New Zealand – paradise if you’re wealthy, but if you’re not (and especially if you’re also young), living here is a curious psychological torture. We have the highest teen suicide rates in the developed world, and this essay looks at some reasons why.
Like every other country on Earth, our mainstream media likes to paint a picture of everything being excellent and the country having never done better – this being the well-known strategy for putting the receivers of such media in the optimal mindset for buying the products advertised in it.
Our mainstream media has a unique level of shamelessness in doing so, however, because in no other country in the developed world are teenagers as likely to decide that they’d rather be dead than living here.
New Zealand is close to the worst country on Earth to be young. There’s nothing to do here, we’re all psychologically damaged and our authority figures lie to us all the time.
This is especially true for the current generation of youth, who grew up in the wake of Ruthanasia, the sadistic welfare policies of the Fourth National Government. These policies taught our youth that the country couldn’t give two shits about them and that empathy is for the weak – once you’re born, you’re on your fucken own.
The consequence of this lack of empathy is a generation of youth without much empathy, and a consequence of that is that they kill themselves at world-record rates. There’s nothing surprising about it – they’ve simply internalised the lack of worth with which they were treated.
Understanding how we got like this requires that we understand how isolated New Zealand is. Australia is itself an isolated country at the arse-end of the world, but they’re practically Greece compared to us.
In almost any other country on Earth, it’s possible to get into a car, drive a short distance across a border and have an entirely different cultural experience, with new people, new thoughts and new ideas.
We don’t have any of that in New Zealand. We’re stuck here. For all of the generations before the one that grew up with the Internet, all we had was the television, and that taught us to consume, not to think.
And as we stagnated, we turned our rages on each other.
Perhaps the worst thing about New Zealand is the petty, vicious, cowardly streak in the national character that has us always lashing out at the person at the bottom of society rather than daring to criticise the people at the top.
This is reflected in our obscene school bullying culture. Unfortunately for New Zealand teenagers, our culture of abuse is so deeply entrenched that many teachers will argue that bullying is a good thing because it forces kids to develop social skills or “toughens them up for the real world” (or some other 19th-century logic).
It’s also reflected in our third-world mental health system, which regularly throws sick people out onto the street with no help or funding. Many teenagers have committed suicide after trying to get help from the New Zealand mental health system only to find that no-one working in it could care less about them.
Unfortunately for this country’s mentally ill, especially if they are also young and poor, being mentally ill is still seen as a personal failure in New Zealand – depression is a failure to harden the fuck up, bipolar disorder is a failure to calm down, schizophrenia is a failure to sort your shit out.
In this way, New Zealand has failed to move on from the 1950s, in contrast to almost everywhere else.
A natural consequence of this brutal, brain-dead attitude is a national unwillingness to talk about mental illness. Doing so engenders so little natural sympathy that our youth would rather kill themselves than try and broach the subject with an adult New Zealander.
Not only do we have less of an influence from without, but we actively stomp down any new thought that might arise from within – and not only through the Tall Poppy Syndrome.
New Zealand managed to produce an intellect great enough to win a Booker Prize recently in Eleanor Catton, and Prime Minister John Key bullied her out of the country by publicly stating that her opinion on intellectual matters wasn’t worth more than that of a rugby player.
No other country is shit enough to do that. Almost anywhere else, it would be recognised that intellects like Catton’s are necessary to prevent a culture from rotting from the inside, and especially so in New Zealand where new ideas do not flow in from across the border.
We weren’t always like this: studies have shown that our teen suicide rate actually used to be lower than that of other countries.
But in the mid-80s we got sucked into the con job that was neoliberalism, and none of our current politicians have the guts to suggest any change of track.
The country that once led the world on social issues like women’s suffrage and old-age pensions is now more backwards than South Africa on social issues like gay marriage and cannabis law reform.
Without a fundamental change of attitude that brings us into 21st-century modes of thinking, the standard of living here will only continue to deteriorate, and our teen suicide rates will only increase.
