Is adulthood actually on pause in America? The Changing Interpretive Meaning of Adulthood
For years, growing up meant financial independence, homeownership, marriage, and starting a family—the key features of the typical American Dream, a term coined and popularized by businessman and historian James Truslow Adams in 1931 in his book The Epic of America. But after nine decades, the American Dream and its benchmarks seem to be at stake!
Gen Z, caught in the technological blizzard, is postponing these milestones not by choice; they are doing it due to changing economic landscapes induced by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which is also called 4IR or Industry 4.0.
From soaring housing costs and automation-driven job displacement to crushing student debt and job instability, young Americans must combat unprecedented financial roadblocks that the earlier generations never faced.
The roadblock complicates their path into conventional adulthood; as a result, they are trapped in a protracted adolescence.
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/18/facts-about-student-loans/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
But is adulthood truly on hold, or is it evolving in response to changing economic reality?
Let's find out the financial pressures behind delayed milestones.
Buying a house is intimately related to a consistent income, especially when considering mortgage obligations. The US market presents various? difficulties for potential consumers. For instance, rising house prices and high loan rates have discouraged many first-time purchasers.
Furthermore, according to Statista, inflation has increased from 3.2% in 2011 to 8.3% in 2022, therefore severely compromising buying power.
In the new year too, things are not looking up. The inflation rose to 3% in January 2025, the highest in six months. This directly affects homeownership.
Monthly 12-month inflation rate in the United States from November 2020 to November 2024
Another factor is that the housing costs have skyrocketed disproportionately compared to wages. Inflation has climbed 896% since 1963, while property prices have climbed more than 2,350%, according to Investopedia.
States like Massachusetts clearly show this difference: housing prices soared 469.89% between 1984 and 2021 while earnings only rose 221.10%.
Homeownership and education were seen as means to fulfill the American Dream. Not anymore! The soaring cost of living is one of the main challenges young Americans must face.
As many as 73,000 properties were taken off the market in December 2024 because of low buyer interest, a 64% rise from the year before, reports the Wall Street Journal. This pattern points to an increasing inventory of unsold properties; however, house values have remained strong partly because many homeowners are unwilling to sell and give up their low-rate mortgages.
Therefore, for many young Americans, having a home has become almost impossible. 52% of millennials, according to LendingTree, think they might never be able to afford a home.
Adam also discussed another aspect of the American Dream: America should be a dreamland where life is better, richer, and fuller for everyone, with opportunities based on ability or achievement.
Steady employment has long been the cornerstone for reaching the American Dream, but the labor market of today is making that challenging and shattering the dreams of Gen Z.
According to reports, Gen Z unemployment is rising; people between the ages of 20 and 24 find the most difficult job conditions. The lowest since 2014, the hiring rate now stands at 3.6%.
That is not all! According to Forbes, another report highlights that employers would rather hire freelancers (45%), rehire retirees (45%), use robots/AI (37%), or leave positions unfilled (30%) than hire Gen Z.
The United States had 6.8 million unemployed people in January 2025.? Furthermore, 1.4 million individuals—21.1% of all the unemployed—have been without work for 27 weeks or more, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Therefore, stable jobs, long considered the foundation for achieving financial ambitions, are becoming increasingly difficult to find in today's labor market, threatening and shattering those dreams.
Job displacement fueled by automation and artificial intelligence aggravates the situation. MIT claimed that 3.3 human jobs will vanish for every new robot brought into use. Many young professionals find their focus on financial survival instead of planning for significant life events driven by economic uncertainty.
Thus, opportunities for everyone are not a reality anymore. To combat this situation, we started our Innovator Program, that nurtures today’s children for college admission and the future of work.
Economic instability thwarts marriage plans
Standard family dynamics are also changing as financial security becomes more rare. The US Census Bureau reports that marriage rates have been dropping consistently, while fewer young people give marriage a top priority.
Pew Research reveals that only 25% of 25-year-olds now are married and living independently, as compared to 45% in 1980.
Changing household dynamics mirror changes in the economy.
