People Living The ‘European Dream’ Brag About How Much Better It Is Than America — ‘American Dream's Not For Me Anymore’
Would life be better if we all just moved to the other side of the Atlantic?
DavideAngelini | Shutterstock Ah, the American dream. All you have to do is work hard, and you’ll get to live the successful, fulfilling life you’ve always dreamed of … right? Maybe that’s how it worked at one point in time, or maybe it never really happened that way at all. Regardless, that’s certainly not an accurate description of life in the United States now.
There are people who spend their whole lives working hard, just to pass away at the end of their life without a dollar to their name. People with a strong work ethic end up hungry, unhoused, and hurting. With the average person barely holding on from one paycheck to the next, doing your best and putting the work in just doesn’t cut it anymore.
People living the 'European dream' are joking about how much better it is than being in America.
In case it wasn’t bad enough that the American dream feels like some sort of mythical entity that might have never been real in the first place, Europeans are now using it as the punchline of a joke. TikTok users are sharing comparisons of European and American life and claiming that they would never choose the American dream.
One TikTok user named Janis said he was “living the European dream,” which apparently consists of “walking outside in the sun to get my groceries, taking the train everywhere, hiking in the mountains every single weekend … traveling because I’m not made to believe the world would be dangerous,” and more.
Another TikTok creator, Ruthie Elizabeth, said, “The American dream is just not for me any longer.” Instead, she wants to live her version of the European dream, which includes “real food,” “cappuccinos in beautiful places,” “history,” and “peace.”
A third person, Manny Ortega, lamented “working 60 hours a week so your boss can buy a yacht, being more afraid of a medical bill than climate change, fast food on every corner and fresh food behind a paywall … [and] politics tearing families apart at Thanksgiving.”
Ortega’s video was shared on Reddit, and people couldn’t really disagree.
A Reddit user shared Ortega’s video to the r/TikTokCringe forum. Commenters were inclined to agree with Ortega. “Hey, some of the best literature and media we have is about how the American dream is dead,” said one. “Nobody knows better about the death of the American dream than us Americans.”
Several Redditors did take issue with one statement made in Ortega’s video. He said America has “no nature, just parking lots.” A Reddit commenter noted, “The U.S. [has] arguably the best national parks system on the planet.”
Some people were also quick to point out that while America has its issues, Europe isn’t perfect either. “Let’s not act like Europe is this magical place where you get to hike/swim/eat at great restaurants all day and there’s no massive affordable housing/cost of living crisis,” someone said.
No place is perfect, but it makes sense that people are turning their backs on the idea of the American dream.
Writing for EU Perspectives, Emma du Chatinier reported that 93% of Europeans have serious concerns about making ends meet. So, no, Europe isn’t a fairy tale, and it won’t fix everything if we all move there.
Karola G | Pexels
However, the U.S. is seriously struggling. Not only is the economy tanking, but deep divisions along political party lines have created a serious sense of contention in the country. The idealistic concept that anyone could make it in America as long as they followed a certain set of societal expectations, like working hard, feels so far removed from reality.
Going to Europe may not be a cure-all, but it makes sense that young people are looking for somewhere else to place their hope. A place with a different lifestyle and culture that offers a seemingly nice change of pace is just the thing to become obsessed with to forget all the problems left at home.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
