think. The reason why young people are losing interest in space is because of light pollution. When I was a kid, the night sky was strewn with stars. Rampant, uncontrolled, wasteful, unnecessary light pollution + population growth has essentially wiped out the night sky for 90% of most people. Most people see few or no stars at all going out at night now. When I was a kid, it was like an explosion of stars in your face that you almost fell over backwards saying WOW!

Instead, kids are inside now playing video games or fiddling with their smartphone. Whereas space was something I was constantly reminded of and could almost reach out and touch, it is an almost intangible abstraction to kids now---- far removed from everyday life; why should they think of it al all?

 

[fncceo]

Space, the way NASA does it is like watching paint dry.

Real space will never be as exciting as movies and TV. It's like real policing vs Hollywood policing.

Also, manned space flight is not feasible in the near future. The costs involved are too prohibitive.