"Hi Mom, I'm Home!" by Adam Davidson

In the article "Hi Mom, I'm Home!" by Adam Davidson, from Upfront magazine, the author informs readers about college graduates who have decided to move back in with their parents a.k.a the "Boomerang Generation". Many of which have huge student loans and no permanent decisions for their future. Davidson not only explains why this is increasing and becoming an option for a lot of college graduates, but he also helps to make the reader empathize and understand the need and appeal of going back home, post-college. To do so, the author provides many facts supporting the practicality of moving back home and why this is becoming more necessary. He also shows why the stereotypes of the so called Boomerang generation, for example, lazy, are mostly not the case.

To begin, one startling fact to support why many post-college adults move back in with their parents is, "Today, one in four recent college graduates are unemployed or underemployed, which means they're earning smaller paychecks by working part-time or in jobs that don't require a college degree. And they face the highest debt burden of any graduating class in history (see graph): Students graduating in 2014 have an average student-loan debt of $33,000, up from $9,300 in 1993." Clearly if many students are underpaid and deep in debt, a vast majority of them have no choice but to move back home to lessen the burden of rent they would have to pay every month. This debt is so because, " Fewer jobs are available for recent graduates. A college degree is an advantage, but it no longer offers any guarantee. In a way, a degree is the expensive price of admission to the workforce. Young people now need to learn skills before they get a job, which often means unpaid internships." Therefore, most unskilled college graduates don't use their degree and make minimum wage or work on their skills but remain unpaid. With a heavy debt on their shoulders, going home is clearly their best bet.

Some adults of the Boomerang Generation, however disagree. The author uses their point of view to show just how going back to your parents is not a bad thing and is actually a very practical decision. One example is Monica Navarro, who has paid off most of her debts and is living with her mother currently. She says, "It's not a failure anymore, it's a choice now," she says. "I think having that personal knowledge is enough for me. Even if people know outside that I'm living at home and I'm a college graduate, it's OK with me now."Clearly Navarro is accepting and happy with her current situation, this shows how she is not struggling and is not pressured or in a rush to leave her old home. Another example of the practicality is the story of Eric Curran, who saw moving home as an economic plan. "Eric Curran moved back in with his parents in Wahoo, Nebraska, in 2013, during his last semester in college. Curran had more than $19,000 in student loans and a degree in history and religion from Midland University in Fremont, Nebraska. But he didn't have a clear idea of what he wanted to do with his life. One thing he did know: Without a stable job, he couldn't afford to live by himself. Moving back in with his parents, while juggling odd jobs, has allowed him to pay off almost half of his loans and figure out his next career move. Curran is now applying to grad school and studying Arabic to make his resume stronger. 'Most of the time, I don't think [living at home] is a sign of failure so much as a cost-cutting decision," says Curran, 24. "[It's] a temporary arrangement to plan ahead." As stated, "boomeranging" has allowed Curran time to plan for his future, acquire new skills, and make money to pay off his debt. The idea of a temporary arrangement shows that this is a useful one and people like him are not lazy and are making the most out of their time living back at home.

Overall, Adam Davidson shows readers all over that, after college, if necessary, it is okay to move back home. He also suggests that it's not particularly your fault if this is your only option and that, the decision to do so is actually a good one for your future. So, if need be take the time to re-situate and reassess yourself, your life, and where you want to go from there.