Don't worry fam, I'll break it down.

I don't know exactly how, but we managed to birth a generation of remorseless cyberbullies utterly convinced of their own victimhood

Rule #1 - everyone on the internet is a 13yo boy, you're 14, and none of it is real. You're smarter and better than everyone else who doesn't agree with you, because fuck you, I'm right about everything.

As soon as anyone doesn't hold your exact position, that's a personal attack on your intelligence and character. Your beliefs represent who you are, and challenging that is threatening what you believe is foundational to your personhood. Most people only want to reinforce their own views by staying in their comfortable echo chamber and only preaching to the choir. That's why it's so easy for someone to feel like a victim.

How did the nerds become the jocks?

The internet is just one big debate game, and the smarter you are, the more points you'll win. Jocko spent their time outside getting concussions and watching sports center instead of cultivating independent thoughts and opinions, while Nerdo has been playing the debate game for years, has more links and references on tap in the back of their head than you've had hot bowls of soup, and already knows what your argument is and where it's going because they've already had this argument with someone. Who wins a fight when the only weapons are words: Whoever know how to put all the right words in all the right places at the right times.

But the complete absence of empathy in a large chunk of this generation is stunning.

False equivalence. Every American has the same basic opportunities and same basic k-12 education. If you're struggling, that's a personal flaw. You grow up spending 8 hours every day in an education system where everyone in a position of authority is promising the American dream if you just follow the social contract. Anyone going against that should have known better.

Here's hoping reality kicks these people in the balls soon.

Bread and circuses.