

(The Atlantic)   45% of recent college graduates still live with their parents. The other 55% were unavailable due to no phone in their parents' basement   (theatlantic.com) divider line 3
    More: Fail, college graduate, basements, The Atlantic, graduates, parents  
•       •       •

1323 clicks; posted to Geek » on 02 Mar 2013 at 2:24 PM (1 year ago)   |  Favorite    |   share:  Share on Twitter share via Email Share on Facebook   more»

Voting Results (Funniest)
View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest

Archived thread
2013-03-02 04:44:11 PM
1 votes:

Generation_D: Somaticasual: quickdraw: When I was 18 in 1979 I had a part time minimum wage job that easily covered my rent, food and utilities. There was no credit check when I rented a nice apartment in a good neighborhood.

Now a part time minimum wage job would pay for my food if I didn't eat out and that's about it. My credit sucks, because during a difficult period three years ago I was late twice paying a credit card bill by 2 weeks, so if I had to rent I would be screwed.

The world has gotten much harsher in the last 30 years.

It really has. What the boomer generation doesn't get when it dishes out the classic "just get a job" advice is that it hasn't been simple since maybe the late 70s. The jobs they could take to make ends meet have transformed into "39 hours and you're never going full-time" so companies can do away with the things that were available for our parents' generation (IE, decent pay, company health insurance, and even the faintest traces of company loyalty)

cripes, like 12% inflation for 6 years in a row in the mid 70s to early 80s wasn't a beatdown. And despite what your history books are claiming, the minimum wage of $2.25 an hour then did not buy you a comfortable apt. Full time at 2 minimum wage jobs could pay rent in a 1 room sh*thole but that was about it. Zero internet, no online anything, jobs were whatever local food joints had work or else some lucky guys worked construction or farming.

Education was probably cheaper because the boomers hadn't yanked funding away from that yet.

But an education was not a guarantee, it never is.

I whined about it in my early 20s too. Which only kept me back longer, i'd complain then go smoke bowls (always money for weed!) than actually try and think of a way out or up.

Sure it wasn't all peachy back in the day, but it's relative. You didn't have internet, your parents didn't have a phone or a car. These new tools are necessary as the game changes and they cost money.

My generation is the first one predicted to not do as well as the previous. All told, we are more screwed than the generation before us. I've been laid off 5 times in 7 years and I've got friends who've had it worse.

I was told in my innocent youth that college as the way to success and financial security, so I went and studied the sciences. Turns out I was lied to. Not 30-something me, but young, innocent me who was told that the loans were worth it. Now I'm on the hook for the debt and the job market for my generation is crap. It sucks and I've got to dig my way out. But constantly screwing over the next generation as they start out their lives will not sustain a country. I have no problem using socialism as a wedge to get back what was taken from me in my inexperienced youth.

The kids you raise are the ones that take care of you in your fragile and defenseless old age. They are the ones at your bedside adjusting your pillow. How you treat them determines which side of your head they put the pillow on.
2013-03-02 01:25:27 PM
1 votes:
This is why I'm glad I never got a degree*.  I have my OWN basement to live in (thankyouverymuch)

*was too busy learnin to get one.
2013-03-02 01:13:24 PM
1 votes:
I had no idea that many people were incapable of paying rent and working and paying down a school loan at the same time. You guys are amazing. Have a trophy.
Displayed 3 of 3 comments

View Voting Results: Smartest and Funniest

This thread is archived, and closed to new comments.

Continue Farking
Submit a Link »