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I see these types of stories as propaganda aiming to placate younger generations into accepting a lower standard of living than their predecessors. The ones I r

I see these types of stories as propaganda aiming to placate younger generations into accepting a lower standard of living than their predecessors. The ones I really get a kick out of are all the Tiny Home shows popping up. I know, I know, some people really are embracing simplicity and being unencumbered by the responsibilities past generations faced. However, what these types of stories are really saying is; sorry but because of inflation and the ponzi scheme that is our financial system you young folks are just not going to have what your parents and grandparents had so you'd better start embracing things like family cohabitation and tiny homes. Instead of accepting this drivel I'd really like to see the gen Zers call bullshit and start demanding that they can be plumbers, electricians, nurses etc. AND still have single, detached family dwellings in Palo Alto.

lotsofpulp 8y ago
No one is being stopped from asking for $200k+ salaries.
Charlaxy 8y ago
I have similar thoughts every time I see food trucks that are charging full-service restaurant prices for people to stand on the street and eat carbs. There's an argument to be made that it's faster or more convenient than full-service as well as higher quality than conventional fast food and that you're paying for that, but it's also asking consumers to accept less than previous generations expected for their dinner experience, while paying as much or more. I see it as a symptom of the rising cost of running an establishment, instead of a reflection of changing tastes. Some humans are too good at making virtues of inconveniences instead of tackling the source of the inconvenience. I'm pleasantly surprised whenever I see a Tiny Home that isn't a death-trap with a single exit.
kiba 8y ago
There's no need for such a dichotomy. How about we live simpler lives and yet become wealthier? And I have no idea why would we want to all live in single detached home when the alternative is to densify and reduce humanity's footprint on nature.
poilcn 8y ago
That's not mainstream and won't ever be. It's kinda sensationalism. I thinks such low-effort "ideas" are republished once in 10 years. This maybe happens somewhere, but in general it's just noise. Average household size decreases in the US and in other developed countries. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183648/average-size-of-households-in-the-us/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/183648/average-size-of-h... Speaking about "tiny home", it's not a trend as well. Median and Average Square Feet of Floor Area in New Single-Family Houses Completed by Location: https://web.archive.org/web/20190105112830/http://www.census.gov/const/C25Ann/sftotalmedavgsqft.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20190105112830/http://www.census...
- iguy 8y ago
  Totally agree about these articles. Note that the trends in the sizes of new homes completed are a little misleading, I think, as they reflect boom suburbs, rather than the occupied stock. Not an expert, but here's an attempt to track the floor area of occupied housing, and it's much closer to flat (US, 20th C): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4532357/figure/pone.0134135.g007/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4532357/figure/...
lunchables 8y ago
I would love to live in a tiny house because I don't need much space and it seems like such a waste to pay for a big house to heat and cool. Plus, as someone who bought a house in 2007 right before the recession, I don't really think of a home as an investment. It can be, but the timing can also be risky. So I'd rather have a small house and invest my money elsewhere, and not waste all that energy and money to maintain a big house I don't need. The problem is I also want to live close to work. So it's all about trying to find that balance of cost, space and proximity that makes it all very difficult. But the issue just isn't as simple as people "accepting lower standards of living".
dangerface 8y ago
I am one of the people you are talking about and I get everything you are saying. I realise that baby boomers have inherited all of the resources and have no interest in using it to better future generations. I can call them out on their entitled bullshit and they can call me entitled and lazy, but at the end of the day I need some where to live or I will die from exposure. When the reality of the situation sets in buying a house without a mortgage thats paying baby boomers to cruise the world is the biggest fuck you I can give them.

lotsofpulp 8y ago

No one is being stopped from asking for $200k+ salaries.

Charlaxy 8y ago

I have similar thoughts every time I see food trucks that are charging full-service restaurant prices for people to stand on the street and eat carbs. There's an argument to be made that it's faster or more convenient than full-service as well as higher quality than conventional fast food and that you're paying for that, but it's also asking consumers to accept less than previous generations expected for their dinner experience, while paying as much or more. I see it as a symptom of the rising cost of running an establishment, instead of a reflection of changing tastes. Some humans are too good at making virtues of inconveniences instead of tackling the source of the inconvenience. I'm pleasantly surprised whenever I see a Tiny Home that isn't a death-trap with a single exit.

kiba 8y ago

There's no need for such a dichotomy. How about we live simpler lives and yet become wealthier? And I have no idea why would we want to all live in single detached home when the alternative is to densify and reduce humanity's footprint on nature.

poilcn 8y ago

That's not mainstream and won't ever be. It's kinda sensationalism. I thinks such low-effort "ideas" are republished once in 10 years. This maybe happens somewhere, but in general it's just noise. Average household size decreases in the US and in other developed countries. https://www.statista.com/statistics/183648/average-size-of-households-in-the-us/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/183648/average-size-of-h... Speaking about "tiny home", it's not a trend as well. Median and Average Square Feet of Floor Area in New Single-Family Houses Completed by Location: https://web.archive.org/web/20190105112830/http://www.census.gov/const/C25Ann/sftotalmedavgsqft.pdf https://web.archive.org/web/20190105112830/http://www.census...

iguy 8y ago
Totally agree about these articles. Note that the trends in the sizes of new homes completed are a little misleading, I think, as they reflect boom suburbs, rather than the occupied stock. Not an expert, but here's an attempt to track the floor area of occupied housing, and it's much closer to flat (US, 20th C): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4532357/figure/pone.0134135.g007/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4532357/figure/...

lunchables 8y ago

I would love to live in a tiny house because I don't need much space and it seems like such a waste to pay for a big house to heat and cool. Plus, as someone who bought a house in 2007 right before the recession, I don't really think of a home as an investment. It can be, but the timing can also be risky. So I'd rather have a small house and invest my money elsewhere, and not waste all that energy and money to maintain a big house I don't need. The problem is I also want to live close to work. So it's all about trying to find that balance of cost, space and proximity that makes it all very difficult. But the issue just isn't as simple as people "accepting lower standards of living".

dangerface 8y ago

I am one of the people you are talking about and I get everything you are saying. I realise that baby boomers have inherited all of the resources and have no interest in using it to better future generations. I can call them out on their entitled bullshit and they can call me entitled and lazy, but at the end of the day I need some where to live or I will die from exposure. When the reality of the situation sets in buying a house without a mortgage thats paying baby boomers to cruise the world is the biggest fuck you I can give them.