Person Compares What Young Boomers Had Vs. What Young People Have Now, Says The New Generation Is Screwed
Change is inevitable in this fast-paced world. Whether it’s for the better or the worse, every generation is bound to face a different lifestyle than others.
People on Reddit shared their thoughts on the way life now differs from what it was decades ago. Users ‘Ilikemakingsurveys’ and ‘Tiredworker27’ turned to the ‘Antiwork’ community to compare people’s lifestyle, especially in terms of work-life balance and cost of living. They believed Boomers had it easier than young adults now, and quite a few redditors seemed to second their views.
Bored Panda has turned to Sean Lyons, Associate Dean of Research & Graduate Studies and Professor of Leadership & Management at Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics at University of Guelph, to discuss the struggles some young adults face nowadays. You will find his thoughts in the text below.
Differences between generations cover nearly every aspect of life, from personal traits to work and beyond
Image credits: Annie Spratt (not the actual photo)
This person believes young adults now have it more difficult than older generations did at a corresponding age
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska (not the actual photo)
Image source: Ilikemakingsurveys
Another person compared young people nowadays with the Baby Boomer generation in terms of workload
Image credits: Arlington Research (not the actual photo)
Image source: Tiredworker27
Millennials seem to be struggling to attain and maintain the lifestyle that the preceding generations had
Image credits: Alena Darmel (not the actual photo)
Both redditors believe that nowadays, young adults have to jump through more hoops to be at the same level of comfort Baby Boomers were at a corresponding age. No one can deny, the latter had their fair share of hurdles to overcome; however, with the rapid change of technology and housing prices getting way out of hand, among many other things, young people nowadays seemingly struggle more.
Let’s take millennials, for instance. “This group is navigating the challenges of struggling to attain and maintain the lifestyle that their parents enjoyed more easily,” Associate Dean at University of Guelph, Sean Lyons, told Bored Panda. “Homeownership is more challenging, personal debt is higher than ever before, work-life balance continues to be a struggle for many, and raising children in the age of smartphones and AI is uncharted territory for them to navigate.
“If there’s a pervasive theme for millennials, it’s probably that it’s taking a long time and is harder than ever to have an independent adult life, relative to the past. On top of that, they’re being looked at as the next group of people to tackle the environmental, political, technological, economic and societal challenges that the world faces. That’s daunting when you’re still getting established in your own life,” Prof. Lyons added.
Anytime Estimate compared housing prices now—when millennials are somewhere between 27-42 years of age—to what they were in 1985, when Baby Boomers were young adults themselves. Back in the day, a single family home would have a price tag of close to $83,000, while in 2019, for instance, a similar choice would cost a young adult roughly 313,000 US dollars. Anytime Estimate emphasized that since 1970, prices for housing have increased 1,608%, while inflation grew 644%. It pointed out that if housing prices increased at the same rate as inflation since 1970, the median home price would be close to $178,000 instead of nearly $409,000.
Rapid advancement in technology can be a blessing and a curse, especially when it comes to work
Image credits: camilo jimenez (not the actual photo)
Housing prices are far from the only headache young adults face nowadays. Another point that was made by the OPs was significant differences when it comes to work-related matters, such as work-life balance, and the role technology plays in it.
“Millennials were the first generation to come of age in the area of digital multimedia,” Sean Lyons told Bored Panda, “so there’s a lot of attention paid to them and their differences from the Boomers, who were the primary consumers of media when the millennials were young in the 1980s and 1990s. There was a lot of hope initially that the millennials would be the next great generation.”
Known as the first generation of digital natives, millennials seem to be in the lead when it comes to technology use, which can be a blessing and a curse. Pew Research Center revealed that more than nine-in-ten millennials are smartphone owners and nearly 100% use the internet, meaning they can be contacted way easier than their counterparts in the eighties or nineties could have been.
