A hundred years ago, people dreamed of a future full of flying cars, cities on the Moon, and cures for all diseases. It was a hopeful, optimistic vision of progress. But here we are in the 2020s, and, well, it’s safe to say things didn’t go quite as planned. That utopian dream? It’s been replaced by something far more complicated and, in many ways, more confusing.

Ah, the modern world—where progress is not always measured by great engineering work or artistic masterpieces but by the absurdity of what we’ve decided to glorify.

1. Influencers: The Self-Proclaimed Gurus of Modern Life 📸

Irritation Score: ⭐⭐

Influencers have undeniably reshaped modern marketing, consumer behavior, and how we engage with brands. They’re experts at building communities, driving conversations, and turning personal storytelling into powerful influence. Yet, this shift toward constant content creation extends beyond influencers alone – it has become a habit across borders of countries. We once documented humanity’s greatest achievement, landing on the Moon, with only a handful of photographs. Today, routine daily moments can inspire endless streams of carefully curated images.

This contrast raises important professional and personal questions: In our pursuit of constant visibility and validation, have we started prioritizing trivial moments over deeper, more meaningful experiences? Perhaps our real challenge, both as creators and consumers, is to strike a balance -finding authenticity in a world increasingly defined by curated content.

2. Cancel Culture: Accountability or Overcorrection? 👹

Irritation Score: ⭐⭐

Cancel culture began with good intentions—encouraging accountability and responsibility. But along the way, it evolved into something more complicated. Today, even a decade-old tweet can quickly overshadow a person’s reputation, sometimes without considering context or the possibility of growth and change.

Then there’s the rise of the “Karen” phenomenon—viral videos of people behaving badly in public. While some genuinely highlight the need for more kindness and respect, others seem to exist mainly as quick opportunities to shame someone publicly after one bad day. Perhaps not every mistake needs to become an internet spectacle.

3. Polarization of Media – Pick a Side or Get Out 📰

Irritation Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

These days, it feels like every news story comes pre-packaged with a side to choose. Media polarization has turned every issue into a battle of “us vs. them,” making it almost impossible to have a balanced conversation. Fake news only makes things worse. From bizarre conspiracy theories (bird survailance for real?) to misinformation about 5G towers, it’s getting harder to separate fact from fiction. And the fact that people can be totally anonymous in online platforms means they can criticize and call each other out without any real accountability.

Great storytelling has never been about making people comfortable – it’s about encouraging them to think, question, and feel, even if it’s uncomfortable.

This polarization has also influenced storytelling. Writers and creators once thrived on exploring complex, controversial topics—inviting audiences to reflect, question, and engage with different perspectives. Now, the growing pressure to avoid offense has led to a more cautious approach, where stories are often filtered through layers of sensitivity reviews.

While inclusivity and respect are essential, there’s a risk that this cautiousness could harm the complexity and authenticity that make stories great. Great storytelling has never been about making people comfortable – it’s about encouraging them to think, question, and feel, even if it’s uncomfortable. If we focus too much on avoiding offense, we risk losing the very essence of what makes stories impactful in the first place.

4. The Illusion of Connection: We’re All Friends – Until We’re Not 👥

Irritation Score: ⭐

Social media has made it easier than ever to connect, yet genuine connection can feel increasingly rare. The endless scroll of updates often leads to shallow interactions rather than meaningful conversations. We “like,” we “share,” and we comment with emojis—but how often do we actually connect in a way that matters? The pressure to present a flawless life can also make it hard to share authentically.

5. Outrage Culture: When Everything Feels Like a Crisis 😡

Irritation Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

We’ve all seen it. A small issue suddenly turns into a huge deal, filling our feeds with angry posts and hot takes on every imaginable (and even some unimaginable) topic. While some concerns are definitely valid, the constant state of outrage makes it hard to tell what really matters and what’s just noise.

Take the Super Bowl halftime shows, for example. Every year, without fail, the debate rages on—was it too provocative, too political, or just plain and safe? Social media turns into a battlefield, with people dissecting every dance move and outfit choice as if the fate of humanity depended on it. By the time the dust settles, it’s less about the performance and more about picking sides.

The real problem with outrage culture isn’t just how loud and controversial it is—it’s how quickly it shuts down genuine conversations. People become afraid to share their opinions for fear of being attacked or publicly shamed. Instead of real discussions, we end up in echo chambers where everyone just agrees with each other, or worse, we get labeled as “them” if we dare to think differently.

When every disagreement feels like a battle, it’s no wonder we’re all exhausted. It’s almost like we’ve forgotten that it’s okay to disagree without turning it into a full-on conflict. Maybe we don’t need less passion—just a bit more perspective and a lot more kindness towards each other.

