I estimated the generations for mine and just added two because we came 40 years after. Depending on the fecundity of my line it might be more than that.
I think they were feeling disillusioned well before Trump.
To me, the whole attitude started back in the late 90s and early ‘00s when groups like Limp Bizkit took off and “The Real Slim Shady” was huge. That attitude feels like the genesis of how these guys act.
ETA: I’m watching Ben Folds’ “Rockin’ the Suburbs” and it’s exactly that vibe
This isn’t new. The HN thread brings up Office Space which is almost 30 years old at this point. Then there’s the joke about senior devs seeing themselves as farmers in ten years.
Once you do something you’re excited about for a couple decades you start to be less excited about it.
If we're lucky