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Sally Jo Gilbert de Vargas's avatar

Thanks for this thoughtful and clear response to the earlier essay about Generation Z. I read that earlier analysis and was bothered by it, but couldn't have responded as astutely as you did. As the mother of 2 Gen Z'ers I can say I agree with you completely about the impact of economics on their decisions. For example, my daughter, who is a professional architect, has lived independently (both with a partner and alone) ever since obtaining her first professional job. She could afford to live in San Francisco and Seattle, two of the most expensive cities in the US. My son, on the other hand, is an artist, and makes way below minimum wage. He lives at home only because he cannot afford the alternatives. He also doesn't drive because he can't afford a car, and insurance, etc. and would rather use public transportation anyway. Neither of them drinks heavily because of alcoholism in their families of origin, and the destruction they have seen it cause in peoples' lives. I have always taught them this is a wise decision. What's wrong with it? Same with consensual sex. What's wrong with that? My children are both independent people, independent thinkers, and they live their life the best they can with all the economic constraints on them. I just think that the conclusions of the earlier article were way off base. Thanks for setting the record straight with an alternative interpretation.

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IL Heisler's avatar

Thank you for an excellent refutation of some popular gripes about Gen Z. I would add one thing. Until the past several decades, multigenerational households were normal, even normative, in the West, and they still are in many parts of the world. The idea that leaving ones natal home is a natural part of maturation misreads much of human history and culture. I'm more likely to believe that it's Boomers like me who grew up during a cultural anomaly, and that it's my generation that warrants scrutiny for its odd ideas about what is or isn't a 'normal' human life.

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