"Generation Boomerang" Young Adults Still Living at Home

Today in class we watched a documentary called “Generation Boomerang.” It was a video about the more recent phenomenon of young adults living at home or returning back home. One fact that I found really interesting was that 51 percent of 20-29 year olds in Canada still live at home. This video also discussed how life has changed since our generation’s parents were young. A lot of the time by the age of 21 they would be moved out, independent, and in many cases have a family. Things have definitely changed since then. We are a generation that relies more on our parents. While I do still rely on my parents for a lot of things, including financial support, I am moved out and in many cases fairly independent. My parents raised me to be independent, and this is the way I would also raise my own children. I don’t think living at home still at the age of 25 fosters a sense of independence. One exception to this is if your kids are attending school. In this situation, many young adults require financial assistance because most people simply can’t go to school and work enough to survive.

We were asked to reflect upon the statement that there are jobs out there that many young people don’t want to do, and that parents don’t push them to get these jobs. I think every job is a starting point, and having a job is better than not having a job. If someone is still living at home because they need to, it’s a different story than someone living at home because of laziness. I don’t think that parents should promote this sense of being able to have no responsibility and still be able to get by. This is not realistic and when they are forced into the real world they won’t be prepared.

With this being said, I do believe that parents need to be there in the years of early adulthood. The economy and job availability has changed since our parents were young, and the first years of independence are difficult. I think that a good mixture of support and encouragement to become independent are important. There are of course situations where moving home might be required and I do not look down upon living at home at all, I just disagree with living at home due to laziness.