Are Today’s Youth Redefining Freedom

“When I 20, I was supporting myself,” said Arthur, age 70. “My wife and I had a child at home and a second one on the way.”

Today, life in the United States is different. Quarterlifers—people between 16- and 34-years-old-- are redefining what job, relationship, and financial freedom means.

Take financial freedom for example. If you’re over 50 it means having enough passive income to be able to support your lifestyle for the rest of your life. For quarterlifers financial freedom is enough saved money to be able to travel for a year.

If you’re in your 50s and 60s job freedom is the security of staying dedicated to a position until you’re granted seniority, tenure and a retirement plan. For quarterlifers it means the flexibility to move, travel and switch jobs without feeling tied down.

Finally for people in their 50s and beyond relationship freedom resulted from marrying young and knowing that your friends and family would no longer be concerned about you becoming an old maid or hermit. For quarterlifers it means the opposite. It’s the freedom to explore and grow as an individual before jumping into a committed relationship, even if it means delaying marriage into your 30s and 40s.

So how can one generation be so different? They are your children…right?

The reason for the change is the same motivating factor that has been responsible for every generational shift. A defiance of the way things are and the belief that “our generation” can do better.

Next time you get frustrated with your son or daughter. Stop and ask yourself what is different about life today than when I was growing up. You may realize that quarterlifers live in the aftermath of soaring divorce rates, stock market scandals, and coorperate layoffs. Its not that quarterlifers have the answers, it’s just that like previous generations quarterlifers are looking for something else.

Jason Steinle is the author of Upload Experience: Quarterlife Solutions which is available at www.amazon.com. He is also a practicing chiropractor at Health and Harmony, PC in Evergreen. Please feel welcome to email him your response to the question. “Are today’s quarterlifers lazy, or is life today just plain harder?” Email to question@uploadexperience.com Be sure to include your age.