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“More than 15.3 million twenty-somethings and half of young people under 25 are living in their parents homes.” We’ve all heard that statistic before from various media outlets on repeat as they try to desperately promote the ‘worthless and inept millennial’ stereotype.
Well no shit, everyone is apparently leeching off Mom and Dad (or Mom and Mom, Dad and Dad, whatever), according to the United States census because campus housing counts as living with our parents. From the official census itself, doth readeth these imperative words: “It is important to note that the Current Population Survey counts students living in dormitories as living in their parents’ home.”
So to Uncle Sam, although you just pre-gamed across the hall, went to a satellite frat house party two houses down and ended up crashing back at your place (with half a pizza and that chick from chemistry class with the huge rack in tow), you’re not in your dorm, but your parents’ place. They must be so thrilled with you respecting their space and your hygiene in general.
Okay, so let’s take this revelation a bit further. If you want to accurately assess the census, “In 1968, young people between 18 and 31 were almost twice as likely to be married than to live at home with their parents, according to the Census; now they’re more likely to live with their parents than be married.”
Well, why is that? If we were to logically look at these statistics and not just take them at face value, it’s not because our generation is the decay of marriage and moral fiber itself — it’s because we stay in school so damn long. We’re not only going to college, but sticking around for grad school or even that pesky PhD. Plus, according to my Facebook feed, I don’t really think marriage is in that much of a decline.
What’s more, “25- to 29-year-olds with a bachelor degree has grown by almost 50 percent since the early 1980s. More than 84 percent of today’s 27-year-olds spend at least some time in college and now 40 percent have a bachelor’s or associate’s degree.” That’s a very high percentage of people who are supposedly in their parent’s basement, but are actually becoming the doctors or lawyers my mom so desperately hopes I’m dating.
So, to the media who continue to press these deceiving statistics: stop. We’re not degenerates, we’re fucking scholars.
[via The Atlantic]
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