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I totally respect that the subjects of this article are trying to retrain themselves for well-paying careers. What's weird to me though is how many of them, ev

I totally respect that the subjects of this article are trying to retrain themselves for well-paying careers. What's weird to me though is how many of them, even after observing family economic difficulties, studied things that could never result in a non-poverty life and ran up huge financial loan burdens. "Seattle, where she came after college in Utah to study musical theater" "She counts the months until the tech job she hopes to get after Ada can help pay off the $22,000 student debt she has left." "...studied philosophy and the history of science at St. John’s College in Annapolis, Md., has had jobs as a barista, a taxi dispatcher and a deli worker. She has $72,000 of student debt and has never been paid an annual wage, she said, of more than $17,000." I'm a history and philosophy of science and technology person myself, but it's never paid or pretended to.

mikestew 10y ago
What's weird to me though is how many of them, even after observing family economic difficulties, studied things that could never result in a non-poverty life and ran up huge financial loan burdens. That's what I was thinking after reading the opening paragraphs: "...and you didn't learn a damned thing from it, did you?"
shepardrtc 10y ago
Millenial pop culture promoted romantic lives of being artsy and unique, following your dreams, and trying to save the world. They were told that money wasn't everything and they should try to live more meaningful lives. Not terrible notions in the slightest, but not focusing on a well-paying career has consequences, and one of them can be a life of poverty. A few years of barely being able to pay the bills and having a lower quality of life can change motivations.
- pnathan 10y ago
  > Millenial pop culture promoted romantic lives of being artsy and unique, following your dreams, and trying to save the world. High school guidance counselors, the music and TV shows produced by the adults in the room, and many of our parents, thank you very much. People learn what they've been taught, and a core message to 90s children was "follow your dreams and it'll all work out". It was considered very crass to run the numbers.
- dragonwriter 10y ago
  > Millenial pop culture promoted romantic lives of being artsy and unique, following your dreams, and trying to save the world. So did Boomer pop culture, in spades (Its not like the "Hippie" identity was created by Millenials.) Gen X, not so much, though.

mikestew 10y ago

What's weird to me though is how many of them, even after observing family economic difficulties, studied things that could never result in a non-poverty life and ran up huge financial loan burdens. That's what I was thinking after reading the opening paragraphs: "...and you didn't learn a damned thing from it, did you?"

shepardrtc 10y ago

Millenial pop culture promoted romantic lives of being artsy and unique, following your dreams, and trying to save the world. They were told that money wasn't everything and they should try to live more meaningful lives. Not terrible notions in the slightest, but not focusing on a well-paying career has consequences, and one of them can be a life of poverty. A few years of barely being able to pay the bills and having a lower quality of life can change motivations.

pnathan 10y ago
> Millenial pop culture promoted romantic lives of being artsy and unique, following your dreams, and trying to save the world. High school guidance counselors, the music and TV shows produced by the adults in the room, and many of our parents, thank you very much. People learn what they've been taught, and a core message to 90s children was "follow your dreams and it'll all work out". It was considered very crass to run the numbers.
dragonwriter 10y ago
> Millenial pop culture promoted romantic lives of being artsy and unique, following your dreams, and trying to save the world. So did Boomer pop culture, in spades (Its not like the "Hippie" identity was created by Millenials.) Gen X, not so much, though.