<p>Before this gets political and gets locked, </p>
<p>[Monty</a> Python - Four Yorkshiremen - YouTube](<a href=“Monty Python - Four Yorkshiremen - YouTube”>Monty Python - Four Yorkshiremen - YouTube)</p>
<p>;) 
:D</p>
<p>I know that I’m a student here and haven’t entered college yet, but I’d just like to point out that before anyone goes on about how the young adults before me and my generation are lazy, your generations are the ones that raised us.</p>
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<p>I always find it hillarious when people who have had it good point to their parents’ generation in order to justify their own callousness.</p>
<p>Really? Did you eat cornmeal mush 3 times a day, or even ever? If so, then that is YOUR story. Otherwise, that’s your mother’s story, not yours.</p>
<p>Do we really want to tell our kids that they don’t have it bad because it was worse during the DEPRESSION? </p>
<p>Then, we will wonder why they cut off our social security. They will say, “Your parents’ parents didn’t have SS or medicaid. What’s the big deal?” :rolleyes:</p>
<p>The question isn’t did you eat cornmeal mush- but do you call it grits, or polenta?
I better get to the grocery store. 
I like mine with porcini.</p>
<p>poetgrl: couldn’t agree more! </p>
<p>the entire argument about ‘the great depression’ is so short-sighted and stale. but it’s always a great segue for a rant or two about the neediest people in our country (those lobster-eating welfare cheats). zzzzzzzzzzzzzz</p>
<p>Life expectancy today is considerably higher today than it was decades ago and a lot of things that people died of in the past are vaccinated against today or treated today. We have all kinds of miracle procedures, medications and treatments that people used to just live with (or die from) in the past.</p>
<p>Once your kids is in the working world, things don’t seem all that bad for the younger generation.</p>
<p>I’m a “late Boomer” and graduated from college in 1980 right into the 1980 recession, which was quickly followed by the 1981-82 recession (anyone remember 18% mortgage rates?). I worked part-time and temporary jobs for two years after graduation, but thanks to the incredibly cheap rents of the time was able to afford half of a dumpy 2-bedroom apartment. I ended up moving back in with my parents for a year and half to be able to save money to go to law school. So I can certainly relate to what today’s college grads are going through. By the way, note to today’s grads–don’t go to law school. it’s not the way out it was in the 1980’s!</p>
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<p>Now that’s always worth watching! What a hoot!</p>
<p>The short answer to the OP’s original question is No better and No worse. Every generation has its specific challenges.</p>
<p>JHS,</p>
<p>I agree with many of your points except for your comment that Baby Boomers are “extremely lucky.”</p>
<p>How many other generations were lucky enough to be drafted to go and fight in an unpopular war in a far away land few had even heard of?</p>
<p>When we returned (if we returned), we were treated like baby killers while some were lucky enough to find decent jobs and raise decent families.</p>
<p>We weren’t lucky enough to be granted company pensions or lifetime job security. I remember having to work for a company for 5 to 10 years before being vested in the 401K plan. </p>
<p>Heck, I worked for a list of companies that are either no longer in business or that downsized. Each time it happened I had to take one step forward and two steps backward like most of my co-workers. </p>
<p>I suppose when the next economic boom and bull market arrives the question will become “Does This Generation Have It Better Than Previous Generations?”</p>
<p>Being in welfare poverty is not better than having access to hard but decently paid work. I don’t think young people, or any age people, are in general afraid of hard work today.</p>
<p>The golden age must have been when an uneducated person could get a well-paid unionized job in, say, car manufacturing and make shoddy over-priced cars to be sold into an economy that was protected from foreign competition.</p>
<p>Honestly, I think the current parents of the children graduating now have it worse. Not only will their children have to move back home due to unemployment/underemployment, will have paid exorbitant amount of money to educate their children, and probably also paid for their own education they will be taking care of their elderly parents as well. </p>
<p>So by the time their adult children can move out, they will not be able to retire, their earnings will have to pay for daycare for their parents.
Wow pretty sad.</p>
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<p>Once upon a time (1800s), lobster was so common and inexpensive in some parts of the US that it was considered food for poor people, servants, etc…</p>
<p>Samiamy, not in my family. Although many of my ancestors in the 1600 & 1700s lived into their 80s, as did my grandparents, both of my parents have been gone for years.
H’s parents are still alive but considering the amount of help they offered when their grandchildren were young, I don’t feel inclined to give them a ride to play bingo.</p>
<p>First, I agree that every generation has obstacles, this generation has it worse in some areas and much better in others. The baby boomers had it so great? Not if you were black or hispanic or gay or a woman or Jewish or, as someone mentioned, drafted. Americans tend to romanticize the past in so many ways it’s hard to compare.</p>
<p>As far as today’s graduates being unemployed or underemployed - weren’t most of us when we graduated? Didn’t most of us think we were worth much more than we were earning in positions below our abilities? It’s the nature of youth, we just weren’t so verbal or endulged about it. There are lots of jobs out there, people just aren’t trained in those areas. My husband would love nothing more than to find an English speaking mathematical or computer saavy kid for his Google or Microsoft type firm. Of course, that new employee would have to prove him/her self for a while; so I guess during that year or so he/she would feel under employed. It’s rare when a generation of graduates walk into the business world with little effort and even more rare that they think they are employed at their capabilities.</p>
<p>^^^ when a soon to graduate Mech Engineer is contemplating interviews for night supervisor at Rite Aid, yeah I think thats underemployed. Student loans grace period looming in the distance. Not overindulgence on anyones part.</p>