Yes we have an incredibly high youth suicide rate but actually adults are high in the statistics as well. Helen Clark shut down the Mental health Hospitals in the early 1990s despite opposition. Of course Carrington came in her Electorate. Nothing surprising she garne red favour from her rich constituents. The Hospitals were just getting it right okay so some of the Mental health workers and the system got care and responsibility wrong but I am sure a lot of them and new Graduatesite would welcome bringingredients back jobs and proper care of patients. Yes patients not “clients ” not “consumers ” and not “service users “. The Hospitals had gradients of levels of dangerous to not dangerous patients with Oakley and other high needs part of the Hospital system. Society is more dangerous because of the closing of the Hospitals. There would be less patients in prison. Patients who have been compromised in safety and security. We need these Hospitals reopened to care for the disenfranchised and society would be a safer place. But of course they were on prime land that the ACT section of the Labour party were into selling as many assets under Roger Douglas as possible. We need the community mental health services as well as supported living homes that used to be. Unfortunately short sighted. Now we have the Mentally ill on the streets of Auckland and the rest of NZ Aotearoa
Oh how terrible it is being in a 1st world country. Oh how boring it is. Think about the hundreds of millions of people who wake up in slums or on the streets in places in Africa and in parts of Asia for god sake. Stop your whining, suicide and all is awful, but the majority or the population lives a happy life and you saying it’s the possible the worst country on Earth is ridicolous, you clearly have a lack of world knowledge, or just very ignorant.
Edward, do you know much about this world? Before coming to NZ, I lived in 3 countries and visited over 40. After 2 miserable years in NZ, I managed to GTFO and I feel so much better being as far away from that hell as possible. I can write a lengthy essay on how horrible this place is and how all those “good” things pale in comparison with all the crap that’s happening in your so-called “paradise”. If you do reply, I’d be happy to elaborate. Cheers.
Hi Mark
Id be interessted on your take of NZ as we currently looking to moving there we from South Africa.
Just don’t move there, at all costs just don’t
Yes, dont. My ex partner i believe overdosed on meds cause he could not get health coverage for his diseases as was left completely on his own. There is a lack of empathy in NZ definitely. If you say your suicidal or at risk, they can lock you up and can do compulsory aggressive medical treatment against your will without your consent. There is no patient-centeredness or much respect for your beliefs or values. There is little acceptance of patient consent. The doctors lie as well to you and everyone is out for money! Money is first then sex and alcohol. Its not a thriving culture by any means. Dont waste your life in NZ- visit and see beautiful places. Also the police do very little and most processes are drawn out or take forever to sort out. Always given wring info too.
Read about legal restraints and enforced drugs on people in NZ
Find out about patient rights as they have none
read about barrister warren forster’s exposure of ACC online to see what kind of garbage national insurance you are dealing with
then read about treatment injuries in hospitals
read about workplace bullying being 3rd highest in the world
in NZ
also read about prostitution and reform- due you really want to live in a country that devalues them and the Govt taxes them on prostitution and women make less than 19% of high pay jobs
Jacinda was not voted in ny the people but by NZ first
Recently Jacinda has imposed kids to get vaccinated or their mothers lose benefit payments– this is okay.
I once judged Trump on requiring to make mexican refugees sign that they will wither return home with their children or without. On e I understood that this bill prevented refugee parents from pushing their kids across the border then I knew it was because they had to stop it and the wall is to prevent this and drug and firearm trafficking
Kiwis justify all their legal coercions but fail to see the control behind them and not stress alternatives- choices
Coercion in NX is worse than the states.
1080 and pesticides is another issue
Denial is common- good faith bias, positive bias, if you have it well, it does not mean everyone else does… if you were born snd raised in NZ and have your circles and support bullying and abuse of others, you are okay cause you have your clique- 1 million kiwis live in Aus- have you ever asked yourself why? most do not want to come back home cause it puts a big dent in their pocket and degrades their quality of life.