Studies revealed an increasing trend of equal-earning or dual-income couples in which both partners share 40–60% of the household income. This paradigm strikes a mix of financial freedom inside marriages.
This is only feasible if there are enough jobs for both couples. Under the current scenario, this is becoming difficult since employment possibilities are not always sufficient to sustain such financial plans.
The Burden of Student Loan
https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/09/18/facts-about-student-loans/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
You would be surprised to learn that one-fourth of US adults under 40 have student loan debt. This is because the average repayment period for student loans varies based on the loan amount. Repayment periods for federal student loans range from 10 to 25 years.
Student loan debt is one of the main financial weights postponing adulthood. Pew Research estimates that Americans owe over $1.7 trillion in student debt, which makes saving for a house, launching a business, or investing in their future challenging for young people.
High monthly payments often mean deferring important life decisions, including property purchases or family starting points.
Young Americans are not succumbing to pressure; they are Redefining the 21st century's adulthood
Young Americans are redefining what maturity means as conventional benchmarks seem more elusive. Many are stressing professional mobility, travel, financial independence, and personal fulfillment rather than homeownership and marriage.
Although economic difficulties still abound, this change is not always negative. It shows flexibility in a changing environment when the conventional wisdom about success loses relevance.
Gen Z is creating new notions of stability and success that mirror the reality of modern economics and technology, much as generations past shaped their pathways.
Financial considerations largely delay traditional adulthood, but technology has also altered how Gen Z approaches life.
New job options made possible by digital platforms let many people gain financial independence via content production, remote work, and freelancing.
Gig Economy and Remote Work
Rising platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and YouTube have let young Americans create professions outside conventional employment paths. Many are deciding to work as independent contractors so they may make money under flexible terms instead of depending on uncertain corporate employment.
Remote work is also redefining financial freedom. Many young professionals are engaged in high-paying remote work offered by companies in big cities and migrate to lower-cost-of-living locales.
This change questions the idea that financial success calls for living in pricey metropolitan areas.
Digital Nomad Lifestyle
Technology has also brought a new kind of adulthood—one driven more by experiences than goods. Working remotely while on tour, digital nomads have evolved into a reasonable substitute for conventional property and long-term employment obligations.
This way of living shows personal fulfillment instead of financial benchmarks and judges a different view of success.
In essence, the American Dream reinterpreted
Long connected with hard work leading to success, the American Dream has them wondering whether that goal is still reachable. However, as wages stagnate, automation threatens employment stability, and inflation grows.
The young generation, however, is redefining adulthood to fit a world in which economic assurance is no longer a given, not pausing it. They are discovering their way forward—adulthood, on their terms—through entrepreneurship, other job routes, or redefining family and home.
The markers of success have shifted, but the ambition to have a successful life never changes.
Moonpreneur is making a positive impact by assisting young people in achieving their American dreams and overcoming obstacles through our Innovator Program, which focuses on hands-on learning.
We foster innovation and entrepreneurship in youngsters and the necessary go-to-market skills to transform their ideas into tangible products, thereby preparing them for college admissions and leadership roles in the ever-evolving technological era.
Founder & Managing Director @ Livmo – Tech M&A, SaaS & Digital Ventures | Investor | Board Advisor
1 小时前the idea of adulthood being on pause is debated, but young Americans adapt. they leverage technology and societal changes to pursue their dreams and goals.
Helping high-achievers find purpose, confidence & focus | Coach, Facilitator & Speaker | Ex-Goldman Sachs | Stanford MBA | Harvard MPA | 25x National Swim Champion | Follow for daily insights and #winspiration
2 天前The definition of adulthood is evolving, not disappearing. Young Americans are rewriting success on their own terms—leveraging technology, redefining milestones, and challenging outdated expectations.
Global Finance Head, AI & Advanced Analytics
2 天前Alok Jain very well covered. Definitely time to think differently especially for the kids.
There's a reason 400k professionals read this.
2 天前Adulthood isn’t paused, it’s just evolving. Different paths, same ambitions.
Definitely a shift but not necessarily a pause