When Did Millennials Get So Serious?

So I’m in my 40s now, and one thing I’ve noticed lately is just how serious many of my peers have become.

Of course, the reason is obvious – life happened. Careers happened. Marriage, kids, ageing parents, bills, responsibilities… they all have a way of changing you. It’s not like our 20s when many of us had fewer worries and life felt a lot more carefree. Growing up changes everyone.

But even then, the transformation is fascinating.

I’ve seen people who once had the most ridiculous sense of humour become almost unrecognisable. The ones who could turn any conversation into a comedy show are now quiet, serious, and sometimes even a little weighed down by life. It’s sad to see, but I understand it. That’s what life does.

That seriousness has shifted online too. Most of the funny content is by Gen Z.

I’m guilty of it myself. Somewhere along the way, I also started posting only about serious issues rather than silly ones. I look at my old posts on Facebook and don’t recognise myself either.

Surely life isn’t meant to be taken this seriously all the time?

Take the Reposts tab on Instagram, for example.

When I open someone’s reposts, I’m hoping to learn something about them. What kind of humour they enjoy. The movies they love. The random memes that made them laugh. Maybe a dog video that melted their heart. Something that tells me who they are.

Instead, I often find an endless stream of political posts.

By the time I leave their profile, I know exactly which political party they dislike, but nothing else about them.

It’s strange. Politics has become such a huge part of social media that it’s slowly replaced personality. Our online identities now revolve around what we’re against instead of what we enjoy.

I’m trying to disconnect from all of it, but it feels like a lost cause. In India, there’s almost no escaping politics. Even when you’re sitting in a hospital waiting room in Kerala, there’s usually a news channel playing on the TV. It’s as if we’re not allowed to switch off from the constant political noise, even when we’re unwell.

And when did millennials become this serious?

We were genuinely funny. I would even argue we were funnier than Gen Z.

Every now and then, I go back and read old Facebook posts and comments, and it’s like opening a time capsule. People teased each other endlessly. There was harmless banter, ridiculous inside jokes, and conversations that wandered off in every direction.

Nobody was trying to go viral. Nobody cared about engagement or reach. We were just… hanging out online.

Of course, social media algorithms haven’t helped.

Today, a post from your friend with 4 likes gets buried, while a random stranger whom you’re not following ends up at the top of your feed.

Half the time, when I open Facebook, I’m looking at people I’ve never met. If I actually want to see what my friends are posting, I have to switch to the Friends feed. Extra steps, too cumbersome, leading to less engagement.

I really hope someone builds a social media platform that brings back what made the early internet so much fun. A place where the goal isn’t chasing likes, growing followers, or gaming the algorithm.

Just a place where friends share everyday moments. Random thoughts. Terrible jokes. Blurry photos. Half-baked opinions. Embarrassing stories.

You know… life.

I would join that platform in a heartbeat.

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Photo by MART PRODUCTION

The Best Part of Project Hail Mary Wasn’t The Space Adventure

The most impressive part of Project Hail Mary isn’t the science, the space adventure, or the mission. It’s the friendship between two complete opposites. Two beings who don’t share the same language, appearance, history, or culture, yet somehow come together to create something beautiful.

When you think about it, we’re all aliens to someone from another culture. The way we speak, the food we eat, the way we dress, our traditions, our manners, everything can feel unfamiliar.

But those differences disappear when there’s mutual respect and a genuine willingness to understand and acknowledge each other. That’s what makes the friendship in Project Hail Mary special. It reminds you that connection doesn’t always need similarity. Sometimes, it just needs empathy.

It’s also the kind of friendship you wish existed in real life. The kind where someone chooses to stay, no matter how uncomfortable or polarizing things get.

