Why Young People Live Longer With Their Parents

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Marx and Engels’ German Ideology
Discussion of the Problem
Conclusion
Works Cited

Introduction

A study conducted by the Pew Research Center in the United States showed that a lot of young people live longer with their parents. The study concluded that the number of youths who live with their parents is at an all-time high. The study further noted that the trend of young people living with their parents is not unique to the United States (Glick and Lin 109). The problem cuts across the globe. Research shows that many young people do not leave their parents’ houses after completing education. Others return to their parents’ homes after spending some time on their own. In the twenty-eight member states of the European Union (EU), over 48% of the youths aged between 18 and 34 live with their parents (Glick and Lin 111).

A study conducted by Eurostat (an EU research agency) found that the number of young people, who live with their parents, is high among the EU members. The Scandinavian countries have the lowest number of youths who live with their parents for an extended period. For instance, in Denmark, 18.6% of young people live with their parents for an extended duration. The graph below shows the trend of the population of youths who live with their parents in the United States.

Young adults in U.S. live with parents at highest rate since Great Depression

Numerous factors contribute to young people living with their parents for a long time. They include economic hardships, unemployment, and education among others. A researcher from the Pew Research Center argued that unemployment contributes significantly to the increasing in the number of young people who live with their parents. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that at least five percent of men aged between 25 and 34 are jobless (Glick and Lin 113). Thus, they can barely support themselves leading to many of them living with parents. Education contributes to the high number of young people who live with their parents. A majority of millennials with a low level of education are likely to live with their parents for a long time.

The cost of housing discourages many youths from living separately. The population of individuals aged between 20 and 35 who own a home is small (Glick and Lin 114). A majority of the youths opt to rent rooms. However, the cost of renting a room is high for most kids. A study conducted by Zillow found that many youths who reside in metropolitan areas live with their parents (Glick and Lin 114).

The problem of millennials living with their parents is serious as it deprives them of an opportunity to be independent. Besides, it might have negative impacts on future economic growth and sustainability. Sixty percent of the assets that the middle class owns are in the form of rental houses (Glick and Lin 116). Thus, if millennials do not rent or purchase homes, they might affect economic growth and the gross domestic product of many countries.

Marx and Engels’ German Ideology

This paper will use the theory of German ideology by Karl Marx and Freidrich Engels to explain why many youths live with their parents for an extended period. Marx and Engels came up with the theory after realizing that individuals’ ideas and thoughts were major hindrances to success. The theory was formulated on the background of the Young Hegelians whose egoistic consciousness inhibited the ability to rise above their limitations (Marx and Engels 119).

According to the theory of German ideology, the material conditions that dictate what people produce influence individuals’ natural history. Based on the German ideology, the survival of humanity is premised on its capacity to overcome misconceptions that hinder creativity (Marx and Engels 124). For many years, men have come up with phony ideas and thoughts about themselves. Many people have misconceptions about what they are and what they should be. Consequently, people establish relationships based on their beliefs about the ordinary man, God, and other forces that influence their life. Individuals are unable to control the phantoms of their intelligence. In return, it becomes hard for people to control things that they have created.

Marx and Engels believe that for men to realize their full potential, they must liberate themselves from thoughts, chimeras, fantasy beings, and doctrines that hinder creativity (127). They believe that the rule of ideas hinders people’s courage to take bold steps and engage in activities that are beyond their imaginations. Similarly, to understand the reason many young people live with their parents for an extended period, it is imperative to evaluate their opinions regarding life. Perhaps, many youths live with their parents due to the perception that they cannot survive independently.

The theory of German ideology holds that sometimes people live with problems due to the perception that they cannot resolve them. The theory compares such a condition to an individual who drowns because he/she is obsessed with the thought of gravity (Terrell 113). Changing such a perception can help people to engage in constructive activities that might liberate them. For people to overcome thoughts or ideas that pull them down, they need to look at things from a different perspective. Adopting a new outlook of stuff can go a long way towards liberating one’s mind and encouraging creativity. In most cases, people fail to prosper because they contend with illusions that crowd their judgments (Stern 67).

Overcoming the illusions would mark the initial step towards liberation. Thus, understanding that dreams can affect people’s ability to prosper in life can help to figure out why many youths live with their parents for a long period. Perhaps, teens harbor false ideas that discourage them from leaving their parents’ houses.

Marx and Engels established a theoretical framework that held that influential people play a significant role in the development of society (131). For instance, the ruling class has absolute influence over the power of civilization. It affects the production and spread of ideas. Thus, to ensure that society remains active, the ruling class deserves to instill positive ideas in people’s minds. In other words, to understand why many youths live with their parents, it is imperative to analyze how young people relate to their relatives.

