“There has been more of a transition where parents are supporting their adult children for longer,” she said. “The data do show that more young adult men live with their parents than women. The wealth transfer from older generations to younger generations is part of that story.”
And then there are the partners. “Almost everybody you talk to will have a story” about supporting an unemployed man, Ullrich said, adding that what’s changed isn’t the dynamic itself, but the fact that it no longer carries the stigma it once did. The stay-at-home boyfriend, once a punchline, is now a statistically significant labor market phenomenon.
A landmark paper published in the Journal of Political Economy, first circulated through the National Bureau of Economic Research, found that roughly 70% of the hours young men aren’t working are being spent on video games and recreational computer use. The economists calculated that improvements in gaming technology since 2004 alone can explain nearly half the increase in young men’s leisure hours.
“I think that’s part of the story — the basement story,” Ullrich said, in reference to a trope of young men playing video games in their parent’s basement.
The opioid epidemic compounded it, hitting non-college-educated men especially hard. And critically, men, compared to women, largely don’t qualify for government assistance programs like SNAP or TANF without a disability, meaning when they exit the workforce, the financial burden falls on whoever is closest to them.
Rational? yes. Calm and unemotional? not exactly. I swore an oath to Humanity, not just The Constitution to defend them both from all imminent threats, both domestic and foreign.
Watching the people who are supposed to be in charge of things tearing down the fundamental bedrocks of the oldest democracy, and one of the oldest countries, on Earth that still exists in its original/current form, makes me want to start using the fourth box of democracy against the Epstien Class.
You and me, both. Outside, I’m rational. Inside, I’m a swarm of murder hornets with my sights set on those perpetuating this hellscape. It didn’t have to be this way.
Well I sincerely hope that you, like I was, were trained by the military to engage, eliminate, and evaporate.
I am a USAF veteran, good call. I’m just much better with logistics and planning.
Former Navy Nuclear Power Program Electronics Technician Instructor here. They issued me S.E.A.L. bodyguards. I learned everything I could from any special forces operater I could. Including signing up for voluntary Army Ranger Paratrooper training that was available on a neighboring base. Also any explosives training I could acquire. When you’re a Navy Captain, you kinda get to write your own orders, provided you have a bullshit excuse to be taking that training, and the proper level of clearance.
Dude, that is so fucking cool. For real. Also, your writing style comes across as succinct and articulate so I pegged you for teaching or intelligence work. Very nice to meet you and thank you for your service and to the training of highly skilled nuclear personnel!
To be totally honest, nuclear reactors are some of the most mundane and routine things on earth, until they aren’t. My job was literally to train people to make that job as boring and routine as possible, and to follow The Book written by Admiral Rickover. Cool doesn’t exactly apply to the job. Responsible is more accurate.
My dad is a retired civilian nuclear trainer. Wrote the lessons and simulator scenarios. Was always neat to see his work area. All the technology in the world and it still makes me laugh to think it’s all just to make a spot of tea by boiling water!
Oh, and if I’m not misremembering the above comment chain, you are set to retire soon, yes? Early congratulations if so!
I’m set to retire in the civilian world, not the military. I left the Navy after 6 years the moment I had my GI Bill and college money. I do know for a fact that they really wanted me back, and offered almost triple my military pay to get me to be an instructor as a civilian.
I wasn’t allowed to protest as a military personnel. That’s something I have need doing since I was 6-7 years old on my own because I have severe ADD, and ODD.
I’m retiring as a computer geek and farmer. I build custom Linux PC towers, and grow marijuana, though I’m looking into buying a few thousand acres of California Desert to turn into a 10 GW power station so we have no more excuses to take Diablo Canyon offline.
As I said sarcastically in another thread, “I was very disappointed to find out that my PVE setup uses a mini boiler and turbine to make electricity.”