Being constantly connected can create difficulties trying to separate work and personal life. For example, having email on your phone—which has nowadays nearly become an extension of one’s arm—often means checking it outside of work hours. Forbes emphasized that email is ruining millennials’ work-life balance, pointing out that 36% of them check work emails while watching a movie, 35% do it when in bed, 28% do it while in the bathroom, and as much as 26% continue to check it even while on vacation. The two lives intertwining together with everyday usage of technology can become a great source of stress and pose numerous challenges for young adults nowadays.
According to Sean Lyons, “Every generation has its place in history. Millennials are still in their early adulthood phase, now approaching early mid-life. If there’s a legacy for this group, it will likely be an increased focus on individual expression, mental health, self-care and navigating how to manage public and private personas in the age of social media.”
Some redditors shared examples that help paint a clearer picture of the differences between the generations
Others expressed their opinions on the matter in the comments as well
I've seen these posts about how the previous generation had it so good and lived so well. Just so you know, this did not include MY family. As a young adult, maybe 30-35 years ago, I ran out of money and lived with my brother for awhile. Back in the 70s, when I was a kid, I suffered undernutrition and malnutrition due to poverty. I became sick and very nearly died. I still have health consequences today. My parents, when they were first married and first starting out, lived in a garage apartment. This means they literally lived in someone's garage that had been converted into a living space. My grandparents on one side lived with parents and siblings until they could get enough money to afford an apartment. My grandparents on the other side were sharecroppers. Don't get me wrong. Today's rent, healthcare and education are criminally overpriced, salaries are stagnant, and the middle class is almost a myth. But not everybody before had it all glorious and rich.
We all know exceptions exist and it's sad to hear that, but OP's general point isn't wrong, and it's not only working adults. There is a reason that mental health problems in teens and young adults have skyrocketed compared to pervious generations both then and now. Part of the problem is of course that some psychologists just slap disorders on people and give them some medicine to solve the problem. But even removing that portion the number of people with mental health issues have increased. On a general scale things are worse for young adults now than what it used to be. I'd like to personally blame companies that only hire people with a full education and 300 certificates for jobs that anyone could do, and limits peoples opportunities for part time jobs, or just normal jobs.
Amen. I can only shake my head when young people start ranting about "boomers" and how much better we had it. Funny how people who weren't even alive in the 1960s and '70s think they know more about what life was like then than people who actually lived it, isn't it? I have some news for them. Most of us weren't any better off at their age than they are. A lot of us are no better off now. Try living on SS when a pound of hamburger costs $9. We don't all live in fancy gated communities and drive BMWs. Not by a long shot. And where the hell do they get that "most "boomers" (Christ, I hate that term) could afford a house in their 20s" cráp? That's complete and utter nonsense. Some could, yes, but not anywhere close to most.
So you disagree that housing costs proportionally more now? Yes, SOME boomers had it tough but FAR MORE of the younger generation have it tough now. Most young people will not own property, or at least not until they inherit one. You can shake your head in denial as much as you like, but the post is accurate. Boomers had it easy compared to today's youth.
At least you get SS. We won't ever see a dime of what we paid in.
That doesn't change the fact that no matter how badly you had it you would have it far worse in the same situation in todays economy. The poor are now homeless, the middle class working 40 to 60 hrs a week are poor, those with good degrees are middle class. The economy sucks for everyone today especially the young and the old so why not try to make it better for the most vulnerable generations. It all affects you too. When these kids are your age they won't even have SSI. Nobody feels entitled to a home straight out of school but 2 professional incomes should be able to save up and afford a home. I'm not even a millenial I'm Gen X and there is no way that kids nowadays have the same opportunities financially.
Your experience is valid, and I am sure not unusual, but we are talking in terms of how things are in general and trends. There are always going to be those who are well off and those who are not. In general though, wages compared to even basic expenses is much worse than in the past.
Oh yeah nobody is saying that but can you imagine your family back then living in todays economy!? Probably wouldn't have been able to afford that garage apartment or any food...and people that are in a similar situation today as your family was are homeless and starving.