One ought to know the kind of values that parents instill in young people. The young people are unlikely to be independent if parents do not encourage them to take responsibility for their lives. Analyzing the responsibilities that young people have in their families can help to understand why they do not feel the urge to leave the parents’ houses. Perhaps, people blame external forces like economic hardships and lack of employment for their predicament while the problem lies in the upbringing. Parents do not encourage kids to be independent. Some parents even discourage their children from moving out of the house.

In other words, those who influence society have a role to play in ensuring that young people are independent. Their actions, perceptions, and beliefs may contribute to young people living with their parents for longer periods than expected.

Discussion of the Problem

Most youths blame the lack of employment and the cost of housing for their living with parents. However, these two things cannot be blamed for the current situation. A majority of the youths who live with their parents are capable of renting houses. Some young people even have well-paying jobs. In light of the German ideology theory, one may claim that the major hindrance to youths living independently is their perceptions (White 87).

Many kids doubt their ability to live independently. For instance, employed teens reside with their parents due to the fear that they might not manage to live independently if they lose jobs. The fear of the unknown and failure to believe in oneself are what contribute to the current high number of young people who live with their parents (White 89). The contemporary youths have fabricated false conceptions about themselves and the challenges that they encounter. The false notions have made it difficult for them to think and look for ways to support themselves. Unless youths liberate themselves from the belief that they are disadvantaged, it will be hard for them to leave their parents’ homes.

One may argue that young people continue to live with parents because they do not believe that they can survive without their assistance. Research shows that a majority of the young people who stay with their parents have never attempted to live independently (White 91). It indicates that the youths lack self-assurance that they can live without depending on parents. The German ideology holds that people cannot overcome their fears unless they confront them. Similarly, youths cannot stop living with their parents unless they take bold steps and leave their parents’ houses. Unless young people change their attitude towards living independently, they will continue to stay with parents.

It would be difficult for young people to deal with the fear to live alone until they try it. The notion that they cannot manage to support themselves is only in their minds. Thus, they need to prevail over such degenerative ideas (White 97). Many young people do not understand the potential that lies within them. Unfortunately, they might never exploit the potential because they do not believe in themselves or they are afraid to take unpopular steps.

Marx and Engels’ concept of history underscores the significance of human activities. They believe that human activity plays a more critical role in the creation of history than thoughts. Similarly, the thoughts that youths harbor against living independently contribute to their staying with parents. Some teens believe that they deserve to stay alone (White 98). However, their thoughts are irrelevant if they cannot decide to move out of their parents’ houses.

The theory of German ideology emphasizes the role of perception in shaping people’s life. The theory holds that the way people articulate their life determines who they are. The contemporary youths believe that they live in a complicated life. It underscores the reason why they are unable to engage in constructive activities. Many teens rely on employment for survival. They barely look for means to nurture the culture of self-employment.

The society has a role to play in the creation of an independent generation (White 100). Training children in how to be independent at an early age may help them in the future. One may argue that most young people live with their parents for an extended period since they are not trained in how to be independent at an early life. The theory of German ideology holds that the ruling class controls the generation and dissemination of thoughts.

In the family context, parents serve as the ruling class. They facilitate the growth of children. If they do not inculcate the culture of self-reliance in their children, it would be hard for kids to survive without the help of parents (White 101). Many parents do not believe that their children can live independently. Thus, they discourage them from moving out. The fact that parents do not believe in their children affects the latter’s confidence in living autonomously.

Conclusion

The theory of German Ideology by Marx and Engels can help to interpret the reason why many young people live with their parents for a long time. Many youths cite the housing cost, unemployment, and education as the factors that prevent them from leaving their parents’ homes. The theory of German ideology views this problem differently. According to the theory, the mindset of young people contributes to their staying with parents for an extended period. Most youths do not believe that they can manage to live independently. Some fear that things might change for the worst after leaving their parents’ homes.

Hence, they prefer to live with parents. Additionally, some parents contribute to young people staying at home for an extended period. They fail to train kids on how to be independent at an early age. Some even discourage their children from leaving the houses.

Works Cited

Glick, Paul and Sung-Ling Lin. “More Young Adults are Living with Their Parents: Who are They?” Journal of Marriage and Family 48.1 (2013): 107-117. Print.

Marx, Karl, and F. Engels. The German Ideology, New York: International Publishers, 2004. Print.

Stern, Fritz. The Politics of Cultural Despair: A Study in the Rise of the Germanic Ideology, Berkeley: University of California Press, 1974. Print.

Terrell, Carver. “The German Ideology Never Took Place.” History of Political Thought 31.1 (2010): 107-127. Print.

White, Lynn. “Coresidence and Leaving Home: Young Adults and Their Parents.” Annual Review of Sociology 20.1 (2008): 81-102. Print.

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