>It's bad for me as an elder millennial seeing the promised opportunities of my youth fading into inflation, debt, and red tape. 

I am at the tailend of genX - it isn't better. 

>I wish there were an easy answer like, "just get a better job," but the opportunities are often simply not there in the first place.

I think this is where "make a better job" comes into play. Just have a look at what is happening in blockchain and crypto - it should be easy for "digital natives" that are confident "content creators" to build into, right?