Great piece, John. Thanks for putting together the data that demolishes the story line that today’s kids have it so much worse. The follow up to this is that expecting to earn more than a half a million dollars a year after graduating with one of the many useless degrees offered by one of the failing “elite” schools which has resulted in severe disappointment and misery, which make socialism seem like the only answer.
I don't envy the dating world Gen Z has to deal with or the disruption AI may cause them (and the rest of us) down the line, but yes, the financial stuff is overstated.
It's hard for them just like it was hard for everyone else, but I think those of us that are older had the advantage of hearing what it was like for the people that really had it hard before us. Nothing I did coming up matched what people had to deal with in the Greatest Generation. Not even close, so it was easy for us to know we had it better.
In a world where Gen Z is constantly told they're victims, it's easier to make them feel like they're in some uniquely bad spot, even if it isn't true.
True, my mother’s family was able to tell us about the Great Depression. But we lived through the Carter years when interest rates were what, over 15%? Gas was scare too, I remember waiting on the alternate day lines depending on your license plate. Most everyone has it hard at some time.
One of the other big problems I think is that they were told they were special and that if they went to an elite school they’d be rich too, because that was the golden ticket, which it used to be when you got a medical, law, or engineering degree from one of those universities. BUT, the communists, who always play the long game, started handing out easy degrees in Queer studies, Peace studies, etc. and then those kids graduated with $250K but worthless degrees.
Way back when (1961) my high school had a class called Senior Problems. It covered basics like economics of work, taxes, marriage etc. Seems now that 12th grade was a bit late for such subjects. I wonder if any public schools still require anything like it. (Guessing not.)
So interesting! So different in this day and age. I could not wait to leave upon high school graduation. I had had an auto accident and was on crutches for graduation and left the next
morning on a bus to Philadelphia to get a job, I was so excited.
Things have really changed. I could not wait to be independent and on my own.
Great piece, John. Thanks for putting together the data that demolishes the story line that today’s kids have it so much worse. The follow up to this is that expecting to earn more than a half a million dollars a year after graduating with one of the many useless degrees offered by one of the failing “elite” schools which has resulted in severe disappointment and misery, which make socialism seem like the only answer.
I don't envy the dating world Gen Z has to deal with or the disruption AI may cause them (and the rest of us) down the line, but yes, the financial stuff is overstated.
It's hard for them just like it was hard for everyone else, but I think those of us that are older had the advantage of hearing what it was like for the people that really had it hard before us. Nothing I did coming up matched what people had to deal with in the Greatest Generation. Not even close, so it was easy for us to know we had it better.
In a world where Gen Z is constantly told they're victims, it's easier to make them feel like they're in some uniquely bad spot, even if it isn't true.
True, my mother’s family was able to tell us about the Great Depression. But we lived through the Carter years when interest rates were what, over 15%? Gas was scare too, I remember waiting on the alternate day lines depending on your license plate. Most everyone has it hard at some time.
One of the other big problems I think is that they were told they were special and that if they went to an elite school they’d be rich too, because that was the golden ticket, which it used to be when you got a medical, law, or engineering degree from one of those universities. BUT, the communists, who always play the long game, started handing out easy degrees in Queer studies, Peace studies, etc. and then those kids graduated with $250K but worthless degrees.
Way back when (1961) my high school had a class called Senior Problems. It covered basics like economics of work, taxes, marriage etc. Seems now that 12th grade was a bit late for such subjects. I wonder if any public schools still require anything like it. (Guessing not.)
So interesting! So different in this day and age. I could not wait to leave upon high school graduation. I had had an auto accident and was on crutches for graduation and left the next
morning on a bus to Philadelphia to get a job, I was so excited.
Things have really changed. I could not wait to be independent and on my own.
Bobi currently 83 yrs
bbogart@aol.com