JOHNS HOPKINS PROFESSOR: Get Used To Living With Mom And Dad (secretary, unemployed)
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I also think a lot of Boomers don't understand the concept of outsourcing and what that does to a local economy. My parents just think I should be able to walk in off the street and get some manufacturing job, but a lot of the factories in my area are in Mexico, China, and Costa Rica. I actually heard a group of Boomers complaining about Gen Yers who can't find jobs. The conversation went like this:
Lady 1: "Well, these young people are so lazy. They just won't work. When I was 18, I had a job down at the factory making TVs. I just walked in and got the job."
Man 1: "Yeah, I know. I picked corn for a living."
Okay, the factory they were talking about is in Mexico right now. The corn picking job is done by illegal immigrants now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BackinHenderson
My favorite is when they point out that they too graduated into a recession. The greatest economic minds in the world will tell you this is the worst recession since the Great Depression. Worst since the 1930s not the 1980s, but they'll try and make it out like they had it just as bad but found their way.
Found their way into an easy high paying job. Don't even try to explain to them inflation and the value of today's dollar versus the value of the dollar when they entered the workforce.
The bottomline is they got theirs on easy street and everyone else.............well who else could their possibly be but people like me
Very true. In many ways, fresh college grads today have it worse than those during the Great Depression. During that era, many folks lived on farms where they knew how to grow their own food, make their own clothes and take care of themselves. Today, there are no jobs and people are completely dependent on our increasingly screwed system. Back in the 30's, almost no one had a college degree. A bachelors degree back then was the equivalent of a PhD. Also, because of that, no one had massive student debt in the 30's. Massive student loan debt is a very recent phenomena. Going to Harvard back in the Boomer's youth was only a few hundred dollars a semester! How times have changed for the worse. Every new graduating college class breaks a new student loan debt record. Two out of three college grads carries student loan debt to the key of 20K or more. Student loan debt never goes away until every last penny, plus interest, is paid. The average college grad who can find a job that requires a degree makes 27K annually but still has to make hefty monthly student loan payments. It is not comforting to know that only about 1 in 5 recent college grads is actually doing career work.
Boomers love to condemn Generation Y for not all being engineers and rocket scientists. This is quite idiotic seeing as only a tiny portion of the American population is able to perform such jobs. Also, contrary to popular belief, there is no engineer/math/science shortage in America. It is not hard to find hundreds of sob story testimonials of science/math grads unemployed or waiting tables.
Boomers also seem to live in some parallel universe where the most privileged boomers didn't use to be lazy pot smoking hippies but hard workers. The hippies of the 60's and 70's refused to work while Generation Y is eager to work for free just so maybe they might get paid peanuts in the future.
Last edited by goldenchild08; 01-22-2012 at 03:06 PM..
I am not sure I buy this scenario. I will take myself as an example, I have four kids, between the ages of 19 and 28. None of them live at home. 1 in college, 1 in Army, 1 is a mortician, 1 is a Geologist. The oldest one has a Masters, the 3rd one is currently working full time, and working on an MBA part time. None of them are married or have kids.
I don't have a place for them to come home, I live in a small studio. My expectation is that they support themselves. I don't think that is unrealistic. The two older boys lived with me while they did their undergrad work, and they both worked while going to school.
From what I have seen, our economy is not so bad that there are not jobs, there are just not jobs some kids want, at the pay that they want, where they want...many have unrealistic expectations, and also went to college, without thinking about what type of work they would do when leaving college, it was just 4 more years of extended high school. "I want to major in Art Studies"...okay, great, but what kind of WORK will you do when you graduate? Then they complain they can't anything better than working at a call center?!
I also think parents now are too lenient, there is a fine line between parenting, and enabling. I think kids who know they have to make their own way are more motivated, than kids who can live at home forever.
Yes, I think things may be cut back -- my parents' generation didn't think they had to have first homes that were 3000 or 4000 sq ft, and many families squeezed into houses that by today's standards seem pretty small.
The day of the $400,000 starter home might be gone -- but a working couple should be able to afford a $100,000 even without 6-figure incomes.
It's not unheard for college grads to move back home after graduation. I had to move back home because I had to find a job first in order to save for an apt. Now if someone is still at home at 29 and 30 then that's odd.
Why do people judge what others do with their private life when it does not negatively affect them??
Different cultures have different traditions about adults living with their parents. People also have different obligations, life situations, etc. To expect ALL humans to do something at a certain age is irrational and absurd. Unless, everyone have the same opportunities, obligations, life situations, etc can this be a common and expected circumstance.
I agree that at SOME point an adult has to "leave the nest" but the adult has to decide at which point in his/her life would be the appropriate time to do so. Remember that adults mature differently mentality, physically, and financially.
I know a lot of "adults" that have their own place but the parents pay the rent.
People should do what they want -- but keep in mind that in other cultures like that of Mexico, salaries can be much much lower because so many adults still live with their parents and so can afford to accept very low pay.
Is that what we want? To give up our middle class standard of living and independence and live like third world people live, never being able to leave home? One enough people can merrily accept very low pay because they have no rent or mortgage, very low pay will be quite acceptable.
