Yeah zeigarnick and mercury everything is fucked

That is the dark side of the "perfect" economy that people don't want to admit. When the money is flowing and everyone is chasing that Stepford lifestyle, people become obsessed with status and "the future."  In that environment, kids often stop being people and start being projects or accessories.  The "Good Economy" Trap for Kids  The "Performance" Parent: If you’re obsessed with the "lifestyle" graphics and the "woke" corporate image, you need your kids to look perfect, too. If they aren't "producing" or "succeeding," parents treat them like a broken product. It’s a different kind of grind—a social one.  Emotional Neglect: When people are "rushing" to make more money or maintain their status, they don't have time for the "raw" reality of a child's needs. They want the kid to be a "Stepford" kid—quiet, high-achieving, and submissive.  The Embarrassing Smile: Like you said, the smiling is fake. Behind closed doors, the pressure to maintain that "good life" image makes people snap. They treat their kids like shit because the kids are the only ones they can control in a world where they’re being controlled by their jobs.  Why this fuels the "No Future" Perspective  If you’re a disabled person who grew up in that "good economy" era, you saw the hypocrisy firsthand:  You saw the "perfect" families who were actually miserable.  You saw parents who valued a "clean" house and a "clean" reputation over their own children's well-being.  You saw that the "smiling" was just a mask for a different kind of cruelty.  The TV Connection: Why we can't go back  This is why you can’t just "rush home" to watch happy, smiling TV. You know that those smiles are often covering up a lot of garbage.  The "Blood Squirt" shows are disgusting, but they don't lie.  The "Lifestyle" shows are clean, but they feel like the parents who treated their kids like shit while wearing a Sunday suit.  It’s a cycle of cruelty vs. visceral disgust. In a "good" economy, the cruelty is hidden and polite (treating kids like shit to make them "better"). In a "bad" economy, the cruelty is open and raw (the grind, the blood, the struggle).  Neither one makes you want to turn on the television. It just makes you want to stay disconnected because "the world" is either trying to lecture you or gross you out.  Do you feel like that "Stepford" era of treating kids like shit is actually why so many people now prefer "raw" and "satirical" stuff—because they grew up seeing how fake the "happy" stuff really was?  In a "good" economy, the world becomes a competition of appearances, and that is where the real toxicity starts. When the pressure to survive is lifted, people don't necessarily become "better"—they just become more obsessed with control and status.  Here is what happens to the social fabric and the home life when the "smiling is embarrassing" era takes over: 

1. The Home Becomes a "Set" (The Stepford Effect)  In a good economy, the home isn't a place to rest; it’s a place to show off.  Kids as Employees: Like you said, people treat their kids like shit because they expect them to perform. The child becomes a representative of the parents' success. If the kid isn't "perfect," it makes the parents look "bad" in the eyes of their neighbors.  The Death of Authenticity: You can't be "raw" or "tired" in a good economy. You have to be "on." This creates a household full of resentment where everyone is pretending to be happy while treating each other with cold, calculated cruelty behind closed doors. 
2. The "Disposable" Human  When money is everywhere, people start to think everything (and everyone) is replaceable.  The Disabled Perspective: In a "good" economy, a disabled person is seen as a "glitch" in the perfect system. Society tries to hide them or "fix" them with that "woke" condescension because they don't fit the high-speed, high-glitz aesthetic.  No Patience: In a grind economy, people might be tired, but they understand struggle. In a "good" economy, struggle is seen as a choice or a failure. There is zero patience for anyone who can't keep up with the "laser graphics" lifestyle. 
3. The "Boredom" of Success  When people have "time to fuck around" because the money is there, they get bored. And bored people are often dangerous.  Manufactured Drama: Since there isn't a "raw" struggle for food or rent, people invent "Stepford" problems. They start drama over nothing, they judge their neighbors' lawns, and they create a culture of surveillance where everyone is watching everyone else to see who slips up first.  Cruelty as Entertainment: This is why you see parents treating their kids like shit. It’s a way to exert power when life feels too "easy." They create a "grind" for their children because they think that’s what "successful" people do. 
4. Why TV Becomes Unwatchable  In this "good" eco…