homeboy lived inside of tech-bro-capitalism since he was 19 and is now realizing it's hollow, but hasn't been forced to live outside of that bubble.

some kernels of truth but it feels like he doesn't need AI or tattoos, he needs a therapist

Honestly, picking up some shifts at a local coffee shop might help. Or doing some fine arts night classes.

Or if he's lucky enough not to need to worry about money for a while, then spend half a year doing Peace Corps or some sort of voluntourism project. Walk the Camino de Santiago or the Appalachian Trail. Spend a week in the second-largest city of every country in Africa, in reverse alphabetical order. Whatever.

His current situation isn't making him happy. So try something very different for a while, get some perspective, then reassess.