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Gen Y Not Slackers, Just Slow Starters
Live Science ^ | March 24, 2011 | Unknown

Posted on 03/25/2011 6:25:42 AM PDT by decimon

Generation Y is often thought of as a slacker group of young adults who have failed to launch, delaying real careers and families until later in life. But new research suggests their heavy dependence on Mom and Dad might ultimately prepare them to be successful adults.

Specifically, the study found this generation of "emerging adults" turns to parental support in times of difficultly and as a way to advance their careers in a job market geared toward the highly educated, though most are weaned from such support by their early 30s.

"On a general level, people have concerns about young adults being more dependent than their parents' or grandparents' generations," said researcher Teresa Swartz of the University of Minnesota.

In the mid-20th century, most parents could safely assume their children would be full-fledged adults by their mid 20s, economically stable with their own homes and families. Five decades later, half of twentysomethings are still supported by their parents in some capacity at age 24, the study shows.

"People know that it is a challenge to be a young adult and start off your adult life today," Swartz said. "It's taking longer to find their job and move out of their parental home."

A 2009 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 13 percent of parents with grown children say an adult son or daughter had moved back home over the past year for various reasons, including the recession, with most so-called "boomerangers" in the 18 to 34 age group.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Society
KEYWORDS: generationy
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This at least avoids the usual mysticism of generational traits to give reasons for what's occurring.
1 posted on 03/25/2011 6:25:44 AM PDT by decimon
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To: decimon

Oh great, I see another boomer bashing thread coming.


2 posted on 03/25/2011 6:27:27 AM PDT by caver (Obama: Home of the Whopper)
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To: decimon
most are weaned from such support by their early 30s.

Society is in deep, deep trouble if most "kids" are still receiving parental support into their 30s. Clearly, something has gone terribly wrong.

3 posted on 03/25/2011 6:29:04 AM PDT by ClearCase_guy
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To: decimon

gonna play hell with demographics.


4 posted on 03/25/2011 6:30:16 AM PDT by Poison Pill
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To: decimon

They’re weaned by their 30s—what’s the big deal? LOL.


5 posted on 03/25/2011 6:31:49 AM PDT by Huck (Fools make feasts and wise men eat them - Poor Richard)
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To: ClearCase_guy

Yeah, cost of living is at an all time high. Very simply math.


6 posted on 03/25/2011 6:32:00 AM PDT by GlockThe Vote (Who needs Al Queda to worry about when we have Obama?)
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To: caver
One of my son's is in trade school, working and still living at home. As long as he contributes to the household I have no problem with this. I gave all five of my kids a choice at 18, move out, pay rent, or help around the home, and you must hold a job or go to school.
7 posted on 03/25/2011 6:35:24 AM PDT by ladyvet ( I would rather have Incitatus then the asses that are in congress today.)
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To: ladyvet

Alexander the Great of Macedonia was conquering the known world at age 17 or so. My...how times have changed. We wouldn’t want our children to get stressed now, would we?


8 posted on 03/25/2011 6:38:33 AM PDT by hal ogen (1st amendment or reeducation camp?)
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To: ClearCase_guy
Clearly, something has gone terribly wrong.

De-evolution.

9 posted on 03/25/2011 6:38:58 AM PDT by Huck (Fools make feasts and wise men eat them - Poor Richard)
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To: GlockThe Vote

cost of living is high, jobs are scarce (good quality blue color jobs are almost impossible to find and white color jobs are going the same way) education, rent, fuel, and food costs are astronomical. Not to mention public schooling means that most graduates need to take the equivalent 13th and 14th grade in college to get to where they should have been when they graduated high school.

The way the country is going alot of people my age seem to think why bother? Or thanks to afore mentioned public school they think the government should support them once mom and dad stop. The future seems bleak enough why not drink, party, and game?

I will also say that the majority of my generation seem to be idiots. Most of them voted for Obama and haven’t seemed to have learned from it.