6. People – avoid them at any cost 🚶‍♂️🚶‍♀️

Irritation Score: ⭐⭐⭐

Inspired by the hilarious insights of Very Finnish Problems – a brilliant social media collection created in 2016 by British author and Helsinki resident Joel Willans, perfectly capturing the awkwardness and understated humor of Finnish culture. It’s a great example of how comedy can bridge cultures, illustrating how a Brit managed to create something so authentically and closely tied to Finnish identity. Perhaps the secret to happiness really is avoiding people!

But let’s take one step back to the everyday life of annoyances – the little things that shouldn’t ruin your day but somehow do. While these moments might seem trivial, they reflect broader challenges in how we treat each other. From the endless saga of people searching for their wallets at the cashier, to the unavoidable loud phone calls you have to overhear while sitting next to someone on the metro, it’s clear that surviving other people is an underrated skill.

Take, for instance, people who start searching for their wallet only when they finally reach the cashier. You’ve been waiting behind them for several minutes. They’ve had all the time in the world to get ready, but when it’s finally their turn to pay, that’s when they decide to go through their bag.

And who could forget the poolside strategists? The ones who wake up at dawn to throw a towel on a sunbed, only to vanish for hours. You go to the hotel pool early, hoping for a spot in the sun, only to find every sunbed draped with a towel or an abandoned flip-flop (just one, never plural!). Meanwhile, people circle the pool like sharks, wondering if they should risk sitting down or not.

Shopping cart abandoners are a whole other breed. They leave their carts just beautifully placed in the middle of the aisle, as if conducting some sort of social experiment. Like why.

Speaking of unnecessary obstacles, there’s the universal struggle of dealing with automated customer service robots. You know, the ones that can never quite understand what you’re saying. It goes something like this:

“Tell me your issue.”
“Billing problem.”
“I’m sorry, did you say ‘technical support’?”
“NO. BILLING.”
“I still didn’t get that. Let’s try again.”
“BILL-ING PROB-LEM.”
“Okay, connecting you to… our legal department. Goodbye!”

7. Humorless people 🤐

The world has become such a serious place that we’ve started treating laughter like a luxury item. Jokes now come with disclaimers, sarcasm feels like a high-risk sport, and even lighthearted comments are examined under a microscope. We’ve become so focused on being serious and correct all the time that we’ve forgotten one inconvenient truth: humor is actually kind of important.

Humor is often underestimated, but it’s one of the few things that can make the absurdity of everyday life feel a little more bearable. It allows us to bond over shared laughter, navigate awkward situations, and express creativity without turning every conversation into a debate. At its best, humor has a way of cutting through the noise and making difficult topics easier to digest – a mechanism to cope the up’s and down’s of life. In a world where everything feels like a crisis, a well-timed joke (because timing really is everything) is practically an act of public service.

The absence of humor doesn’t just make things less fun; it makes them harder to understand. When we take away the luxury of laughter, conversations become less forgiving. Without humor, disagreements escalate faster, awkward moments stays longer, and even small misunderstandings can turn into conflicts. It’s as if we’ve collectively decided that the safest way to communicate is to be as bland as possible.

The irony is that some of the most insightful truths are hidden in humor. The best comedians don’t just tell jokes—they hold up a mirror to society’s absurdities, pointing out what we’re all secretly thinking but too afraid to say. Laughter doesn’t make serious issues any smaller; it highlights them in a way that feels less overwhelming. It invites us to take a step back, look at the bigger picture, and maybe—just maybe—not take everything so personally.

This point really hit home for me when I became a godmother to my friend’s child. Along with the usual promises of guidance and support, my friend and her partner handed me a “godmother card” of wishes for their child. Right at the top of the list was a simple but powerful request of me to their child of don’t take life too seriously—remember to laugh at yourself. It was a reminder that the ability to find humor in everyday situations isn’t just a survival skill; it’s one of the best gifts you can give someone. After all, if you can’t laugh at yourself, you’re left with taking everything personally—and let’s be honest, nobody has time for that level of stress.

So, what’s your take? Is humor an underrated superpower, or is it really that serious out there?

Closing remarks

So there you have it, the true marvels of modern life. Forget the Great Wall of China or the Pyramids of Giza; we’ve got self-checkout struggles, public meltdowns over minor inconveniences, and debates about everything. What a time to be alive, right?

This is just my perspective, but I’m all ears to hear yours. Feel free to part of the discussions – because if we can’t have a productive debate about the absurdities of life, what are we even doing? Let’s try to make space for real discussions, challenge each other’s ideas, and maybe – just maybe – take a break from scrolling for five seconds to figure out what’s actually important in the world.