Let's not forget that previous generations couldn't even hold hands with their same sex partner without facing serious consequences. Boys were raised to be "REAL MEN" and girls were raised to be obedient little wives. Economically many older people had it much better yes, but socially we are much better off.
Here's an actual well-researched and written article on this, if you feel the randomer's Reddit musings lack citations https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/poor-millennials/
I've seen these posts about how the previous generation had it so good and lived so well. Just so you know, this did not include MY family. As a young adult, maybe 30-35 years ago, I ran out of money and lived with my brother for awhile. Back in the 70s, when I was a kid, I suffered undernutrition and malnutrition due to poverty. I became sick and very nearly died. I still have health consequences today. My parents, when they were first married and first starting out, lived in a garage apartment. This means they literally lived in someone's garage that had been converted into a living space. My grandparents on one side lived with parents and siblings until they could get enough money to afford an apartment. My grandparents on the other side were sharecroppers. Don't get me wrong. Today's rent, healthcare and education are criminally overpriced, salaries are stagnant, and the middle class is almost a myth. But not everybody before had it all glorious and rich.
We all know exceptions exist and it's sad to hear that, but OP's general point isn't wrong, and it's not only working adults. There is a reason that mental health problems in teens and young adults have skyrocketed compared to pervious generations both then and now. Part of the problem is of course that some psychologists just slap disorders on people and give them some medicine to solve the problem. But even removing that portion the number of people with mental health issues have increased. On a general scale things are worse for young adults now than what it used to be. I'd like to personally blame companies that only hire people with a full education and 300 certificates for jobs that anyone could do, and limits peoples opportunities for part time jobs, or just normal jobs.
Amen. I can only shake my head when young people start ranting about "boomers" and how much better we had it. Funny how people who weren't even alive in the 1960s and '70s think they know more about what life was like then than people who actually lived it, isn't it? I have some news for them. Most of us weren't any better off at their age than they are. A lot of us are no better off now. Try living on SS when a pound of hamburger costs $9. We don't all live in fancy gated communities and drive BMWs. Not by a long shot. And where the hell do they get that "most "boomers" (Christ, I hate that term) could afford a house in their 20s" cráp? That's complete and utter nonsense. Some could, yes, but not anywhere close to most.
So you disagree that housing costs proportionally more now? Yes, SOME boomers had it tough but FAR MORE of the younger generation have it tough now. Most young people will not own property, or at least not until they inherit one. You can shake your head in denial as much as you like, but the post is accurate. Boomers had it easy compared to today's youth.
At least you get SS. We won't ever see a dime of what we paid in.
That doesn't change the fact that no matter how badly you had it you would have it far worse in the same situation in todays economy. The poor are now homeless, the middle class working 40 to 60 hrs a week are poor, those with good degrees are middle class. The economy sucks for everyone today especially the young and the old so why not try to make it better for the most vulnerable generations. It all affects you too. When these kids are your age they won't even have SSI. Nobody feels entitled to a home straight out of school but 2 professional incomes should be able to save up and afford a home. I'm not even a millenial I'm Gen X and there is no way that kids nowadays have the same opportunities financially.
Your experience is valid, and I am sure not unusual, but we are talking in terms of how things are in general and trends. There are always going to be those who are well off and those who are not. In general though, wages compared to even basic expenses is much worse than in the past.
Oh yeah nobody is saying that but can you imagine your family back then living in todays economy!? Probably wouldn't have been able to afford that garage apartment or any food...and people that are in a similar situation today as your family was are homeless and starving.
Let's not forget that previous generations couldn't even hold hands with their same sex partner without facing serious consequences. Boys were raised to be "REAL MEN" and girls were raised to be obedient little wives. Economically many older people had it much better yes, but socially we are much better off.
Here's an actual well-researched and written article on this, if you feel the randomer's Reddit musings lack citations https://highline.huffingtonpost.com/articles/en/poor-millennials/