10 posted on 03/25/2011 6:40:49 AM PDT by utherdoul
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To: decimon

Instead of letting kids move back home, parents ought to tell them to make some government-reform signs and head for Washington D. C.

If the millions of unemployed would show up, as they are doing in other countries, it might get some attention from the ruling class in the government and media.
The politicians wouldn’t find it nearly as charming if it were on the US capitol lawn, instead of TV coverage from the Middle East.


11 posted on 03/25/2011 6:40:49 AM PDT by kittymyrib
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To: decimon
most are weaned from such support by their early 30s

How encouraging.

12 posted on 03/25/2011 6:41:46 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Nadie me ama como Jesus.)
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To: GlockThe Vote
This is coming from the Pew Center, originally founded as the Tribune's in-house polling organization to produce tailored polls.

You can't expect them to be capable of broad analysis or accurate data. Their job is to propose a desired result and cull available facts to support it.

13 posted on 03/25/2011 6:42:47 AM PDT by MrEdd (Heck? Geewhiz Cripes, thats the place where people who don't believe in Gosh think they aint going.)
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To: decimon

“People know that it is a challenge to be a young adult and start off your adult life today,” Swartz said. “It’s taking longer to find their job and move out of their parental home.”

Sorry, my grandfather was farming his own acreage, by himself, at age 16. THAT’s a challenge. Maybe if these young “adults” weren’t raised to think they’re entitled to the PERFECT job right out of school, they’d be “out of their parental home” at age 21 or 22.

Colonel, USAFR


14 posted on 03/25/2011 6:55:08 AM PDT by jagusafr ("We hold these truths to be self-evident...")
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To: decimon

I’ll say that there was a fair amount of guilt or doubt that I felt when my older son left. I had made clear that he should have a plan, direction, etc. during his last few years of High School - he was certainly “Momma’s boy” and the bonds still are incredibly tight. But, I think everyone can see that he’s better off for it - mature, takes responsibility, and has a good work ethic. Even though son #2 is still at home, Mom (and dad too) had a fair amount of empty nest feelings when the older one left.

Kids need love, but they need a ton of pressure too. We’re supposed to be prepping them for the real world, not giving them a pampered childhood.


15 posted on 03/25/2011 6:57:31 AM PDT by Sax
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To: jagusafr

My 16-year-old keeps saying he wants “this” type of a job, or doesn’t want “that” kind, and I say, “Bill, you want a job with pay!”

If he doesn’t appear ready to “launch” in a reasonable period, I’ll move another brother into his room ... either the crazy one or the destructive one ...


16 posted on 03/25/2011 6:58:52 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Nadie me ama como Jesus.)
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To: Tax-chick

LOL! Creative parenting. :)


17 posted on 03/25/2011 7:00:24 AM PDT by trisham (Zen is not easy. It takes effort to attain nothingness. And then what do you have? Bupkis.)
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To: hal ogen

High cost of living etc. nowdays. You can’t seriously compare today to the time of Alexander the Great.


18 posted on 03/25/2011 7:03:21 AM PDT by rwfromkansas ("Carve your name on hearts, not marble." - C.H. Spurgeon)
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To: trisham

Would you want to share a room with two little boys - including Sheldon - and one bathroom with seven other people, including two teenaged girls? At that point, ROTC is going to look *really good*.

One reason may chronological adults don’t leave home is that it’s just too comfortable. Maybe we’ll have this problem when only the last two are left.


19 posted on 03/25/2011 7:04:25 AM PDT by Tax-chick (Nadie me ama como Jesus.)
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To: rwfromkansas

High cost of living???? So work harder and longer. To an emerging adult the cost of living always seems somewhat insurmountable. All of a sudden YOU have to pay for things that you took for granted (like toothpaste, food, clothing, transportation, living space and so forth). Cry me a river.


20 posted on 03/25/2011 7:07:39 AM PDT by hal ogen (1st amendment or reeducation camp?)
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