An interesting article came out recently stating that 85% of college graduates will move back home after walking across the stage to receive their diploma. That is a very big number. The article says it is mainly because of the lack of jobs, but I wonder if more is happening.
Late Adolescents ages 18 to their mid 20s (“adolescence” means “to grow up”) are still discovering the answers to these three questions:
Who Am I? (Identity)
Do My Choices Matter? (Autonomy)
Where Do I Fit? (Belonging)
I have written about this phenomena from a theological, developmental and cultural perspective in my books: Following Jesus into College and Beyond and Together: Adults and Teenagers Transforming the Church.
Could it be, yes the lack of jobs, the economy and the pressure to head to graduate school to make yourself more marketable, but also the lack of developmental maturity? Could the next generation want to move home because it is safe and they are not completely ready to take on the demands and responsibilities of the world? Are they ready to be fully responsible on their own? How can we come alongside the next generation to equip them in all areas of their lives?
What do you think?
