Boomerang Generation

Last updated

In Western culture the Boomerang Generation refers to the generation of young adults graduating from high school and college in the 21st century. [1] [2] [3] They are so named for the percentage of whom choose to share a home with their parents after previously living on their own—thus boomeranging back to their parents' residence. This arrangement can take many forms, ranging from situations that mirror the high dependency of pre-adulthood to highly independent, separate-household arrangements.

Contents

The term can be used to indicate only those members of this age-set that actually do return home, not the whole generation. In as much as home-leaving practices differ by economic class, the term is most meaningfully applied to members of the middle class.

Introduction

The parental expectation of having an "empty nest", traditional in the United States and some other industrialized cultures, has increasingly given way in the 1990s and 2000s to the reality of a "cluttered nest" or "crowded nest". The latter term was popularized by Kathleen Shaputis's 2004 book The Crowded Nest Syndrome: Surviving the Return of Adult Children, [4] which takes a critical view of the trend.

University of Western Ontario professor Roderic Beaujot discusses the phenomenon of delayed home-leaving at length. He cites Canadian census statistics showing that, in 1981, 27.5% of Canadians aged 20–29 lived with their parents; in 2001, the figure had grown to 41%. [5] In the United States the proportion of adults ages 20 to 34 living with their parents has increased from 9% in 1960 to almost 17% in 2000. [6] However, US Census Bureau data also suggest that the rate at which adult children have been living with parents has been steady since 1981. [7] The U.S. Census Bureau reported a 5 percentage point increase in the number of young men (ages 24–34) living with their parents for the period between 2005 (14%) and 2011 (19%). For the same period, the number of young women living with their parents increased from 8% in 2005 to 10% in 2011. [8]

The coming of age of this generation coincided with the economic downturn starting with the collapse of the stock market bubble in 2000. This led to rising unemployment until 2004, the same time this generation was entering the workforce after high school or college graduation. Additionally, in the new economy, where globalisation-induced phenomena like outsourcing have eliminated many jobs, [9] [10] [11] [12] real wages have fallen over the last twenty years, [13] [14] [15] and a college degree no longer ensures job stability. [16] [17] [18] Additionally, with the financial crisis of 2007-08 hitting much of the world, many young people were either laid off or could no longer afford to live on their own. Moving back home allows them the option of unpaid internships and additional schooling without the burden of paying rent at market rates (or paying rent at all).[ citation needed ]

An increase in divorce rates as well as a delay in initial marriage are other contributing factors in young adults returning to reside with their parents. [19]

This generation differs from previous ones in that many members expect to remain with their parents for some years while maintaining their own social and professional lives. Home-leaving remains a priority for most in the Boomerang Generation, though financial burden (and the comforts of financial stability in their parents' homes) often delays the fruition of that goal. [20]

Trend

The phenomenon of boomeranging/delayed home-leaving has generated considerable inquiry and debate, including academic studies at reputable universities; full-length books, such as The Hands-On Guide to Surviving Adult Children Living at Home by Christina Newberry; [21] articles in national newspapers; documentaries, such as Generation Boomerang;[ citation needed ] and major motion pictures, such as Failure to Launch (2006) starring Matthew McConaughey.[ citation needed ]

Support

Economic instability is the primary justification for this phenomenon, as articulated in Kimberly Palmer's 2007 U.S. News & World Report article "The New Parent Trap: More Boomers Help Adult Kids out Financially". [22] In particular, the term Boomeranger has been used to draw reference to those Gen-Xers and Gen-Yers of the Boomerang Generation who have either returned to an earlier, more modest lifestyle or have simply moved back home with parents and other loved ones, in response to the Great Recession.[ citation needed ] Where the young person and his/her parents can tolerate the arrangement, it provides tremendous financial relief to the young person. Such co-residence can be a valuable form of insurance, particularly for youths from poorer families. [23] It may also provide non-negligible income to the parents, though in many cultures, the boomeranger retains all or nearly all of their disposable income for discretionary income purchases.

Though inter-generational cohabitation is terra incognita for many in modern industrialized Western societies and therefore challenging, those who attempt it can benefit from the experience. The arrangement tends to force all involved to communicate and negotiate in ways they did not when the children were pre-adults. In the best case, this can lead to healthy adult relationships between parents and children.