Recently, I came across a beautiful Instagram post about what it means to be consciously “kept” in someone’s life, to be chosen day after day, without giving up. It stayed with me because I’ve had friendships and relationships that didn’t last. Sometimes I was the one who didn’t want to continue. Other times, they didn’t. But in almost every case, at least one of us wanted it to survive. We wanted the other person not to walk away. We hoped they would understand, stay, or try a little harder. It’s neither’s fault, because everyone has their own breaking point, but you can’t help hold that idealistic thought that we would all fight to keep each other.

When you eventually realize that you’re the only one doing that fighting, it hurts. It affects your self-esteem. “Wasn’t I worth it?” It’s one of those heartbreaks that doesn’t always have a dramatic ending. You move on, quietly. Accepting it as your fate. Other times, you dwell in self-pity.

But some things can never be forced. Not love. Not affection. And certainly not friendship.

Watching Project Hail Mary reminded me of all of that. I don’t know if a friendship as pure and selfless as the one in the movie really exists, but it was comforting to watch. It made me believe, at least for a couple of hours, that such connections are possible.

I wish I had watched it on the big screen instead of on Amazon Prime. The visuals are absolutely stunning, and this is one of those sci-fi movies that deserves to be experienced in a theater. Still, I’m glad I finally watched it.

And Ryan Gosling was simply fantastic. At no point does it feel like he’s acting. He disappears into the character so completely that you forget you’re watching one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. That’s always the sign of a great performance.

I would absolutely recommend watching the movie on the biggest screen at home if possible. Streaming on Amazon Prime.

Mollywood Times: Can You Really Write Your Own Destiny?

How many times have we been told to “write our own destiny”? It sounds great in motivational speeches, LinkedIn posts, and social media captions. But I’m someone who has always believed that no matter how hard you try to shape your own future, life doesn’t always turn out the way you imagined. There is another factor that rarely gets enough credit: luck.

Think about it. You can fight against all odds, convince your parents, and marry the love of your life. That’s definitely an example of writing your own destiny. But whether that marriage turns out to be happy and fulfilling depends on many things that are completely outside your control. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a toxic relationship simply cannot be fixed. It’s not always because you didn’t try hard enough. Sometimes, circumstances, timing, or plain luck have different plans.

The same applies to almost every part of life. Whether it’s your career, passion, business, or even a hobby, you can put in your heart and soul and still not get the outcome you hoped for. Success often depends on external factors that you simply cannot control. Effort matters, but so do timing, opportunity, and luck.

That’s exactly why Mollywood Times stood out to me. This Malayalam movie explores a similar idea, showing how life can take unexpected turns despite the choices we make. It’s built around a thought-provoking premise that feels relatable, and I was surprised that it didn’t receive the attention it deserved. In my opinion, it’s one of those underrated Malayalam movies that deserved much more recognition.

Naslen delivers another brilliant performance, and the supporting cast does a great job as well. The film also has a dark sense of humour that really worked for me. It balances serious themes with clever comedy without making either feel forced.

While browsing Reddit after watching the film, I noticed that many viewers believe the story is inspired by real-life events and have been trying to guess the filmmakers involved. That could very well be true, but we’ll never really know what happened behind closed doors.

Overall, Mollywood Times is an engaging Malayalam film that’s well worth watching at least once. It’s currently streaming on JioHotstar.

When People Forget You

Memory is such a weird thing. Some people remember the tiniest details about me from years ago, while others can’t recall spending time with me ever. They have forgotten entire moments. A day out, the day we talked, the laughs we shared.

I mean, how is that even possible? How can people erase entire days?

It also leaves you with a strange sense of self-doubt. Did you not make enough of an impression to be remembered?

A school friend, whom I reconnected with years later, couldn’t remember that we had spoken over the phone before. He was under the impression we had never talked. Another friend couldn’t recollect attending a wedding with me, which was actually the place where we first met. Even today, he acts as though we’ve never met. A few days ago, another friend, this time a woman, said she doesn’t remember going to a movie with me. It wasn’t just a quick outing. The entire day revolved around that one activity, so it was mind-boggling to realize that the memory had completely disappeared from her mind.

