Actually, I think that this generation has a much harder time on the whole than ours did. Teenagers and kids certainly seem to have a much harder time.
I think that my experiences were relatively unique. I do sometimes meet or hear about someone my age who also has had a hard time, but most people whom I know don’t seem to. Also, what I think was unique for me was that I had a hard time both during my teenagers years and during my 20’s and 30’s. Most people I know don’t seem to have had a hard time during all three of those decades.
I’m sure there are others from my generation who have had a hard time, but my particular experiences were very unique for my peer group, and I don’t think they were at all typical.
Just to give a few small examples: I am the only one from my high school class who is still single, and this has been the case for app. 20 years. I was the only one from my high school or seminary class whose parents made aliyah with them right after high school. I was also the only one who went to the seminary that I went to. And I was the only American from my high school or seminary who stayed in Israel after Shana Bet.
These are just some of the more minor examples. There are many other things, but they are too personal.
The point is that my experiences were very unique.
I don’t mean to complain – I am Boruch Hashem, pretty happy with the way my life is right now, and I have a lot to thank Hashem for. I don’t necessarily mind being unique, and my life has also been unique in many positive ways. I have certainly had many opportunities in my life to do things that I really wanted to do and that few people have the opportunity to do. And I am very thankful for those things.