This can benefit parents when they reach old age. In societies where it is common for children to live with their parents into adulthood, such as Asian and Hispanic cultures, children more frequently take care of aging parents rather than devolving the responsibility on a third party, such as a nursing home. Whether the Boomerang Generation will follow suit remains to be seen, as the older Baby Boomer generation ages. The recession has also affected the Baby Boomers as well, perhaps even more so than their children, as many lost significant investments and savings intended for retirement. [24] In this case, the cohabitation of parents and their adult children could be mutually beneficial in terms of easing the financial burden. While the boomerangers may live rent free, it is common for them to take on other financial responsibilities in return, such as groceries or utilities. [25]

In 2014, 20% of adults in their 20s and early 30s were residing with their parents, which is twice the amount of the previous generation. [26] Though there are many reasons cited for the need for parental support, one of the greatest contributing factors is said to be student loan debt. 45% of 25-year-old college graduates currently owe $20,000 or more. [27] For some families, the financial instability of the mid-2000s caused a decrease in funds allocated for higher education, therefore decreasing parental financial contributions and causing the need for more loans to cover educational costs. And while student loans are more frequently taken out in the student’s name, some parents who took out loans are facing substantial debt and are now relying on their adult children to provide financial assistance while they pay them off. [28]

Opposition

Critics of the practice of boomeranging [4] worry about the negative effect this trend has on the financial and social independence of the children.

Those who return home from the unrestrictive nature of college dorm life may have difficulty readjusting to their parents' domestic expectations. Where living space is shared, gatherings with friends can be limited in frequency or scope. Dating is similarly constrained and can be impaired by the stigma of the young adult's perceived inability to function independently of their parents. [29]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generation X</span> Cohort born from 1965 to 1980

Generation X is the demographic cohort following the Baby Boomers and preceding Millennials. Researchers and popular media often use the mid-1960s as its starting birth years and the late 1970s as its ending birth years, with the generation generally defined as people born from 1965 to 1980. By this definition and U.S. Census data, there are 65.2 million Gen Xers in the United States as of 2019. Most of Generation X are the children of the Silent Generation and early Baby Boomers; Xers are also often the parents of Millennials and Generation Z.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baby boomers</span> Cohort born from 1946 to 1964

Baby boomers, often shortened to boomers, are the demographic cohort preceded by the Silent Generation and followed by Generation X. The generation is often defined as people born from 1946 to 1964 during the mid-20th century baby boom. By this dating, the youngest of them are 60, while the oldest are 79. The dates, the demographic context, and the cultural identifiers may vary by country. Most baby boomers are the children of either the Greatest Generation or the Silent Generation, and are often the parents of the younger members of Generation X and Millennials. In the West, boomers' childhoods in the 1950s and 1960s had significant reforms in education, both as part of the ideological confrontation that was the Cold War, and as a continuation of the interwar period. Theirs was a time of economic prosperity and rapid technological progress. As this relatively large number of young people entered their teens and young adulthood—the oldest turned 18 in 1964, the youngest in 1982—they, and those around them, created a very specific rhetoric around their cohort, and the social movements brought about by their size in numbers, such as the counterculture of the 1960s and its backlash.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennials</span> Cohort born from 1981 to 1996

Millennials, also known as Generation Y or Gen Y, are the demographic cohort following Generation X and preceding Generation Z. Researchers and popular media use the early 1980s as starting birth years and the mid-1990s to early 2000s as ending birth years, with the generation typically being defined as people born from 1981 to 1996. Most millennials are the children of Baby Boomers and older Generation X. In turn millennials are often the parents of Generation Alpha.

Child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other similar relationship. Child maintenance is paid directly or indirectly by an obligor to an obligee for the care and support of children of a relationship that has been terminated, or in some cases never existed. Often the obligor is a non-custodial parent. The obligee is typically a custodial parent, a caregiver, or a guardian.

Outsourcing is a business practice in which companies use external providers to carry out business processes, that would otherwise be handled internally. Outsourcing sometimes involves transferring employees and assets from one firm to another.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extended family</span> Family that extends beyond the immediate family

An extended family is a family that extends beyond the nuclear family of parents and their children to include aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins or other relatives, all living nearby or in the same household. Particular forms include the stem and joint families.

