The world has changed in many ways that are easy to consider positive.

There are also lots of things that have made life harder for those entering adulthood over the past 20 years – like, for example, finding a job after college.

According to Trading Economics, there were 9.6 million unfilled jobs in the US in March of 2023. That said, people still have trouble finding a job that offers a salary high enough to afford basic living expenses.

Inflation is crazy right now, and other cost of living expenses are also through the roof – issues that have not been this pronounced in over 40 years.

TikToker Cat (@catamorning) says when she broke down the cost-of-living her Boomer parents enjoyed versus what college graduates are living with now, the differences were staggering.

@cataloguing

sorry but i’m just so over people projecting their lived experiences from 1980 onto me thinking it’s super relevant to today’s reality #college #student #postcollege #job #employment #boomers

♬ original sound – Cat

Boomers earned more than double, on average, than current college graduates right out of the gate. Housing costs were less than half, when considering the same types of homes and apartments.

Cat thinks these discrepancies cause arguments and misunderstandings between generations, and the failure of older folks to really see how tough younger people have it.

It’s not about high expectations or not being able to find any job, but about being able to live in any type of security or comfort, even with a degree.

“I think Boomers just have such a hard conceptualizing this because they never had to fight for jobs. They were at the upswing of technology, they were at the upswing of big business, capitalism was booming, and then they look at us and they’re thinking…entitled. I’m not saying anyone’s like in the right or in the wrong, it’s not their fault like they just don’t know.”

There’s no silver lining, either. In fact, by the end of her video, you’ll probably feel just as hopeless as she sounds.

“I think that if you go to college you deserve to be able to make enough to live comfortably. I think if you don’t go to college you should be able to make enough to live comfortably. Regardless of your major, regardless if you chose to go to college or not, you deserve to live comfortably.”

One comment on her video points out that almost no employers are talking about inflation when discussing salary or raises.

“So true, they never incorporate inflation when they talk about wages!! Plus way fewer people went to college then so they could demand higher pay.”

Others comment that Boomers should get the inflation thing, given that they do remember how things used to be much cheaper.

“But at the same time will say ‘I remember when movie tickets were a dollar.’ ‘I could fill my tank for 10 bucks’ oh so you do get inflation.”

I don’t think there’s really any debate to be had, here, because the numbers don’t lie about how poorly wages have and are keeping up with inflation.

That said, I don’t think there’s any debate on whether or not that will change any time soon.

Because it’s pretty clear we’re all on our own here.