Every generation has some product/ingredient that they didn’t know was dangerous at the time: tobacco, lead, asbestos, etc. What is that item for this generation?
Complete shot in the dark but my brain can't let it be (also fuck it, thats the point of this topic):
Surfactants, specifically modern soap and soap products. I strongly suspect that petroleum based soaps cause damage and issues.
When you wash your glasses in a dishwasher, pour some water in after it is dried. Look at how many bubbles are formed on the surface. Pour it out and do it again - usually there will be less bubbles. That means you are ingesting leftover detergent that wasn't rinsed off. Can't be great for you.
That's a great point, I didn't think about that. Not certain how to test that out. Probably let the glass sit after the first rinse till air dry and then test again.
About the dishwasher, that's largely because you're using too much detergent. Here's a vid from a completely pedantic and very knowledgeable guy about this subject. I watched all 48 minutes of it once and now my dishes don't have that soapy residue anymore.
I love that guy! I actually watched this video when it was released and follow these steps. I noticed that the high end, high efficiency dishwashers still have residue even when following these steps.