Millennials Aren’t Adults Because Society Won’t Let Them

Last year I started work on a new book called, “America’s Lost Generation” where I cataloged what exactly happened to Millennials. I gathered stories, did interviews, and I began to write. The book is about half done and I’m proud of what I’ve learned, especially when I learned that a similar story had already happened in Japan. I’m invested in learning about what Millennials are facing and bringing my own struggles and lived experiences to the conversation as well. Long-time friends know that I struggled to find anything after the recession and some of my jobs abruptly ended.

Living like an adult, at least the adulthood that we grew up understanding, takes money and stability. These are things that Millennials lack. Few Millennials can afford to have kids, buy a house, get married, or buy a car. Most are struggling with jobs that have low pay, high requirements, and are burdened down with student loan debt. For a generation that is more diverse, educated, and ready to work than ever before our early adulthood has been a disaster. While individual decisions factor in, the reality is that the system just won’t let Millennials grow up.