Land of Opportunity

http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/01/08/is-the-us-still-a-land-of-opportunity

You should be well aware for my affinity for Room For Debate with the NY Times. Lately there have been some good topics after a dry spell of just ho hum stuff. This one focuses on upward mobility and whether the US still provides the opportunities we love to look back on so fondly in our history.

It's an interesting thing to ponder- I would say most folks in my age group grew up with our parents wanting us to "have it better than them." Of course that can mean many different things. For my parents, it meant going to college for better job security. And I guess in that sense, I have succeeded. But I'm pretty sure my parents never imagined how out of control student loans/college costs and healthcare would become. And for my parents, they're somewhat an exception for their age group- my mom and dad have excellent healthcare and aren't faced with increasing costs as they age (at least not as much compared to others in their age bracket). My dad being a veteran and my mom a nurse means they luckily get coverage and taken care of when they're ill. If my dad wasn't a vet, my parents would be drowning in so much more debt from just medical bills. Ok...let me get back on track.

I honestly don't see myself getting much more "upward" in the class sense. Yes, I have a college degree and an advanced one at that- but that doesn't mean what it used to. The Master's is the new Bachelor's, and the Bachelor's is the new high school degree. Until we can correct this change, I don't see how young people can expect to move upward in society- not with the debt that will beset most of them.

But could it also be that there is a new attitude? I know many people who are in my age group who would rather live less extravagant but debt free than be upwardly mobile but have debt. Could it be that the idea of moving upward in society isn't as appealing (kind of in a frontierism historiography sense- look it up or ask me to further explain) as it used to be? I certainly don't ascertain to live some sort of high life. I just hope to be able to pay off my debts and be able to have a roof over my head and a job that I enjoy. The rest- family, possessions, etc.- are all perks. Could today's young people be realizing that minimalist lifestyles are more suitable for them?