Lifestyle
34 Widely Normalized Things That Are Actually Extremely Effed Up When You Think About It
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A while back, Reddit user RetR0-Danger asked the question, “What is something that is widely normalized but is actually really fucked up?” The folks over at askreddit swiftly responded, and what they had to say was painful, sad, and relatable. Check it out:
1.“Working yourself to death. The Japanese have a term called ‘karoshi’ which offers incentives to widows from ‘death by overwork.'”
Person asleep at a desk with a vintage computer, surrounded by papers and a lamp, in an office setting
—EssayTraditional
2.“Poor care of ‘beginner’ pets like goldfish, hamsters, leopard geckos, etc. The fact that one betta fish requires at least a 5-gallon tank is why I didn’t get one as a pet in college… I’m so glad I researched that because I realized how horribly bettas are treated. And people don’t care because they’re fish.”
Goldfish swimming in a small round bowl with pebbles and a plastic plant
—love_cici
3.“Getting puppies for Christmas just to rehome them a couple of months later (i.e. dump them at shelters).”
A puppy peeks out of a gift box under a decorated Christmas tree, surrounded by toys
—Mzzdahlia
4.“Forcing mothers to go back to work when their babies are, like, fresh from the womb. It’s barbaric and cruel.”
Person standing in a home office, holding a baby in a front carrier, next to a table with a laptop, mug, and phone
—Pussy4LunchDick4Dins
“I went back to working overnights a week after giving birth because they said they wouldn’t hold my job position for me longer than that. My PPD was so bad, and my breasts were engorged and leaking while I worked. They wouldn’t allow me to pump or store the milk. I missed my baby so much that I would just stand and silently cry at the register. Luckily, my partner would sometimes bring the baby in when he was up in the middle of the night (we lived close by), and a couple of very kind coworkers would cover for me so I could nurse and be close to him.”
—goblinerrs
5.“Doctors dismissing severe period symptoms because it’s ‘normal.’ If you are vomiting, cannot move from pain, and passing out from blood loss, they don’t really care and usually just give you a slightly better pain medicine like naproxen, which does fuck all, and then tell you to get over yourself. If you had these symptoms and did not have periods, you’d be admitted into the hospital on the spot.”
Person relaxing on a couch, wearing a red houndstooth top and denim skirt, holding a hot water bottle on their stomach
—username087544
“A doc told my wife that the pain she was having was ‘her body’s way of saying it wanted to have a baby.’ Took a few more years and a specialist to diagnose that it was endo and prescribed quality of life improving medication.”
—ringo5150
6.“Zero tolerance in schools. Protects the bully and harms the innocent.”
Wooden door with “PRINCIPAL” engraved above a metal doorknob
—Creative-Rock-794
“Yeah, my school suspended a kid because a person punched him. The puncher got suspended as well, but the kicker is that he didn’t fight back.”
—HeffalumpInDaRoom
7.“Having to pay for vision and dental insurance in addition to health insurance. Last time I checked, your eyeballs and teeth were part of your body and should be considered under medical insurance.”
Sign reading “Health Partners Discriminates” beside Health Partners Specialty Center sign outside a building
—Accurate-Yak7531
8.“Parents posting their children’s entire lives on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok and treating them as accessories instead of people. Imagine the horror stories we’ll probably hear from these ‘kidfluencers’ in 10–20 years’ time.”
Woman smiling at camera, holding a baby wrapped in a cozy blanket, behind a ring light in a home setting
—gumonmyshoewhoops
“My cousin does this. Every day, she posts her kids just going about their regular day. Nobody cares. Give the kids some privacy.”
—X0AN
9.“CEO pay. $200 million is already enough to live on a big mansion without worry for several lifetimes. Imagine receiving that every year.”
Wanted poster offering up to $10,000 reward for information on a homicide outside a Hilton Hotel on December 4, 2024
—Soluxy
10.“Side hustles to get by; fuck, if you’re working full-time, you should be able to get by.”
Person on a bicycle in city street, checking phone while riding, with pedestrians and cityscape blurred in motion
—mugen1337
“And they’re not ‘side hustles.’ They’re part-time jobs. You’re working two jobs.”
