what happens when an entire generation loses faith in the future?

Okay, dumb question. We know what happens. Everything crumbles, obviously.

But why? What are the mechanics behind why everything falls to shit when tens of millions of people are imagining and projecting it all falling to shit?

The smug atheist answers, “because everything’s falling to shit and tens of millions of people can see it and point it out.” Yes, obviously. Chickens come from eggs, eggs come from chickens. We see that. What the smug atheist disregards is the unapparent process of chickens gestating eggs internally. Where does the egg truly begin? It’s existence depends on the chickens internal organ design, it’s matter formed from proteins and minerals and biological material sourced from the world outside of the chicken.