Wow, that’s some straight up rat shit right there. You talk about problems that the whole world faces. In Japan the teens hardly have anyone to turn to but at least NZ you have places to go. Maybe the one worker you encountered didn’t give a rat’s ass (which is your fault if you didn’t report him and get him fired) there are always people who care. I’m young and very poor but nothing’s wrong with the way I’m living. Yeah Milk is expensive but if you get a job you can afford most things you need. You probably got bored cause you don’t have any friends. It’s not like you need extravagant cruises 24/7. Hell it sounds like your misplacing your frustration because you’re lonely and broke, pakeha. If you don’t like the way life is, then it’s your fault for not taking the wheel but relying on fallible systems, and you must love getting pushed around.
move to china man its an under populated place with like no povity at all and nz is just a little island with people and speak ching chang there just a bunch of chinks and not good asian chinese are the best asians
ok, thats derogatory and mean and belittling
When crime happens, the police do not show-up- its rare. North Island is worse than the South Island. The crime rate is shown to be low because the police do not report over half of the crime that takes place in New Zealand. Drugs, alcohol and sex, sex, sex problems. Part of the suicide problem too. A high immigrant sex working population as well- they even get visas from brothels or massage parlours to work in NZ. Prostitution is decriminalised btw. Costs are high everywhere in NZ esp rent… clothes food and eating out. Most places are pretty scungy to rent and no protection if property owner lives on the property and bothers you in any way- you have no rights. More than 50% of population uses cannabis. Alcohol drinking rate for the male drinking population is 85%. 1 out of 3 women get physically assaulted by male partners in NZ. Violence is an issue, mainly due to the drinking or meth/P problems that highly exist throughout the society. Several women who get raped or experience sex harassment experience NO support from the police or system- you must have evidence like a recording or video and even if you have these, the police may not use them… Many people have a low reasoning skills- overall a working class culture. All your rights in NZ are in ACTS and that is what they actually are acts, not laws. Good luck getting agencies to enforce them… you will have to hire a lawyer. Sex abuse of children or pedophilia are just as common as anywhere else in the world. The laws in NEW Zealand hardly protect human rights. There is no way to redress issues without paying a lawyer really. the ambulance, hospitals and government system make huge oversights and mistakes and it appears to be worse than other Western countries and 3rd world countries. The standards are overall low. The academia world also has low standards. Its really a hard place to live but visiting is another matter as everyone in NZ likes you when you are spending money or having fun drinking or gambling. It is a hard-nosed bullying culture and the hospitals operate in some of the poorest fashion imaginable. It may seem all like fun and games visiting but yo have better rights and often better healthcare in other countries including Aus. I do not recommend anyone from the Americas to live in NZ – its a big mistake. 1080, Roundup, Atrazine and many pesticides are used throughout NZ and poison the natural atmosphere. There is a lot to be depressed about in NZ esp when you have no rights and feel that you cannot get ahead.
As if an extravagant cruise in new zealand would be something amazing anyway. everything looks the same! LOL. I 100% agree with this guy! He has honestly summarized new zealand down to a T and I love the brutal honesty because as we all know honesty is in many ways brutal because people can’t handle the truth. i would vote for this guy any day. Why? because hes not full of shit like the rest of people that are too afraid to speek up and would prefer to live in a state of denial
100% Agreeded very true, thanks so much so I can show my parrents this and get my motherfucking ass send out of the country and get a solid GF and solid life.
Lived all my life in NZ until I was 27, went overseas and couldn’t believe how much happier I was. Had to return 5 years later for 4 years and GTFO as was going to be another statistic. Horrible place to live, isolated country where as the writer had said, you can’t escape and get stuck in a rut. Everyone just celebrated the all blacks as though that’s the only source of happiness. National and labour Governments are exactly the same just redistribute here and there with no guts to make serious changes.
Theres honestly nothing wrong with New Zealand, as a young persons perspective I think New Zealand is a beautiful multicultural place to live. I go to a school that supports all students, provide delicious healthy lunches not to mention make sure nobody is left out or bullied. If your thinking of moving to New Zealand I think its the perfect choice!
