Gen Z has abandoned the delusion of inevitable economic meritocracy
βI think Gen Z, I think, has a greater degree of realism and anger. So let's be clear about what is it we are seeing. Firstly, what we were told hasn't materialized. What we were told to do hasn't bought the rewards that it brought our parents.β
University degrees are increasingly viewed through a consumerist lens
βI taught in higher education for number of years, and I definitely saw a transition that my older colleagues really didn't understand, the emergence of the student as a customer. Right? And when you are paying for something, you respect a return on that investment.β
The UK student debt system operates like a predatory loan shark
βYou know? A lot of people are now talking about the government like it's the worst kind of loan shark. Shock. Yeah. I think there's a huge justification. The way that they've tweaked the the loan means that people are legitimate when saying, you know, that's not the agreement that I signed up for.β
Financial pressure on youth is now a burden shared by older generations
βI don't know many people 50 who go, oh, I wish I was young now. So much fun these days for young people. It's a great time to be a great time. Right. That wasn't said ten years ago. Do you know what I mean? Like, I think a lot of boomers and Gen xers, particularly Gen xers housing their 20 kids, sit having to pay to to get their kids to university, having to delay their retirement plans, are really now realizing how screwed their kids are financially.β