—treeteathememeking
11.“Expecting people to be contactable 24/7 and acting like someone is rude if they don’t respond relatively promptly. Back when the main form of contact was calls, it was deemed relatively normal for people to not answer as they were busy or not home, therefore it was so much easier to switch off and enjoy other things. Now, it’s expected that people are connected to everyone all the time, and if you try to disconnect from that a bit, it can almost get you socially ostracized. You can relate it to workplaces as well and the rise of employers basically expecting workers to be contactable 24/7.”
Close-up of a smartphone screen showing “Do Not Disturb” mode activated with a visible toggle switch
—wellyboot97
12.“Dumping unwanted cats off in ‘the country’ because you think some farmer will take them in. No, no, they won’t. Farmers already have enough cats, and the existing population will typically drive off outsiders. Now, you have a housecat with no survival skills in the middle of nowhere, being easy prey for coyotes, foxes, owls, or farm dogs. And that’s if they don’t get hit by a car like happens to a great many abandoned pets.”
Cat perched on a green dumpster with a bushy tree in the background
—D1375
13.“Declawing. It was a long time ago, but most people didn’t actually know what declawing was. Most people thought it was just like taking away a person’s fingernails, and it’s not like vets told you what was going on. Hell, it was even encouraged to get cats declawed. I would say it was probably the internet that opened people’s eyes to the fact it’s more like cutting off your knuckle or whole fingertip. There’s that, plus the effect it has on the cat that no one really knew. Declawing is much less popular than it was a few decades ago, but sadly hasn’t stopped. It should be outlawed.”
Close-up of a cat’s fluffy paws resting on a wooden surface
—urabewe
14.“Zero expectations of privacy. We’re all expected to behave like we could be recorded at any time, and we wonder why everyone has anxiety now.”
A blue icon with a hand above the text “Privacy & Security” on a black background, indicating a focus on data protection
—pollyp0cketpussy
15.“Trying to guilt the consumer into thinking that they are the ones who can really make a difference with recycling, when 98% of all waste is industrial, retail, and restaurant, and none of them are big on recycling if they do it at all.”
—Soapist_Culture
—Soapist_Culture
16.“The amount of plastic we use. It’s absolutely insane. And then companies say they are reducing waste but actually making more plastic to say that they are saving the planet.”
Child stands on a riverbank surrounded by plastic waste, holding a toy. Boats and buildings are visible across the water
—EyesOpenedWide31
17.“Driving drunk/high among teens. People my age (18) often mention it in passing like it’s no big deal, and then I’m treated like a wet blanket for making a thing out of it. No, Kevin, you don’t ‘drive better high,’ you’re just selfish.”
Emergency responders assist an individual on a stretcher at a nighttime scene with emergency vehicles in the background
—grime_girl
“I had a coworker your age who one day bragged about being basically blind without glasses and how she’d drive drunk on the weekends. She never wore glasses or contacts. In shock, I blurted out, ‘Jesus, you’re gonna kill someone doing that.’ Her only response was. ‘Wel,l I haven’t so far,’ before she turned her back to me. Somehow, I was the one in the wrong, though, and got some shitty looks from the others working with us.”
—TechnoMouse37
18.“South Africa specific answer — having your electricity switched off for several hours a day. This can range from two to eight hours a day. We just organize our lives around it like it isn’t a thing ’cause we’ve been doing it for 16 years now.”
Silhouette of a bus passing by large power lines at sunset, creating a scenic, industrial landscape
—MistressAnthrope
“California had this going on for about a year when I was a teen, and our governor was impeached over it. They weren’t announced in advance often so shit like being out shopping or at a movie theater when suddenly the power goes out would happen. I can’t believe this has been happening for 16 years!”
—bittersandseltzer
19.“Working 40+ hours a week to make enough money to still be in poverty.”
Person working late at night in a dimly lit office, surrounded by desks and shelves with files
—Madea_onFire
20.“Phone use while behind the wheel. Every trip out is a death roulette game. I see someone nearly drift into my lane all the time.”
Sign warns against texting while driving with “TXT Kills” and a crossed-out phone. Reads: “Save txting 4 l8ter.”
—embertml
“We made a mistake as a society treating driving like it’s a casual thing to do. You’re operating heavy machinery. And there’s not enough enforcement and penalties for distracted and aggressive driving.”
—DStew88
21.“The amount of sugar we consume and give our kids. I finally found a can of peaches that didn’t have added sugar or sweeteners in it. It cost $6.50. What the fuck is wrong with us?”