A parasite single is a single person who lives with their parents beyond their late 20s or early 30s to enjoy a more carefree and comfortable life. In Japanese culture, the term is especially used when negatively describing young unmarried women.

Empty nest syndrome is a feeling of grief and loneliness parents may feel when their children move out of the family home, such as to live on their own or to have a higher education. It is not a clinical condition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NEET</span> Person who is not in education, employment, or training

A NEET, an acronym for "Not in Education, Employment, or Training", is a person who is unemployed and not receiving an education or vocational training. The classification originated in the United Kingdom in the late 1990s, and its use has spread, in varying degrees, to other countries, including Japan, South Korea, China, Serbia, Canada, and the United States. The NEET category includes the unemployed, as well as individuals outside the labour force. It is usually age-bounded to exclude people in old-age retirement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Helicopter parent</span> Term for a parent who closely manages their childs life

A helicopter parent is a term for a parent who is overattentive and overly fearful of a child's experiences and problems, particularly outside the home and at educational institutions. Helicopter parents are so named because, like helicopters, they "hover overhead", overseeing every aspect of their child's life. A helicopter parent is also known to strictly supervise their children in all aspects of their lives, including in social interactions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multiple careers</span>

Having multiple careers is the growing trend in the late 20th century and early 21st century whereas a career comprises the work activities that can be identified with a particular job or profession. These multiple careers can either be concurrent or sequential. Both may occur for different reasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generation Z</span> Cohort born from mid-to-late 1990s to early 2010s

Generation Z, also known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years, with the generation most frequently being defined as people born from 1997 to 2012. Most members of Generation Z are the children of younger baby boomers or Generation X.

Kinship care is a term used in the United States and Great Britain for the raising of children by grandparents, other extended family members, and unrelated adults with whom they have a close family-like relationship such as godparents and close family friends because biological parents are unable to do so for whatever reason. Legal custody of a child may or may not be involved, and the child may be related by blood, marriage, or adoption. This arrangement is also known as "kincare" or "relative care." Kinship placement may reduce the number of home placements children experience; allow children to maintain connections to communities, schools, and family members; and increase the likelihood of eventual reunification with birth parents. It is less costly to taxpayers than formal foster care and keeps many children out of the foster care system. "Grandfamily" is a recently coined term in the United States that refers to families engaged in kinship care.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sandwich generation</span> People caring for parents and own children

The sandwich generation is a group of middle-aged adults who care for both their aging parents and their own children. It is not a specific generation or cohort in the sense of the Greatest Generation or the Baby boomer generation, but a phenomenon that can affect anyone whose parents and children need support at the same time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Economic mobility</span> Ability to improve ones economic status

Economic mobility is the ability of an individual, family or some other group to improve their economic status—usually measured in income. Economic mobility is often measured by movement between income quintiles. Economic mobility may be considered a type of social mobility, which is often measured in change in income.

Failure to launch informally refers to dependent young emerging adults who are unsuccessful in transitioning into societal requirements of adulthood. Characterization of this group in some Western societies includes those living with and reliant on their parents, those with an avoidance of higher education, and those unable to contribute financially through employment. Given the large variation within Western countries with regard to acceptable living with parents and other interpretations of adulthood, failure to launch has been considered as oversimplified or insufficient terminology.

In popular psychology, a quarter-life crisis is an existential crisis involving anxiety and sorrow over the direction and quality of one's life which is most commonly experienced in a period ranging from a person's early twenties up to their mid-thirties, although it can begin as early as eighteen. It is defined by clinical psychologist Alex Fowke as "a period of insecurity, doubt and disappointment surrounding your career, relationships and financial situation".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Socioeconomic mobility in the United States</span> Social and economic class mobility

Socioeconomic mobility in the United States refers to the upward or downward movement of Americans from one social class or economic level to another, through job changes, inheritance, marriage, connections, tax changes, innovation, illegal activities, hard work, lobbying, luck, health changes or other factors.

Dream Home is a comedy play by David Williamson. It had its world premiere in January 2015 at the Ensemble Theatre in a production directed by Williamson himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Generation Z in the United States</span> American generation born from 1997 to 2012

Generation Z, colloquially known as Zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha.

