3 ms·

I'm definitely a lot better off than my parents were, but as a Millennial, I feel like I'm in the minority. I don't (and won't) have kids, but if I did, I thin

I'm definitely a lot better off than my parents were, but as a Millennial, I feel like I'm in the minority. I don't (and won't) have kids, but if I did, I think they'd definitely be worse off. Between stagnant wages, corporations buying all the housing stock and constantly rising rents, yeah...they're basically fucked. The threshold for being able to buy a house has gotten ridiculous. The 638 sq ft 1-bedroom apartment I lived in in 2011 for $650/month is now $1,600/month. The 900 sq ft 2-bedroom I lived in in 2015 for $900/month is now a whopping $2,200/month. That's absolutely bonkers.

carlosjobim 4y ago
If you won't have kids you are by definition worse off than your parents and all your ancestors since the beginning of time, because reproduction is the definite measure of success.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
  > reproduction is the definite measure of success. For a species, sure. For an individual, absolutely not. Personally, I'd just say "happiness" is the measure of success, with "happiness" having a definition that varies from individual to individual.
  - carlosjobim 4y ago
    Especially for an individual. In the end that is the only measure at all of success, if you have a living heritage.
    - teachrdan 4y ago
      That's kind of a reductive definition of success. I have one biological child. Am I less successful than a sperm donor who has "fathered" multiple children? Is this the lifehack childless millennials have been waiting for?
      - carlosjobim 4y ago
        Yes, for now he is more successful. But at least you are in the game. A person who doesn't have any children is effectively eradicated for all future. That is total failure.
    - Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
      People have babies accidentally all the damn time. Nearly half of pregnancies are unintended. If something you can achieve purely by accident is something that counts as success, then you have a strange idea of what counts as success. And heritage? Please. Over 99.99% of the world population is completely unremarkable, will not be in any history books or Wikipedia articles, and will be forgotten within a couple generations by everyone except maybe a couple relatives. Heritage. Hah. You're a funny dude.
      - carlosjobim 4y ago
        History books or Wikipedia articles mean nothing. > Over 99.99% of the world population is completely unremarkable They are the survivors of more than a billion years of incessant struggle. They are genetically the absolute elite of all elites, including you. That is incredibly remarkable. You carry that heritage and honour in your genes, and shouldn't throw it away just because the rulers have learned how to hack the human brain using mass media and schooling. When the rulers say pay taxes and pay mortgage, that is unnatural and diseased. When your body and spirit says have sex and procreate, that is natural and healthy. "Unintended pregnancies" is the body and subconscious taking control, because the genetical programming of the human being to survive is superior to the mind programming of the rulers. And always will be.
        Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
        Whew lad, there's so much to unpack here that I'm just going to throw out the entire suitcase. Have a good day.
helen___keller 4y ago
For what it’s worth, housing costs are an issue now, for those of us currently adults, not an issue for the next generation yet. My hope (which is not guaranteed) is that in the next 20 years or so we start to solve our housing woes. While it might not seem like we’re making a ton of progress (especially on zoning and such), a lot can change in 2 decades. Additionally we can expect the largest generation will start passing away and birth rates likely continue to drop so subsequent generations will demand less and less housing.
- Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
  We can't solve our housing woes because doing so isn't profitable. Real estate investment is an utter cancer. A blight on our society that contributes to keeping poor people poor. But the people with the money have the power. They prevent new housing from being built. If it gets built anyways, they buy it up and rent it out, sucking more money from the people that aren't fortunate enough to be able to save 6 figures to make a down payment.
blahblah1234567 4y ago
[dead]
maxerickson 4y ago
https://twitter.com/quantian1/status/1638414334731886593 https://twitter.com/quantian1/status/1638414334731886593 Some cities are of course wildly out of wack with that.

carlosjobim 4y ago

If you won't have kids you are by definition worse off than your parents and all your ancestors since the beginning of time, because reproduction is the definite measure of success.

Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
> reproduction is the definite measure of success. For a species, sure. For an individual, absolutely not. Personally, I'd just say "happiness" is the measure of success, with "happiness" having a definition that varies from individual to individual.
- carlosjobim 4y ago
  Especially for an individual. In the end that is the only measure at all of success, if you have a living heritage.
  - teachrdan 4y ago
    That's kind of a reductive definition of success. I have one biological child. Am I less successful than a sperm donor who has "fathered" multiple children? Is this the lifehack childless millennials have been waiting for?
    - carlosjobim 4y ago
      Yes, for now he is more successful. But at least you are in the game. A person who doesn't have any children is effectively eradicated for all future. That is total failure.
  - Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
    People have babies accidentally all the damn time. Nearly half of pregnancies are unintended. If something you can achieve purely by accident is something that counts as success, then you have a strange idea of what counts as success. And heritage? Please. Over 99.99% of the world population is completely unremarkable, will not be in any history books or Wikipedia articles, and will be forgotten within a couple generations by everyone except maybe a couple relatives. Heritage. Hah. You're a funny dude.
    - carlosjobim 4y ago
      History books or Wikipedia articles mean nothing. > Over 99.99% of the world population is completely unremarkable They are the survivors of more than a billion years of incessant struggle. They are genetically the absolute elite of all elites, including you. That is incredibly remarkable. You carry that heritage and honour in your genes, and shouldn't throw it away just because the rulers have learned how to hack the human brain using mass media and schooling. When the rulers say pay taxes and pay mortgage, that is unnatural and diseased. When your body and spirit says have sex and procreate, that is natural and healthy. "Unintended pregnancies" is the body and subconscious taking control, because the genetical programming of the human being to survive is superior to the mind programming of the rulers. And always will be.
      - Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
        Whew lad, there's so much to unpack here that I'm just going to throw out the entire suitcase. Have a good day.

helen___keller 4y ago

For what it’s worth, housing costs are an issue now, for those of us currently adults, not an issue for the next generation yet. My hope (which is not guaranteed) is that in the next 20 years or so we start to solve our housing woes. While it might not seem like we’re making a ton of progress (especially on zoning and such), a lot can change in 2 decades. Additionally we can expect the largest generation will start passing away and birth rates likely continue to drop so subsequent generations will demand less and less housing.

Sohcahtoa82 4y ago
We can't solve our housing woes because doing so isn't profitable. Real estate investment is an utter cancer. A blight on our society that contributes to keeping poor people poor. But the people with the money have the power. They prevent new housing from being built. If it gets built anyways, they buy it up and rent it out, sucking more money from the people that aren't fortunate enough to be able to save 6 figures to make a down payment.

blahblah1234567 4y ago

[dead]

maxerickson 4y ago

https://twitter.com/quantian1/status/1638414334731886593 https://twitter.com/quantian1/status/1638414334731886593 Some cities are of course wildly out of wack with that.