The issue isn't lack of effort, it's lack of scope. If everyone whinging online signed up to a party today, started attending every single local meeting from tomorrow onwards, put themselves forward for roles within that party, actually put in time and effort to get selected, get elected, move up, keep moving up, keep aiming higher, we'd have a completely overhauled political system in 5 years.

Granted it might be harder in the States (UK here), but for us, we have 650 members of parliament. That means we only need 326 individuals, members of any party, out of nearly 70 million people, who will vote in favour of any policy that will benefit future generations, be it climate related, electoral reform, workers rights reform, anything beneficial, and the country and world would start to get better. Instead hopelessness is pervasive, very few people try and as you point out, if they do try, they find themselves alone. Well now, how about we all just agree to do it? There are thousands, possibly millions of people who are under 30 and sick of all of this crap and follow pages on reddit, Facebook, Instagram, tiktok, any of the random new social media that I stopped keeping up with once I turned 25, pages dedicated to 'antiwork', political reform, climate issues, the general decline of western society under late stage capitalism.

If even 10% got off their asses and actually did something about it, everything would be fine. If YOU get off your ass and do something, it will help. I'm literally an elected politician at the local level in the UK. I tell anyone who asks that I'm only involved because I hated the idea that the climate crisis was raging and nobody was doing anything, so I may as well do something myself. I have seen that things can change at the local level because I'm there, changing them. I'm one person. In this mid-sized town, there are probably hundreds or thousands of others who are also scared that nobody is doing anything, but they're lazy, or apathetic, or just not aware of the possibilities, so I'm alone for the moment.

You asked what anyone can do, but you're complaining that you don't like the answer. Live in California? Move. It's expensive as hell anyway, so move to Arkansas or Missouri. Pretend you're a republican. Infiltrate. Change that party from the inside. Or move to a smaller town. Join the town council. Then run for mayor. Then for governor. Just do something. That is the only answer. There is no quick fix, no easy path. The solution is simple - make sure every decision you make for at least the next 5 years will get you closer to your goal of attaining political power so you can change things. That is the only way anything will ever change. Left to the hands of the 'default' political classes, they won't do anything. They won't change anything. They have it easier than you. They have connections at prestigious universities, they have more money, they have better access to internships and people of influence. Tough luck, but that isn't an excuse for you not to try. You will be alone at the start. Be the example. Bring people with you. Constantly encourage anyone you know who feels the same as you to get involved. Things can be changed for the better, but the first step is on you. Stop waiting for other people to make things better.