An array of snacks and drinks on display, including colorful bottles, chips, candy, soda cans, and snack boxes on shelves
—imfromthefuturetoo
22.“Filming strangers without their knowledge or consent and posting it online for millions to see.”
Woman in gym wears athletic crop top and patterned leggings, taking a mirror selfie while holding a phone. Gym equipment is visible around her
—Tranquilcobra
“In 2004, when I started my filmmaking classes, I did some b-roll of a crowd outside of a metro station. My teacher told me you can’t film people without their consent or knowledge. You either need to put a disclaimer somewhere or film their back or feet. I felt very bad about it. Somehow, this is the new normal now. I was at IKEA the other day, and someone was just filming around, and I’m pretty sure my face was in there. It’s upsetting.”
—failedartistmtl
23.“Corporate crimes having almost no consequences.”
People walking past a tilted Enron sign outside an office building entrance
—trolleyproblems
24.“Delivery drivers and waitresses having their wages determined by customers and not their employers. AKA living off of tips while employers don’t pay enough.”
Person in car with visible Grubhub and Uber decals on windshield, indicating they work for both food delivery services
—Fireramble
25.“Most gynecological procedures, as they often don’t allow anesthetics and can be downright barbaric. Women get screwed when it comes to healthcare.”
Exam table in a medical office, covered with a paper sheet. Nearby tools and equipment suggest a clinical setting
—mosinderella
26.“This is coming from my (a woman’s) point of view, but being expected to spend hundreds of dollars on someone else’s wedding. Between buying the dress, nails, makeup, hair, shoes, bridal shower gift, bachelorette party, wedding gift, time off of work, etc., it’s just a lot!! I understand you are celebrating someone you are close with, but today people can barely afford to pay their bills!!! So, a shoutout to the people who want all of these extravagant things for their weddings and are willing to cover all of the cost of said things!!”
Three women in elegant dresses hold bouquets of roses and other flowers, standing outdoors
—Street-Love-9785
27.“Restaurants and grocery stores throwing away mass quantities of good, edible food and not being allowed to donate it.”
A box of assorted, spoiled fruits and vegetables, including oranges, cabbage, and garlic, appears discarded
—RphWrites
28.“The cost of medical coverage in the US. The insurance, copays, deductibles you have to meet — all of it. It’s so insane how much it costs to even have a baby in the US.”
Stethoscope on medical bills showing high costs for various healthcare services
—Chiphotochic
“I recently lost my old medical coverage, and after looking at how expensive it would be to get another of my own, I just decided I can’t afford it. It would cost more money than I’d make after all my other bills and needs are met. So for now, I just don’t have insurance and hope that nothing bad happens. It’s incredibly demoralizing and depressing.”
—Mass_Nine
29.“Child beauty pageants.”
Child beauty pageant contestant holding two trophies, wearing a leopard-print jacket and a crown, smiling at the camera
—Art3misAlice
30.“Having toddlers scroll TikTok so they shut up. Hell, every human under 12 shouldn’t be anywhere near.”
Child sitting by a window, engrossed in using a smartphone with both hands. They wear a patterned top and dark pants
—deathbythirty
31.“Viral cringe/freakout videos, especially of minors. I was a super weird kid, and thank god I grew up before social media and smartphones were a thing. I don’t know how I’d ever get over my ‘spazziest’ moments being seen and ridiculed by millions of people.”
TikTok app icon on a digital screen with a menu showing recording options and notifications underneath
—Modernia
32.“Predatory gaming companies making billions off of micro transactions.”
Person holding a smartphone displaying a live sports betting app, with a laptop showing sports stats in the background
—bingobangobongodaddy
“I embarrassingly fell victim to one of these iPhone games when I was in recovery for a major surgery. Spent hundreds. It’s one of my greatest shames, and I’ve majorly changed my habits because of it.”
—b00kstorebabe
33.“Our crappy attempts at wildlife conservation. Guy kills 100 deer? Chops down thousands of miles of trees? Developer clears out a mile a year for 100 years? Perfectly fine.”
An owl perched on a tree branch, peering curiously toward the camera in a natural setting
—Sabre_One
34.Finally, “Worshipping politicians.”
Person wearing a “MAGA” jacket and cowboy hat overlooks a large, crowded indoor event with a stage in the distance
—cryptozoophagist
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