And then there are people like my niece, who can remember things from years ago with surprising clarity. Every time she brings up something I had completely forgotten, I’m both amazed and happy.

I guess this just proves that human memory is a fickle thing. It isn’t the perfect record of our lives that we often assume it is. So how can we depend on memory alone to define our current relationships or friendships and the moments that mattered?

Maybe someone, somewhere, did something incredibly kind for you, but you’ve completely forgotten it. Over time, you start believing they were never there for you because the memory no longer exists. You convince yourself there were no meaningful moments together, when in reality, they simply faded away.

Sometimes, forgotten memories say more about how the mind works than they do about the people involved.

It’s kind of scary, isn’t it? How hard do we have to try to hold on to the good memories? To make sure time doesn’t play the villain and quietly erases them for good.

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Photo by Baro

The Hidden Meaning Behind Beef Season 2’s Ending

A friend had recommended Beef Season 1 to me. But when I started watching, Beef Season 2 automatically played, and I didn’t realize it until much later. By then, I was already invested in the story, so I just continued watching.

And honestly, I liked it.

At its core, Beef Season 2 feels like a commentary on human greed and our constant desire for more. Almost every character is flawed, driven by personal ambition, self-interest, or the need to protect what they have. Nobody is entirely good or bad, which makes the series closer to life.

One of the standout moments for me was a powerful dialogue by Chairwoman Park about relationships in the age of capitalism. It was one of those scenes that makes you pause and think. The show is filled with similar thought-provoking conversations that explore status, wealth, ambition, and the choices people make in search of success.

It’s worth a watch. Streaming on Netflix.

SPOILER ALERT: Stop reading here if you plan to watch the series.

The ending featured a wheel, which immediately caught my attention. Curious, I looked it up and discovered that it represents the Buddhist Wheel of Life, or Samsara.

In Buddhism, the wheel symbolizes the endless cycle of human existence, where desires, attachments, and actions keep people trapped in repeating patterns.

The wheel depicts how the younger generation eventually slips into the same status-driven lifestyle they once criticized. Despite judging the choices of those before them, they end up chasing many of the same things. It reinforces the idea that while the players may change, the cycle of ambition, compromise, and betrayal continues.

In that sense, the ending of Beef Season 2 suggests that human nature remains remarkably consistent, no matter how much the world changes around it.

When Missing Someone Hits Out of Nowhere

One of the most romantic delusions I have ever come across is the idea that when you suddenly feel overwhelmed with emotions because you miss someone, it’s because they are missing you too. Some people even extend this belief to loved ones who have passed away, saying their energy is reaching out because they miss you.

It goes against every scientific explanation I know, yet there is something comforting about believing it. Sometimes, when a wave of grief or longing hits without warning, you are not looking for logic. You are simply looking for a reason that helps your heart make sense of what it is feeling.

Over the past few years, there have been many moments when I have found myself unexpectedly emotional while thinking about my father. It often happens out of nowhere. Sometimes it’s triggered by a quote about a father’s love. Sometimes it’s just a random thought that appears during an ordinary day. The strange thing is that it isn’t consistent. There are days when I can think about him and smile. Then there are days when the emotions become too much, and tears arrive before I can stop them.

In those moments, I find myself wondering: is this his way of letting me know that he misses me too?

I like to believe it is.

I treat dreams about him the same way. Whenever he appears in a dream, I see it as a small sign, a quiet reminder that the bond we shared still exists somewhere beyond memory.

It sometimes happens while thinking about friends who are no longer part of your life as well.

Maybe these are just coping mechanisms. Maybe they are the natural ways our minds process grief and emotional loss. Maybe hormones, memories, and nostalgia are working together to create meaning where none exists. But if a belief brings comfort without harming anyone, why rush to take it apart?

When you are grieving or missing someone you love, facts are not always enough. Science may explain what is happening in your mind, but comfort speaks to the heart. And sometimes, comfort is all you need.

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Photo by Andrew Neel