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Let's recap some potential reasons: - Inability to afford a house during their lifetime leaves them with the sole options of living with parents or renting wit

Let's recap some potential reasons: - Inability to afford a house during their lifetime leaves them with the sole options of living with parents or renting with housemates. - Significant artificial inflation in consumer goods, no solution in sight. - A troubled job market: low wages, lack of employee protection or rights, no mandated paid time off, or unlimited sick leave. Attempts to unionize can result in termination. - A challenging dating scene, influenced by numerous factors. - Same in the political scene, where left/right, red/blue parties are irrelevant because nothing is changing. - A decline in community engagement or lack of, with online platforms and technology playing a role, though not exclusively. These are just a few examples. Now, take a look at Maslow's hierarchy of needs, we can see how these issues undermine the basic three levels, including the safety of shelter, employment, belonging, etc., and then you see some articles like this as if it is a surprise why it is the case.. unfortunately, the older generation screwed up and failed the new one.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
Also: - Remote work being pulled by ancient management (average age of US F500 CEO is 58) even though quality of life bump is proven. - If kids are desired, they cost $310k 0-18 (Brookings Institute 2023) each, not including daycare and college. EDIT: - Climate change data and early impacts being realized. > unfortunately, the older generation screwed up and failed the new one. This is the crux. Great comment overall. Society grows great when trees are planted whose shade we won't sit in; instead, we clear cut the place. A whole cohort is trapped in a dysfunctional socioeconomic system they didn't build, but are forced to exist in. Would you be happy? Related: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/20/world-happiness-america-low-list-countries https://www.axios.com/2024/03/20/world-happiness-america-low... ("Axios: U.S. hits new low in World Happiness Report")
- charlieKilo 3y ago
  I noticed recently on HN lots of talking about cancelling remote working, introduced as a temporary measure to fight COVID. I am wondering, if working from home is here to stay, wouldn't companies start hiring talents from global market rather then paying extra for US employees if they still work remotely? Is it not "wiser" from the company point of view to hire talented people for instance from Eastern Europe which have more competitive salary expectations (due to lower cost of living) than American counterparts?
  - toomuchtodo 3y ago
    You see these attempts every few years, with the work coming back with nearshoring and re-onshoring. How confident are you in the hiring processes of most major corps that they can find diamonds in LCOL global geographies? I am not confident. They can't even figure out hiring locally. It's also a lot harder to seek legal recourse when the employee is out of your jurisdictional reach. (20+ years in tech, ymmv, n=1, thoughts and opinions my own)
    - charlieKilo 3y ago
      I am not sure about diamonds but I was involved recruiting software engineers in London City a few years ago using the best recruitment agencies they were back then on the market. Let me tell you, it was a disaster. I do not know whether this was specific to UK, industry or time period but it was a joke. I do not see a reason why broader pool of potential candidates is worse then geographically limited selection, if permanent working from home is on the table.
      - justinclift 3y ago
        > it was a disaster Was the testing just leetcode crap, or was it based on actually being able to get stuff done? ;)
        charlieKilo 3y ago
        That's the problem - it was just for senior developers, not rocket scientists. Most of candidates (curated by agencies) have poor coding skills, soft skills non-existent. So we didn't even dream of people who can get the job done and be independent.
        justinclift 3y ago
        Hmmm, bad salary range for the location maybe? If it's something you can share, do you remember what the salary range was roughly?
- throwaway743 3y ago
  There is unrest in the forest.
AlexandrB 3y ago
> - Significant artificial inflation in consumer goods, no solution in sight. I don't put a lot of stock in this. Inflation was double digits ~10% a few times in the 70s due to the oil shocks. And the FED interest rate was >10% as well. What we have now is nothing close to that. Where inflation has been impactful is housing/healthcare/education. Consumer goods are quite cheap thought, all things considered. > - A challenging dating scene, influenced by numerous factors. Those factors are largely social media. Tinder is not a good way to find a stable relationship in my experience. But online dating is considered the default for many younger people. There's also unrealistic expectations created by watching a constant stream of Instagram influencers.
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  > Consumer goods are quite cheap thought, all things considered. New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley was famously heckled for this point. > Dudley said said that while food prices may be rising, the cost of some other goods are going down, which evens out the overall inflation picture. The Fed's inflation estimates do not take into account volatile energy or food prices. The crowd was not impressed: > "Today you can buy an iPad 2 that costs the same as an iPad 1 that is twice as powerful," he said referring to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) latest handheld tablet computer hitting stories on Friday. > "You have to look at the prices of all things," he said. > This prompted guffaws and widespread murmuring from the audience, with one audience member calling the comment "tone deaf." > "I can't eat an iPad," another quipped. https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-usa-fed-dudley-ipad-idUSTRE72A4D520110311/ https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-usa-fed-dudley... https://news.yahoo.com/news/blogs/lookout/fed-official-heckled-t-eat-ipad-20110311-122230-439.html https://news.yahoo.com/news/blogs/lookout/fed-official-heckl...
  - AlexandrB 3y ago
    Food inflation is also nowhere near what was seen in the 70s.
    - toomuchtodo 3y ago
shrimp_emoji 3y ago
In the 1960s, you could temp at a diner for a few weeks before snagging up a 2br/2ba on the GI bill, look to your partner who you met organically at a sock hop, and say to each other (in unison): "We can finally afford 2.1 children." And then you live happily ever after until today, when you die at around 80.
- ttymck 3y ago
  > die at around 80 Or, you blow past that and die at 88, 93, 99 like my family seems predisposed to do. Of course with a staunch reprehension for assisted living and no means to pay for it if you wanted to.
dividefuel 3y ago
Totally agree. I think there's a deep sense that "things are getting worse" across the board, and there doesn't seem to be much hope that the trends will reverse anytime soon.

