Jean Twenge: How Today’s Kids Are Unprepared for Adulthood

WELL, IT'S GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO WATCH BECAUSE THERE ARE SEVERAL POLLS SHOWING ESPECIALLY YOUNGER GENERATION, MILLENNIALS, ESPECIALLY GEN Z, iGEN, 26 AND UNDER, THEY HAVE GOTTEN VERY USED TO THAT.

THEY'RE ACTUALLY LESS LIKELY TO HAVE KIDS AT HOME, BUT THEY REALLY FEEL A LOT OF THE EFFICIENCY AND FREEDOM OF WORKING HOME.

SOME ARE MORE RECENTLY STUDENTS.

THEY ARE MUCH MORE USED TO THE IDEA OF MAKING TIME THEIR OWN, THEY'VE BEEN IN COLLEGE.

VERY TECH SAVVY.

USED TO WORKING REMOTE.

THEY'RE USED TO VIDEO CALLS, USED TO COMMUNICATION THAT'S ELECTRONIC.

SO I THINK THERE IS ALSO RESISTANCE FROM A LOT OF GEN XORS, BOOMERS, FAMILY SITUATIONS, OTHER THINGS.

I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A LOT OF PUSH BACK, MAYBE PARTICULARLY FROM YOUNGER PEOPLE, WHO REALLY WANT TO STAY WORKING FROM HOME.

AND A LOT OF THEM, MANY OF THEM SAY, YES, IF I DON'T CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT OPTION WORKING FROM HOME, I WILL QUIT.

IT'S GOOD COMPANIES ARE BEING VERY RESPONSIBLE OF THAT.

I THINK WE REALLY ARE REIMAGINING WORK IN THIS COUNTRY NOW AFTER THIS EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST IN TERMS OF WORKING FROM HOME BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING MEANING AT WORK AND MAKING SURE THAT THAT JOB IS REALLY WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE.

I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF INDUSTRIES, A LOT OF OFFICES ARE GOING TO BE ROYALED BY THESE CHANGES WITH SO MANY PEOPLE INSISTING ON THINGS BEING DIFFERENT.

IT'S INTERESTING THAT YOU FOCUS ON THE EDUCATION -- THE AGE DIVIDE, RIGHT?

THE GENERATIONAL DIVIDE.

YOU'VE WRITTEN BOOKS ON YOUNGER GENERATIONS AND IF YOU THINK OF WHAT THE YOUNGER GENERATIONS, PARTICULARLY MILLENNIALS HAVE GONE THROUGH, FINANCIAL CRISIS, STUDENT DEBT IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS IT'S BEEN AT IN DECADES, NOW THEY HAVE A PANDEMIC THEY'RE ENTERING.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO FACTOR IN THAT MOST OF THEIR WORK LIFE HAS NOT BEEN THE 9 TO 5 HOURS INSIDE OF AN OFFICE THE WAY OTHER GENERATIONS HAVE BEEN USED TO.

YEAH.

I MEAN, WORKING FROM HOME IS NOT NEW TO THE PANDEMIC.

IT HAD BEEN GROWING FOR A GOOD 20 YEARS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC HIT AND IT IS YOUNGER GENERATIONS WHO SEE THAT MUCH MORE OF AN OPTION.

I THINK THERE'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE THAT HAS NOT BEEN CONSIDERED THAT THERE'S A VERY COMMON PERCEPTION THAT MILLENNIALS IN PARTICULAR ARE WAY BEHIND IN TERMS OF THEIR WAGES, THEIR INCOME COMPARED TO OTHER GENERATIONS.

MAYBE THEY WOULDN'T QUIT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVEN'T DONE TOO WELL.

ACTUALLY, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE STATISTICS, MILLENNIALS HAVE DONE PRETTY WELL.