Soon there won't be a choice -- once most people get used to the idea of living like permanent teenagers, employers will only have to offer a permanent teenager kind of wage and have plenty of applicants.
I am not sure I buy this scenario. I will take myself as an example, I have four kids, between the ages of 19 and 28. None of them live at home. 1 in college, 1 in Army, 1 is a mortician, 1 is a Geologist. The oldest one has a Masters, the 3rd one is currently working full time, and working on an MBA part time. None of them are married or have kids.
I don't have a place for them to come home, I live in a small studio. My expectation is that they support themselves. I don't think that is unrealistic. The two older boys lived with me while they did their undergrad work, and they both worked while going to school.
From what I have seen, our economy is not so bad that there are not jobs, there are just not jobs some kids want, at the pay that they want, where they want...many have unrealistic expectations, and also went to college, without thinking about what type of work they would do when leaving college, it was just 4 more years of extended high school. "I want to major in Art Studies"...okay, great, but what kind of WORK will you do when you graduate? Then they complain they can't anything better than working at a call center?!
I also think parents now are too lenient, there is a fine line between parenting, and enabling. I think kids who know they have to make their own way are more motivated, than kids who can live at home forever.
I agree with you 100%. We have kids too that are off and on their own and they have learned to be self sufficient. Although we do have a son who is 21 that comes home from college on weekends as his w/e job is close to our house. But he's in college. You are so right about there are jobs, but the kids just do not want to do them! Adults as well.
I am so irked with the parents who enable their kids. I know someone right now, he has two kids in college, they've never worked a day in their lives EXCEPT on their funded trips to the Honduras where they go and volunteer a week of their time trying to help people learn english. Heck, there are people here that can barely speak english.
We have to remember that this generation of kids are the ones that are going to be responsible for running the country someday. Scary thought.
Very true. In many ways, fresh college grads today have it worse than those during the Great Depression. During that era, many folks lived on farms where they knew how to grow their own food, make their own clothes and take care of themselves. Today, there are no jobs and people are completely dependent on our increasingly screwed system. Back in the 30's, almost no one had a college degree. A bachelors degree back then was the equivalent of a PhD. Also, because of that, no one had massive student debt in the 30's. Massive student loan debt is a very recent phenomena. Going to Harvard back in the Boomer's youth was only a few hundred dollars a semester! How times have changed for the worse. Every new graduating college class breaks a new student loan debt record. Two out of three college grads carries student loan debt to the key of 20K or more. Student loan debt never goes away until every last penny, plus interest, is paid. The average college grad who can find a job that requires a degree makes 27K annually but still has to make hefty monthly student loan payments. It is not comforting to know that only about 1 in 5 recent college grads is actually doing career work.
Boomers love to condemn Generation Y for not all being engineers and rocket scientists. This is quite idiotic seeing as only a tiny portion of the American population is able to perform such jobs. Also, contrary to popular belief, there is no engineer/math/science shortage in America. It is not hard to find hundreds of sob story testimonials of science/math grads unemployed or waiting tables.
Boomers also seem to live in some parallel universe where the most privileged boomers didn't use to be lazy pot smoking hippies but hard workers. The hippies of the 60's and 70's refused to work while Generation Y is eager to work for free just so maybe they might get paid peanuts in the future.
People should do what they want -- but keep in mind that in other cultures like that of Mexico, salaries can be much much lower because so many adults still live with their parents and so can afford to accept very low pay.
Is that what we want? To give up our middle class standard of living and independence and live like third world people live, never being able to leave home? One enough people can merrily accept very low pay because they have no rent or mortgage, very low pay will be quite acceptable.
Soon there won't be a choice -- once most people get used to the idea of living like permanent teenagers, employers will only have to offer a permanent teenager kind of wage and have plenty of applicants.
You can't offer teenager type of wage for certain jobs because the employer would never get a response or the wrong person.
Of course if the kid wants to live at home, he/she does their own share of the chores, pays rent, food etc., and there is some sort of understanding. But I see some kids living at home that drive a nicer car than me, runs around in brand name clothes, designer handbags etc., not having enough money to help with rent or let alone save up for rent!
I am only concerned that we as parents would enable our children and not teach them to be self sufficient. It's quite an accomplishment knowing that you have given your child the tools he or she needs to be able to go out and make good decisions and to take care of themselves. These children are our future leaders and they need to have values and skills. The value of the dollar and the skill of knowing how to earn it and spend it wisely.
Of course if the kid wants to live at home, he/she does their own share of the chores, pays rent, food etc., and there is some sort of understanding. But I see some kids living at home that drive a nicer car than me, runs around in brand name clothes, designer handbags etc., not having enough money to help with rent or let alone save up for rent!
I am only concerned that we as parents would enable our children and not teach them to be self sufficient. It's quite an accomplishment knowing that you have given your child the tools he or she needs to be able to go out and make good decisions and to take care of themselves. These children are our future leaders and they need to have values and skills. The value of the dollar and the skill of knowing how to earn it and spend it wisely.
Agree. Depends on the kid also. Did they just graduate with their AA with a 2.0 gpa? Did they just finish with a 3.8 from a top school? I'd say those are two different things.
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