I'm a similar age group / community and this sort of perspective is not at all uncommon, and it's legit. There is no "performative wokeness" going on in my experience.
I was just making a general philosophical point. Whether Prop C specifically is a good idea depends on a lot of empirical information that I haven't researched.
It is true that multiple parties (which first past the post prevents) would make forming coalitions around issues like this easier.
Saying "this isn’t a conspiracy by one party or group" is pretty silly though. The economic policies advocated for and enacted by the two parties point in completely opposite directions.
I think this is just way too simplistic of a view of it. People won't just follow two exact patterns of behavior regardless of their environment. We all have, to varying extents, a proclivity to instant dopamine-based gratification.
The difference now is that the technology that now exists makes this sort of gratification both constantly available, and better than ever at scratching that dopamine itch.
The evidence the article presents also points towards something happening after the advent of smartphones, and not before.