I tried to avoid commenting on that recent New York Times article calling us 20-somethings the “Go No-Where Generation.” I tried to avoid it because I didn’t think I had a legitimate response.
I read that article and somewhat related to the idea of being stagnant. Yes, I currently live 3K miles from my hometown, but I waited five years to make the move. Yes, I’m currently following a passion, but I missed many opportunities to go on the kinds of crazy adventures that the writer of that article claims Americans past enjoyed.
Do I think all 20-somethings are lazy, Internet addicted, “Peter Pan’s” afraid to make major moves for fear of leaving the nest, absolutely not. But do I think there’s something to this idea of our generation favoring security over risk, yes.
And so, in the end, I caved. My former AOL editor now works at LearnVest.com, and when she reached out to see if I’d write a response to that very New York Times piece, I bit.
Here are my full thoughts on the idea of the “go no-where generation.” But more importantly, I’d love to make this a bigger conversation. Post your own responses and rants in comments, and maybe the Times will publish US, instead of old people who like to write about us!
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I think it’s absolutely ridiculous for the middle-age and retirement age generations to criticize our generation for being risk averse. Their risk-taking behavior with investments and spending above their income got us into the worst financial crisis in 100 years. Of course we are risk averse! We entered a job market where there were few or no jobs in our industry. Many of us already working were laid off. Of course we are risk averse! We were thrown into adulthood without the growing economy that many of those older generations started with. I don’t think there is anything wrong with wanting security. That being said, I do think that too many of our generation’s parents are allowing their kids to move home without any accountability or responsibility.
i read this article and there are a few things that the author clearly isn’t taking into account. i would LOVE to drop everything and move across the ocean to scribble novels in parisian cafes. i would love to take that cross-country road trip i’ve always wanted to take. our generation is held back, i think, by excessive student loan debt, or the credit card debt we were encouraged to rack up by the very capitalist society that is now so disgusted with us. not to mention the fact that i have been around. i went to college out of state, and then flew to portland, oregon on a whim, living there for a year. all of that led to my now-stuck status. i finally decided it was time to be responsible and pay off some of my debt, and after i took my boyfriend to visit my home state (vermont), he decided he wanted to move there, and it just made sense. there is nowhere in this country that i think is as incredible as vermont, from landscape to liberalism, it is a perfect fit. again, i probably wouldn’t be here if i hadn’t experienced early on how hard it is to repay my debts to society. and i wish society would stop rubbing it in.
AS the mother of a very independent 27-year-old woman, I am completely baffled by The New York Times article. My daughter grew up in New York City; she went to school in Chicago; she lived in Morocco; she lived in Paris where she taught English to Portuguese immigrant children in the public school system; she moved back to Chicago and worked in the theater; she had two plays (she is a young playwright) performed by professional troupes in Chicago; she returned to New York for an excellent job as a teacher. It makes me almost dizzy to think of all the things she and her friends have done. She has an apartment of her own and she is paying off student loans on target. Next year she begins a master’s degree while still working full time. She and her generation are incredible.
I could not agree more with you. Of my close friends from college (I graduated in 2010), 3 are getting their Ph.Ds, 1 moved from California to Missouri, 3 moved from California to New York, most moved from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Most of whom, studied abroad during college, a time when traveling cannot hurt you. I myself, 1 year out of college, have a masters in education and am a full time high school teacher. My friends who went to other colleges are starting work at biotech firms and moving out 1 year after graduating. Some have moved to Chicago, Washington D.C., and even South America. I hate these articles who profile all 20-year-olds, as people who do nothing. I do not have a single friend living at home on their parents couches.
This article made no sense to me. I don’t necessarily agree with the NY Times position, but what particularly confused me was that it had no foundation at all. The leaps they make in forming their argument have no support. A person not moving across state lines does not mean they are not looking for a job or that they’re placing security above risk – it could mean they found their dream job within their own state, it could mean they’ve prioritized proximity to family over career, it could mean nothing at all. Until a month ago, I was a 20-something who had never moved from my home state of Texas. This isn’t becuase I felt safe at home or was too lazy to explore beyond what I know. It was because I went to the school I wanted (in Texas), got the job I wanted (in Texas), and there was no need to leave. Although, I stayed in the state, it didn’t stop me from travelling the world and building my career in the field I want. And earlier this month, I moved to China with that career – how’s that for moving away from my state?
Interesting article that is sort of related – http://thegrindstone.com/office-politics/helicopter-parents-now-accompanying-their-children-on-job-interviews-seriously-441/
Another Smart post from you Admin 🙂