Reply #11: I have four degrees and work in a field where, in 1980, I could easily haved lived in a fine house

[readmoreoften]

in a fine neighborhood and have a good middle class lifestyle.

Instead, I live in a gang-ridden neighborhood, can barely afford insurance premiums, can't afford to fix up my house to even "comfortably livable", can't afford to pay back student loans--can't even afford bookshelves (piled on the floor or in mismatched broken bookshelves taken from the trash.) I have twice the workload of my 1980 counterpart. I have no job security and can be let go without cause at any moment for any reason.

And I also know that in this economy, I am incredibly, incredibly fortunate. Many with the same qualifications as I do are not working in their fields, or not working at all, or working service jobs that keep them near minimum wage.

We are truly on the verge of disaster and 18-25 year olds just can't make it on their own today. The young people I know don't live with parents--they work at sandwich shops (if they're lucky) and pile up in substandard housing.

This is not some sort of "moral failing" of young people. This is an economic crisis.