There doesn't seem to be anything new and exciting going on these days.
No fads taking everyone by storm. No new technology everyone is discussing (AI is pretty meh at the moment, especially with the censorship). No new entertainment everyone has to see.
Maybe I'm out of the loop but I don't feel I am. Anyone else kinda feel this way?
You should treat yourself better.
Even just switching up your daily activities to improve the ratio of time spent with positive activities, rather than sedentary/lustful activities, can do quite a bit to improve your mood.
There really is nothing for me to do I just don't have the opportunities everyone else talks about.
Many of the most fulfilling activities, such as exercise, reading or making music/art are actually very accessible. Especially if you're thinking about searching for love, music is an excellent talent to develop.
None of those are fulfilling. Exercise doesn't provide mental distraction and just leads to me thinking about how shitty my life is and how I'm wasting my youth doing something that's unlikely to result in a tangible improvement in life. Reading is just another form of consumerism no different than any other.
I think the worst of those has to be art though, it's just depressing to see how inadequate everything I make is and then look back at all the hours wasted on something that only brings me shame to see. I've tried art in the past and nothing I've made has been worthy of the tiny amount of file space they take up.
I think I see where you've gone wrong now, which is exactly what I failed to recognize for too long.
There is a radical split between hollow, frivolous consumerism, and actual deep, meaningful works. The problem is that the frivolous comes wrapped in shining lights and beautiful colours, to hide the emptiness, while deep and meaningful works often come in very unassuming forms, because the actual body of the work itself is the entire focus of the artist/author.
Keep looking, and keep learning, and you can absolutely find excellent examples which will speak directly to your soul.
When you find truth, it jumps out right in your face. If you've never experienced this, it's best to keep looking.