There was a period of time (80s-90s) that the American middle class was booming and thriving. Boomers with stable but unfulfilling jobs regretted not following

There was a period of time (80s-90s) that the American middle class was booming and thriving. Boomers with stable but unfulfilling jobs regretted not following their dreams, and the future looked bright, so they told their millenial kids to chase their passions and the money would follow. Then a generation of millenials collectively got millions of degrees in liberal arts and humanities, but the degrees didn't have any class-signaling power or economic value the way a college degree in 1970 did, so instead of getting cushy careers they ended up in low-paid, low-status unfulfilling jobs, with debt from a useless degree. Gen Z saw that happen and took a more practical view towards college, careers, etc.