The Selfish Generation

lisyloo

but there are big numbers of young people not in that position

This is largely due to globalisation not the previous generation (unless you blame them for giving you the ability to travel).
Young people in the UK have won the lottery compared with the rest of the world.

That only lasted 3 weeks as he's decided he 'wants to spend more time with his friends'. The other is at university and wants to be a politician

I'm 46. I started an evening job at 13 and gave my mum 25% of my wages for housekeeping. Seems to contrast somewhat with your anecdote of the current generation. I have no issue with them doing whatever they want, but if they want to spend time with friends then they shouldn't expect to have fabulous rewards and a fabulous job just sitting there waiting for them - you have to work for that.
There are plenty of hungry immigrants willing to snap that job up (and that's nothing to do with the boomers or generation X).

Out,_Vile_Jelly

An interesting thread from the Old Style board where those born in the 40s, 50s and 60s share memories of what it was like growing up in those times: https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5106236

My boomer parents scraped by to buy a house to raise a family in and live very modestly. If there was a dastardly conspiracy to scheme against their own children by forcing that house to rise in value to a ridiculous level, then their invite to join in must have got lost in the post.

[Deleted User]

lisyloo wrote: »

This is largely due to globalisation not the previous generation (unless you blame them for giving you the ability to travel).
Young people in the UK have won the lottery compared with the rest of the world.

I'm 46. I started an evening job at 13 and gave my mum 25% of my wages for housekeeping. Seems to contrast somewhat with your anecdote of the current generation. I have no issue with them doing whatever they want, but if they want to spend time with friends then they shouldn't expect to have fabulous rewards and a fabulous job just sitting there waiting for them - you have to work for that.
There are plenty of hungry immigrants willing to snap that job up (and that's nothing to do with the boomers or generation X).

Lets not pretend that cheap travel is new. When I was 16, I was able to save up for a trip to Spain with my friends from my Saturday job at Boots - and this was in 1996. It was only a few hundred quid for a flight and cheap hotel.

I do suspect that the views of many people here are biased from their own lazy teenagers; forgetting that this does not really compare to a 21-29 year old.

lisyloo

Lets not pretend that cheap travel is new.

Immigration has definitely increased.
It's existed for a long time (since there were boats) but it has definitely increased since we joined the EU.
It certainly much more possible for many Indian graduates to travel here than it was in previous decades.

If we're talking private travel then it was not common to travel abroad in the 70's for ordinary people.
Similarly it wasn't common to go out for meals or have takeaways.

from their own lazy teenagers

I was a teenager in the 80's and I'd say from an average family.
We didn't get things from our parents because they didn't have anything spare to give us (apart from birthdays/christmas).
I don't ever remember feeling particularly hard done by, but we weren't lazy because if we wanted something we had to work for it. Credit was not part of our vocabulary.
I really don't remember a lot of people moaning about their lot back then. Perhaps that's one of the bad sides of social media.

If people from the UK put themselves on a global scale then they'd realise they are relatively very rich. How you perceive the world is up to you. Happiness is a choice you make.

Out,_Vile_Jelly

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Lets not pretend that cheap travel is new. When I was 16, I was able to save up for a trip to Spain with my friends from my Saturday job at Boots - and this was in 1996. It was only a few hundred quid for a flight and cheap hotel.

I worked in Poland from 1999-2001. The only direct flight to Warsaw was with BA and cost ~£300. For about £150 you could fly indirect. I usually got the coach from Victoria (~24 hours) for ~£75. I wouldn't have believed you if you'd told me at the time that one day you could get flights to most European capitals for ~£30.

ukcarper

ringo_24601 wrote: »

Lets not pretend that cheap travel is new. When I was 16, I was able to save up for a trip to Spain with my friends from my Saturday job at Boots - and this was in 1996. It was only a few hundred quid for a flight and cheap hotel.

I do suspect that the views of many people here are biased from their own lazy teenagers; forgetting that this does not really compare to a 21-29 year old.

This thread is aimed at boomers and mostly they were 16 in the 70s things were quite different then.

BarleyGB

I remember the 70's 8loody grim. People seem to want life, prosperity and all the trappings of luxury handed to them on a plate these days. If they don't get it, its someone else's fault.

Look at your average persons house these days, how many electric gadgets they probably don't need, how often do they eat out etc. Never mind cups of expensive coffer, I takeaways, fast food didn't exist when I was a kid, we ate out once a year (Carvery at local hotel around Christmas)

woolly_wombat

Malcnascar wrote: »

Post boomers, if you want the opportunities I had I have simple advice. Look out for yourself, ask "what will political parties do for me" If you want housing vote for more housing, if you want pensions vote for pensions if you want a better NHS vote for it. Get educated with skills that get you the results that you want.
Afterall, thats what the boomers did and we done all right

Post boomers - GET OUT THERE AND VOTE! Don't give up and don't let politicians give up on you.

WW

ukcarper

BarleyGB wrote: »

I remember the 70's 8loody grim. People seem to want life, prosperity and all the trappings of luxury handed to them on a plate these days. If they don't get it, its someone else's fault.

Look at your average persons house these days, how many electric gadgets they probably don't need, how often do they eat out etc. Never mind cups of expensive coffer, I takeaways, fast food didn't exist when I was a kid, we ate out once a year (Carvery at local hotel around Christmas)

I also remember the 70s wouldn't say they were grim, yes not so much fast food or many meals out and electronic gadgets. But still managed to enjoy myself and have the odd holiday abroad.

Mind you I did work 7 12hr days a week when ever the opportunity presented itself.

[Deleted User]

This thread reminds me of this sketch:

"A cardboard box? You were lucky! We lived for 3 month in a rolled up newspaper in a septic tank"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xe1a1wHxTyo