[EN] Learned optimism

I just read an abstract of a book titled "Learned optimism" and written by Martin E.P. Seligman.

In that abstract I found one thing which intrigued me:

"Today's yough are ten times more likely than their grandparents to suffer depression.
Why? One answer is that U.S. culture has encouraged people to think about themselves more than they think about others"

Triggered that? I mean I'm not US citizen. I live in Poland. You'd say totally different environment but still we're associated with so called western culture.
I find many in common after I see Polish people around every day and several American fellows I've met up to date. So I'll leave that it's only U.S. culture where above could be propably true.

What intrigued me? Futher sentences from that abstract:

"To the good, this belief in self-efficacy does enable self-help,
since people feel empowered to make inte3rnal change,
but it also leads to a greater expectation and demand for personal control.
Spurred by advertisements that offer overwhelming marketplace choices, the
individuals's sense of internal wealth becomes linked to his or her degree of consumption.
At the same time, the sense of community and commonality is shrinking"

If I join both quotes into one I could say that in many aspects and in various context of life I would easily agree.
But beside of the western culture I grew up in I'm also a part of "Information Age" generation.
In internet I've found that sense of community and commonality is growing enormously.

Web 2.0 again -> A social revolution as for example last.fm advertise itself. Linkedin where you can follow
how your friends and foes career follows up.

There is in this world strong competition and contest to feel better while having more but still..
I think in the Era of Global Network it was never so easy to find somebody who you have something in common and feel true value
in being a part of any community you can find in this vast ocean of connected resources.