SINGAPORE: A 25-year-old woman has shared how six months of unemployment and the responsibility of caring for a parent have left her “feeling like a failure,” especially as she watches her peers progress in their careers and enjoy financial independence.
In a post on Reddit, the woman said finding a job had been difficult and admitted that she had little savings to fall back on. Her caregiving responsibilities have also made her circumstances different from those of her peers.
“Sometimes I look at my friends—they have great careers, savings, travel, cars, nice things, and seem to have everything going for them, while I feel like my life is just stuck and going nowhere.”
Although she acknowledged that everyone moves at their own pace, she admitted that comparing herself with others was difficult to avoid.
With nowhere else to turn, she is now asking those older than her whether they too once stood in this hollow place in their twenties, and how they slowly found their way through.
“How did you eventually get out of it?” she asked.
‘Uninstall the apps and give yourself a break’
Beyond offering the usual advice, many commenters sought to reassure her that she was not alone in feeling left behind.
One individual shared, “50 plus with next to no CPF and no HDB flat here. You are not alone. Stay strong and keep fighting.”
Another said the woman reminded them of their younger self.
“Reading your post, somehow I see a splitting image of my younger self. I'm the eldest in the family with 3 younger siblings, all of whom are still studying. Only my mom and I are working, and I'm the first degree holder in the family.”
“When I face challenges and want to rant or confide, it's actually really hard for my friends to relate, and I just ended up keeping things to myself. I don't have advice for you other than to think of how to make money and be selfish for your own development.”
A third wrote, “Hi, I'm 27, just graduated from uni. In order to procrastinate on this job hunting, I've decided to take a gap year to travel, then continue studying for a master's and PhD after. Hopefully in 5 years' time the job market will be better.”
A few others also advised her to take a social media detox.
“It's hard to not compare with your peers because of social media and whatnot,” one wrote. “Probably stay away from these for a bit. Uninstall the apps and give yourself a break.”
Another added, “On friends and social media, what you see on the surface might not be the true reality. To some people, pride is very important to them.”
In other news, a 75-year-old man in Singapore has allegedly been forced out of the HDB flat he fully paid for, after a dispute with his own 55-year-old daughter led to his eviction roughly a month ago.
The elderly man is said to have spent about a month sleeping rough before a family took him in, according to a Reddit post shared by an acquaintance of the family on Thursday (Sep 17).
Read more: 75-year-old grandfather allegedly locked out of HDB flat he paid for, sleeps rough for a month