I lived there for 6 years. Lack of intellectualism in New Zealand. As one of my Half-maori friend once told me “Bro, here, Ignorance is a Bliss”. Exactly! Nothing to do..you can travel for hundreds of kms with that same “scenery”, type of franchises pak’n’save, placemakers et al, low quality houses, etc. New Zealand is good for a short tour, but staying there is just a waste of life.
New Zealand has simply been a huge mistake of a country to migrate to. Been Here with my wife and two children for almost 4 years. I thought my home country South Africa was bad, but dammmn this country was the pits ever since we got here and cant wait to leave New Zealand. There are too many things to mention, rentals are waaayy more expensive than SA, cars are cheap but simply has no value in terms of resale, the WOF rules are rubbish(pre2000 wof every 6months, post2000 wof yearly) in SA do it once and done until you sell the car. People dont have respect for your car anywhere, you will find your car wrecked on the road or damaged in the parking, some are stolen and left burntout somewhere. Have seen this numerous times while on driveouts. Trying to find a part for your car at any spares place, kiwis are very arrogant thinking they know everything and the will overcharge you at times. They simply dont have customer experience like back home. If they make a mistake with your order, its just a simple ‘sorry’ with lack of experience. Food is expensive, the $ goes really quick, simply dont last. If kiwis feel ahg its fine they will say “ah she be alrite”, simply rubbish in my view and dont care attitude. Outdoors I thought would be much to see and experience, not the case, see for yourself. I realised my country is way more beautifull. Road rules is another issue, kiwis are the most impatient drivers on the roads in NZ, there has been some cases where they drive other motorist off the road to harm them, and its on cctv. They are always rushing and tailgating behind other cars especially if they think you’re a migrant. The roads are narrow and single laned everywhere, so no chance of overtaking to get pass another car. That said, they still tailgate even though they cant get pass you. The work enviroment, watch out, some employers will grant you the job and at the last minute withdraw it for the most stupid reasons. Damn, no labour law. Again, SA is still better. A fellow South African came over for a job interview, the company sent him the wrong address to send him on a goose chase to see if you would find the place, how sick minded of these people. We have learnt not to trust anyone, so how then can you live and settle in a country like this where people spoke so highly of and then to spend so much money coming here to find this rubbish going on. Deffinately leaving New Zealand asap.
the crappiest place i ever visited, outside so called third world. Man, it sucked. It was a constant pain – the very presence there , from day 2. The list of whats wrong with it is so loooong, I would not even bother. Leaving, was one of the happiest days of my life. What a relieve. Been there, seen it. Mostly for the mountains, nice, at most. Everyone is swearing its good and pretty. Its sad, depressing, hopeless, isolated, with nooooooo way out. Antechamber of hell.
I’m a New Zealander, I left at 27 years old too.. it had been difficult years, but once I was in the UK, I really had a whole new experience.. went to Europe, made so many friends, it was just fabulous.
I met a man and got married.. have 2 sons.