toomuchtodo 3y ago

Also: - Remote work being pulled by ancient management (average age of US F500 CEO is 58) even though quality of life bump is proven. - If kids are desired, they cost $310k 0-18 (Brookings Institute 2023) each, not including daycare and college. EDIT: - Climate change data and early impacts being realized. > unfortunately, the older generation screwed up and failed the new one. This is the crux. Great comment overall. Society grows great when trees are planted whose shade we won't sit in; instead, we clear cut the place. A whole cohort is trapped in a dysfunctional socioeconomic system they didn't build, but are forced to exist in. Would you be happy? Related: https://www.axios.com/2024/03/20/world-happiness-america-low-list-countries https://www.axios.com/2024/03/20/world-happiness-america-low... ("Axios: U.S. hits new low in World Happiness Report")

charlieKilo 3y ago
I noticed recently on HN lots of talking about cancelling remote working, introduced as a temporary measure to fight COVID. I am wondering, if working from home is here to stay, wouldn't companies start hiring talents from global market rather then paying extra for US employees if they still work remotely? Is it not "wiser" from the company point of view to hire talented people for instance from Eastern Europe which have more competitive salary expectations (due to lower cost of living) than American counterparts?
- toomuchtodo 3y ago
  You see these attempts every few years, with the work coming back with nearshoring and re-onshoring. How confident are you in the hiring processes of most major corps that they can find diamonds in LCOL global geographies? I am not confident. They can't even figure out hiring locally. It's also a lot harder to seek legal recourse when the employee is out of your jurisdictional reach. (20+ years in tech, ymmv, n=1, thoughts and opinions my own)
  - charlieKilo 3y ago
    I am not sure about diamonds but I was involved recruiting software engineers in London City a few years ago using the best recruitment agencies they were back then on the market. Let me tell you, it was a disaster. I do not know whether this was specific to UK, industry or time period but it was a joke. I do not see a reason why broader pool of potential candidates is worse then geographically limited selection, if permanent working from home is on the table.
    - justinclift 3y ago
      > it was a disaster Was the testing just leetcode crap, or was it based on actually being able to get stuff done? ;)
      - charlieKilo 3y ago
        That's the problem - it was just for senior developers, not rocket scientists. Most of candidates (curated by agencies) have poor coding skills, soft skills non-existent. So we didn't even dream of people who can get the job done and be independent.
        justinclift 3y ago
        Hmmm, bad salary range for the location maybe? If it's something you can share, do you remember what the salary range was roughly?
throwaway743 3y ago
There is unrest in the forest.

AlexandrB 3y ago

> - Significant artificial inflation in consumer goods, no solution in sight. I don't put a lot of stock in this. Inflation was double digits ~10% a few times in the 70s due to the oil shocks. And the FED interest rate was >10% as well. What we have now is nothing close to that. Where inflation has been impactful is housing/healthcare/education. Consumer goods are quite cheap thought, all things considered. > - A challenging dating scene, influenced by numerous factors. Those factors are largely social media. Tinder is not a good way to find a stable relationship in my experience. But online dating is considered the default for many younger people. There's also unrealistic expectations created by watching a constant stream of Instagram influencers.

toomuchtodo 3y ago
> Consumer goods are quite cheap thought, all things considered. New York Federal Reserve Bank President William Dudley was famously heckled for this point. > Dudley said said that while food prices may be rising, the cost of some other goods are going down, which evens out the overall inflation picture. The Fed's inflation estimates do not take into account volatile energy or food prices. The crowd was not impressed: > "Today you can buy an iPad 2 that costs the same as an iPad 1 that is twice as powerful," he said referring to Apple Inc's (AAPL.O) latest handheld tablet computer hitting stories on Friday. > "You have to look at the prices of all things," he said. > This prompted guffaws and widespread murmuring from the audience, with one audience member calling the comment "tone deaf." > "I can't eat an iPad," another quipped. https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-usa-fed-dudley-ipad-idUSTRE72A4D520110311/ https://www.reuters.com/article/2011/03/11/us-usa-fed-dudley... https://news.yahoo.com/news/blogs/lookout/fed-official-heckled-t-eat-ipad-20110311-122230-439.html https://news.yahoo.com/news/blogs/lookout/fed-official-heckl...
- AlexandrB 3y ago
  Food inflation is also nowhere near what was seen in the 70s.
  - toomuchtodo 3y ago

shrimp_emoji 3y ago

In the 1960s, you could temp at a diner for a few weeks before snagging up a 2br/2ba on the GI bill, look to your partner who you met organically at a sock hop, and say to each other (in unison): "We can finally afford 2.1 children." And then you live happily ever after until today, when you die at around 80.

ttymck 3y ago
> die at around 80 Or, you blow past that and die at 88, 93, 99 like my family seems predisposed to do. Of course with a staunch reprehension for assisted living and no means to pay for it if you wanted to.

dividefuel 3y ago

Totally agree. I think there's a deep sense that "things are getting worse" across the board, and there doesn't seem to be much hope that the trends will reverse anytime soon.