Policy wonk Robert Verbruggen writes for
The American Conservative about
trends among Millennials and how society may come to view people in their twenties. Hat tip to
Lucianne.com for the link. Some key thoughts:
According to the Pew Research Center: For the first time since at least 1940, more 18- to 34-year-old Americans were living with their parents than with a spouse or other romantic partner. Just under a third lived in each of these two arrangements, with the remainder living alone, with roommates, in dorms, etc. The trends have been especially stark since 1960, the apex of the young nuclear family in America. Living with romantic partners has plummeted, while living with parents has steadily grown.
Verbruggen identifies four trends:
1. Americans are delaying both marriage and children.
2. People are staying in school longer.
3. Student-loan debt is growing.
4. Some young adults are opting out of the labor force.
He concludes:
Maybe as young Americans put off the responsibilities of adulthood, the rest of society will be less willing to treat them like adults.
Verbruggen cites a factoid that I found particularly interesting: today more than 10 percent of men aged 25 to 34 have no job and are not looking for one. By comparison, 3% or less fit this description in the early 1960s. I expect this percentage to increase over time.