We came back to NZ, zoom down things went super fast.. now I’m stuck. I don’t know what it is, but NZ destroys, it destroys self confidence through constant pressure & criticism. Job stability is not there, never has been, people complain over nothing, the laughter is never there.. it’s the most miserable horrible place where you can’t do anything as a single, the work is low, the prices are high and the guys only want a ‘bit of fun’.. & now I’m stuck.. I feel trapped.. I can’t really get my head around it. My anxiety is so strong I take several medicines just to turn up to work, and I’m not even hardly acknowledged, I feel someone might say, she doesn’t fit into the team. Despite gruelling efforts, I found out today I’m reduced down from 5 days to 2 days a week. I’m not even keen to go out, because I know I will have to drive quite a way, then be cold probably or out of money, we can’t smoke, we can hardly touch more than half a beer. It wasn’t this bad, but it was always bad.. there’s no way to get around, it’s like we’re trapped and people all they do is look after houses, instead of having houses look after us. The houses are too expensive. I’m okay, but we are marooned on this island miles from the real world. I miss being able to be whomever I wanted, to wear and live how I liked, with no judgement.. today if you light a cigarette you’re looked at like a low life, maybe not, but it certainly feels like it. It’s like pleasure is not able to be had, there’s so many non Kiwi’s now, and although I like some of them, I hate it sometimes, we feel over taken. We know we’re not liked and our men are no longer into us, albeit were they ever? I had a Russian boyfriend.. I was happy for a short time. Now the govt. doesn’t want to let Russian’s into our country, wants to kill them all actually, so do many others. Jacinda goes to Japan and wants them to come to NZ, so she can fill up our men with Japanese women. We live in an idealist country where everyone gets along.. in reality the tensions there, we haven’t even integrated with Maori, yet we’re expected to all get along. Instead we want to be amongst people we relate to at work, and not feel pressured about what we say. I left a cafe after ordering the other day.. it was so loud. Some Asian’s don’t get we speak quietly because they come from countries where there are so many people, they have to to hear each other. These Asian’s probably didn’t realize that they talked so loudly I hated it, I couldn’t concentrate on what I was reading.. I didn’t dislike them, I just didn’t like the loud speaking.. I couldn’t understand that you go to relax, not have loud talking.. like loud music. You want a break at lunch time. There are many things where we just want to go to the beach & enjoy a fag, socialize and dance. Yet people instead, sit in circles talking about stupid Rugby, as if chasing an odd shaped ball is so exciting. We could have equestrian, or the Arts, but instead we get Rugby and football rammed for at least half an hour on the news. Little on global affairs, nothing on Arts, and extremely rare on Science. We have the city that’s ugly in Auckland, things are just dumped and black like a big morgue. Napier is a pretty city, gorgeous by contrast. I thought of living there, but I’d miss the Auckland Islands in the Hauraki Gulf, and the surf beaches nearby. I wish we’d join up with Russia, so we could have their old culture, and strong power & amazing men… at that end of the world, it’s a country that looks magic, and has mystique.. quite the reverse of here, and they could come here for the sea’s, sailing & fishing.. can you imagine it? We fought alongside Russia, yet near Anzac day, Jacinda goes to Japan? ! We could live in Australia and try for a better life, but HElen cluck ruined that, she lifted it so that we couldn’t live there unless we had money.. so if things went belly up, we’d be able to have a benefit. I’m sure this is the reason for our increase in suicides. Plus criminal convictions.. the laws full of lies and deceit. Some men get criminal convictions because a woman lies.. one women did this against a man, simply because she ‘didn’t like him’.. it’s a shame as the country was a great place to grow up as a kid, we had empty sections, the beaches we’d jump off jetty’s and play on our bikes. But NZ has become a low income, long hours and restrictive place, where you get drug tested just to have a basic job that pays not enough to have much of a life.. It’s invasive and people go along with brainwashing, like anti smoking brigade. We couldn’t even have a ciggie at Unitec, like school children.. hiding behind the classrooms. And on the ski field, you could buy alcohol on the mountain, but couldn’t enjoy a ciggie. It’s so called free country is a myth. I feel so controlled, only half way up the road is another road block, another set of lights.. traffic lights are everywhere… when we could have roundabouts. When I think of how many years I have wasted back here.. My nieces and nephew’s are overseas.. & I encouraged my son’s to get their British passports. Their father was difficult, I tried in vain to get their European passports. I wish we could have Russian Passports. I said to my Russian’s I chat online too.. Anzacs and Russians.. he says RANZAC’s.. it sounds good, lol.Never mind, at least we are in a safer region at the moment, we can exist in this Retirement village aka Aotearoa NZ..
Well said, it can be very tough here at time, especially when we’re looking like being the first country to have both tobacco and cannabis illegal, and even booze is becoming unaffordable. The cannabis referendum really showed me what miserable, sour, bitter pricks Kiwis are underneath it all.