Now that spring break is over, graduation is right around the corner for many MSU students. Students are looking for jobs and thinking about life outside East Lansing. Once they graduate, students are free to go anywhere, even back home. Some say graduates moving home is negative for the economy and demonstrates extreme laziness.
In an opinion piece on the New York Times website, writers Todd G. Buchholz and Victoria Buchholz throw around harsh words about young Americans. The authors believe our generation of college students are risk-adverse, sedentary and complacent. They say that because of the economy, young people are afraid to make risky investments and travel across the country to build a future.
The latter might be true, but that’s because college students are compelled to be cautious. As individuals who grew up watching adults get laid off and the economy nearly dip into a depression, it’s only natural for college students about to enter the “real” world to be a little scared. They’ve seen firsthand how low-paying jobs and a poor economy affects society.
However, school is not a cheap investment, and college is expensive with tuition appearing to rise every year. MSU students are no strangers to that — they experienced a 6.9 percent tuition increase last year. Many students are forced to pay their own way through school, and with prices rising and student debt piling up, moving back home is the best option for a lot of people.
It’s a cycle of cause and effect: The economy is bad, so students have to take out loans to receive an education. However, once they graduate, some students are forced to move home for financial reasons, which is keeping young people from pursuing jobs across the country they have the skills for. It’s a cycle that’s keeping the economy stagnant.
Students are just growing up in a different time and economy than older generations, and they can’t afford to take the same risks people did 30 or 40 years go.
The authors sourced an economist that said those who grow up during tough economic times are more apt to believe luck plays a big role in success. However, it’s a stretch to make such a blanket assertion about an entire generation. Students still believe that an education will be an aid in finding a job, or else they wouldn’t be paying for college.
Students, like everyone, plan on achieving— not failing — but the economy acts as a barrier.
The generation the authors refer to is still a young generation. They are entering college, in college and recently graduated. Ultimately, they have not been given enough time to prove themselves either way. Who’s to say in 10 or 15 years the authors will be right?
This generation is different than those in the past, but that’s because they’ve been forced to be. They are forced to think differently and be more cautious with their money because they have seen firsthand the despair a poor economy can bring.
The economy makes young people cautious, but caution might be exactly what a slowly recovering economy needs. An economy that is rebuilt steadily by careful people hopefully will remain solid for generations to come.
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