I wonder how much of these developments remain when correcting for factors we don't necessarily deem to be an issue. For example, between 1960 and today life e

I wonder how much of these developments remain when correcting for factors we don't necessarily deem to be an issue. For example, between 1960 and today life expectancy in the US grew by 10 years. If we look at educational attainment, we also see massive positive changes. [0] From 60% completing less than high school in 1960, to 9% today, and those with degrees grew from 4% to 37%. If we live longer and educate ourselves for longer, it makes sense to delay certain behaviours and milestones in life, such as moving out of your parents' home, marrying, having kids, getting a job. This would typically not be something to be very concerned about, rather it would typically be something public policy would aspire to achieve. However, suppose you plot these milestones and behaviours on an age-timeline (from 0 to 100 for example) and the behaviours and milestones all shift 3 years to the right for the abovementioned reasons (5 years more education, 10 years of higher higher life expectancy). If you're a journalist who then selects a range on this age-timeline (e.g. 20 to 30), you'll obviously find that a smaller share of the people in this narrow range will have met those milestones. Taken out of context, it's worrying. Within context, it might be entirely natural. Of course there are genuine, objective problems as well that I'm not denying. But the issues might be overstated, as well. I'd like to see a more nuanced, more accurate view, correcting for certain factors instead of just selling a one-sided warning piece. If I look at my own generation I feel in many ways much more empowered and independent compared to what my parents (anecdotally), yet I did live at home slightly longer than my mother for example. However I had a better education, started a company at a young age, travelled to four continents by myself as a teenager with my own funds. My mom moved out earlier than I did with financial support from her parents, and married sooner. But she was not as free or independent. [0] https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizations/time-series/demo/fig_2.png https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/visualizat...