Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen several heartbreaking clips on social media detailing the difficulty facing Gen Z to get economically established. Its more than the ability to get independent of their home of origin, to launch, to have things, to not have to work two or three jobs. It affects any prospect of dating, limits the context for which young people will mate and have sex, delays or scuttles marriage, and makes childbearing impractical even for an otherwise stable home.
There are two sets of both challenges and solutions to address this depending on whether you’re male or female. [I’m fully aware that limiting this discussion to two – the only – biological genders is not just heresy but, in many eyes, a criminal offence]. I’ll skip over a book series worth of whys and wherefores; I’ll skip over the entire side of the equation applicable to young women and leave that for later or for someone else, and I’ll skip over the obvious factoid that some young men are not and will never be functional in work, relationships, or homelife, and that some young men are just vacuous meat rolls with no internal interest beyond the next bag of Cheetos and the adrenalin hit of gaming or whatever else they’re into. And yet, there are plenty, that given hope and the opportunity, would embark on a shared life and raising a family.
If I were 16, or 17, or 18 today, facing the uphill battle that they’re looking at, knowing that I came from an average or struggling family trying to make ends meet, that there is no trust fund waiting for me, and that I was endowed with no special intelligence that would merit a free ride to a big school; what then are my options? What would be the first steps I could take? This is what I’d consider.
- If I could do it all over again, I would likely pursue enlisting in the military. This is not nearly as easy and automatic as it once was, but it’s a viable goal for someone with average intelligence and the vision to keep their nose clean. Its well-known now that the military is infiltrated by woke corruption and plenteous incompetence. To that, I would do my research and find the units that are least likely to be affected. Woke has bad shelf life and its starting to cave in on itself. Be there to go forward once it’s burned out.
- Find a trade. Trade here can be expanded to mean any skilled or semi-skilled position that can be learned by hands-on experience, coaching in an apprentice relationship, and a paycheck. Take what’s available, be willing to travel, go ahead and shoot for higher paying trades, expect to supplement with some schooling, classes, certifications, and lastly, understand that trade work may not be your lifelong occupation. Even if it’s not, it provides a great step up for later when you better know what you want and are capable of doing.
- No matter what occupation you choose, trade or non-trade, take advantage of whatever years you’re allowed to live at your home of origin, to pursue at least a two-year degree at a community college. Do it nights, do it part time, but at least do it, no matter how long it takes. More than likely, there will be other doors open long before you finish that degree.
- While living at home, save and invest. Once you move out, still save and invest. If you can’t invest $1000 a month, invest $100. If you can’t invest $100 a month, invest $10. Invest no matter what else you’re forced to pay for, like a car, car insurance, or room and board. Once you establish the habit, like most people, you’ll increase the investment once you see it growing. The first ten years will go by far quicker than you’d ever imagine. At that point, even if stuck in middling employment, you may find yourself in possession of a house down payment even while your peers cry about being penniless and at the mercy of the economy deck stacked against them.
- Be ready to stay, be ready to move. As a young man, some will have a strong impulse to move out as soon as possible. If you’re not required to by your parents, stay for awhile unless you have an economic opportunity that overrides that impulse. If you have that opportunity, move. Do not delay, have your bags packed and ready to go.
- Do not ‘follow your dreams’ unless they’re associated with an opportunity to become a mature self-supporting adult; or if you must follow a dream, do so in your leisure hours, on your own dime and time. A healthy young adults will aspire to ‘see the world’. A smart young man will do so on someone else’s expense account. Trust me when I say that your capacity to appreciate what you experience will only improve with time, but that means you’re starting out now with the least capacity.
- Understand that the right woman in your life will maximize all the aforementioned objectives and the wrong one will divert you from them. Marry young and start a family, but not too young. The best future mothers are not available for very long. There is no perfect formula but the better you focus on your goals and livelihood, the sooner you’ll be free to make clear minded choices about who you’ll share your life with.
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