Not to "start something" but I fail to get your point? My 3 sons all far out earn old dad and they're still in their 30's-all are engrs, one flys for his bucks.Obviously comparing a public educators wages to a professional engr isn't going to come out with them earning low wages. All mine are well into 6 figures-try making that at the jobs I had in a school. As to low benefits, just because the old fashioned pension plans are no longer in vouge doesn't mean the 401 k's are gone for my kids. The educational debt part is spot on but all of our kids have zero of that because either we payed it or they had scholarships or the military covered it. Sure , some younger types are underemployed based on the economy but that has had zero effect on my kids as "jobs find them" based on life experiences & education-not bragging, just the reality.The head hunters give them more jobs to look at than they want, it gets down to job dities /location mostly, not availability of choices. Additionally all of our kids have a full dose of the travel bug as do my wife & I. One was a Navy guy for 7-8 yrs and did the world x3 & 2 mid east tours & still looks to travel when his young family permits. His twin travels all the time to include time @ Budapest Technical University when younger & many trips to every continent,some more then a few times. The pilot son did 4 mid east tours(I guess that's travel?) and now flys on 30/30 worldwide assignments as civilian(sort of)& has done many foreign vacations too. We travel as much as money allows and I see young people(at 69 that means below~ 40 to me) every time I travel. Some locations are packed with the "backpacker crowd" which frequently means a funky "Rasta" hairdo and other "trendy looks"-many sport "the caps" which are sort of military looking as their after an image of sorts? I've been in some real out of the way spots that were full of young people that had a luxury not available to me-I HAD to work! & I DIDN'T have somebody buying my way out of working & paying for the tics either... Yes , young people love to travel. They also have the luxury(?) of no military requirement or national service(sad IMO) and so can now enjoy the fruits of parents labor. Just got home from a trip and went to bed at 3:47 a.m. & can assure you there were bunches of younger folks out there traveling!Cost is a big factor and today's younger folks have lower paying jobs, with less benefits and more educational debt. In addition, I don't think we have a "romance" with travel any more. I just don't hear of people being excited to go anywhere, which I find to be really strange.
At 69 I take it as it comes & appreciate every chance to "act young" that comes my way with increasing but necessary cautions for an aging body as a part of my "awareness package". My recently added postscript used to hang on my office wall & is what many of us here are practicing-full enjoyment of life! Now I've gotta try that ruler thing & I'll post my results -after I get another "regular" nights sleep under my belt.