The Kids Are Kind of All Right
a day ago
- The author questions whether his daughter will find a job after graduating from a future AI-driven university, and whether homeownership will remain a benchmark of adulthood.
- Media coverage highlights a rise in young adults living with parents, with 49% of under-30s living at home in 2025 according to the SHED report, up 12 points since 2019.
- Census data shows a long-term upward trend over 40 years, but the increase is less dramatic when accounting for students in dormitories and demographic shifts.
- Demographic factors like higher rates of intergenerational living among Latino, Asian, and Black families, and later marriage ages, explain much of the trend rather than purely economic factors.
- The narrative of a crisis is overblown; most young people are doing okay, but there is a growing mismatch between cultural expectations (e.g., homeownership, dream jobs) and financial reality.
- This discontent fuels political movements, with young people questioning capitalism's ability to provide a future, leading to a rise in populist left support.