References

  1. ↑ Reed, Jim. "'Boomerang' generation back home". BBC News.
  2. ↑ Sharon Jayson Analysis: 'Boomerang' generation mostly hype USA Today 3/14/2007
  3. ↑ MICHELLE HIRSCH,The Boomerang Generation: More Reasons to Move Back Home Archived December 4, 2010, at the Wayback Machine June 12, 2010 The Fiscal Times
  4. 1 2 Shaputis, Kathleen. The Crowded Nest Syndrome: Surviving the Return of Adult Children. Clutter Fairy Publishing, 2004. Print. ISBN   978-0-9726727-0-2
  5. ↑ Delayed Life Transitions: Trends and Implications Archived 2007-08-07 at the Wayback Machine accessed on June 9, 2007
  6. ↑ Fields J. and L.M. Casper, America's families and living arrangements, 2000, US Census Bureau, Current Population Reports, as cited in Nijole Benokratis, Marriages and Families, 6th edition, Pearson, 2008, p.371
  7. ↑ Families and Living Arrangements, table AD-1 accessed on June 9, 2007
  8. ↑ Boomerang generation: U.S. Census shows more young adults moving in with parents
  9. ↑ Jobs moving overseas Archived 2012-11-13 at the Wayback Machine accessed on January 29, 2007
  10. ↑ U.S. underestimates jobs lost to outsourcing, labor experts assert Archived September 16, 2006, at the Wayback Machine from Cornell News accessed on January 29, 2007
  11. ↑ Job outsourcing 'serious problem' from the Washington Times accessed on January 29, 2007
  12. ↑ Bureau of Labor Statistics grossly underestimates U.S. jobs lost to outsourcing Archived September 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine from Cornell News accessed on January 29, 2007
  13. ↑ Amid Plenty, the Wage Gap Widens Archived 2014-02-22 at the Wayback Machine from the Milken Institute accessed on January 29, 2007
  14. ↑ When It Comes to Pay, It Helps to Be the One Signing the Checks from the New York Times accessed on January 29, 2007
  15. ↑ Is Youth Worse Off Than Two Decades Ago? Archived September 10, 2006, at the Wayback Machine from the Parliament of Australia accessed on January 29, 2007
  16. ↑ Is Job Stability in the US Falling? Reconciling Trends in the Current Population Survey and Panel Study of Income Dynamics from the Social Science Research Network accessed on January 29, 2007
  17. ↑ Marcotte, Dave E. (1999). "Has Job Stability Declined?: Evidence from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics". American Journal of Economics and Sociology . 58 (2): 197–216. doi:10.1111/j.1536-7150.1998.tb03467.x. JSTOR   3487712.
  18. ↑ College graduates in non-college jobs: Theory and evidence Archived 2010-06-16 at the Wayback Machine accessed on January 29, 2007
  19. ↑ Goldfarb. "Who Pays for the Boomerang Generation?" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-01-20.
  20. ↑ Sussman, Anna Louie (2015-07-29). "'Boomerang' Millennials Get Cozy at Home". WSJ. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
  21. ↑ Newberry, Christina. The Hands-On Guide to Surviving Adult Children Living at Home. Nuru Guides, 2012. Print. ISBN   978-0981390055
  22. ↑ Palmer, Kimberly. "The New Parent Trap: More Boomers Help Adult Kids out Financially." U.S. News & World Report , Dec. 12, 2007
  23. ↑ Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Moving Back Home: Insurance Against Labor Market Risk, March 2010
  24. ↑ Brandon (2011-10-31). "The Recession's Impact on Baby Boomer Retirement". usnews.com. Archived from the original on 2011-11-02.
  25. ↑ Parker, Kim (2012). "The Boomerang Generation Feeling OK about Living with Mom and Dad" (PDF). Pew Social Trends. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-12-28. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
  26. ↑ Davidson, Adam (2014-06-20). "It's Official: The Boomerang Kids Won't Leave". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  27. ↑ Lewin, Tamar (2012-11-11). "Some Parents, Shouldering Student Loans, Fall on Tough Times". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  28. ↑ Schoenberger, Chana R. (2017-03-03). "Should Parents Use Retirement Savings for College Tuition?". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 2017-03-28.
  29. ↑ "Home stretch: What happens when twentysomethings move back in with". The Independent. 2012-04-22. Retrieved 2017-04-04.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.