For the vast majority of San Diegans under 40, there is one strong feeling that unites them: disillusionment.
The average cost of a home in San Diego hovers around six hundred thousand dollars. Less than 40 percent of people under 40 have a bachelor’s degree, and of those only around twenty percent work in a job that requires a degree.
A Harris poll tells us that as of 2017, only one in three Americans would call themselves happy. That means roughly two-thirds of the United States is either not happy or afraid to say so.
To feel disillusioned is to be met with the reality that what you once thought to be possible is no longer even probable. Having spoken to many people in this age bracket, a picture has formed.
This was the, “You can do anything you want when you grow up” generation but for many of them, especially those in San Diego, that feels like a lie.
Between student debt and the ever-shrinking job market for the liberal arts degree holder, the outlook is bleak. Automation has stolen jobs from many who were previously employed, increased life expectancy has dwindled the turnover rate in job availability, and the increase in passion-based employment seeking has left many Americans stuck.
Do I hold out for my dream job or do I take what I can get?
Mike Rowe, our Dirty Jobs expert, preaches that we follow opportunity rather than passion. Whether or not you agree, it might be time for Americans to take a look at the ideas we are teaching young children is telling them they can “Do anything they want when they grow up” really the best advice.
Photo by NeONBRAND
