I been snooping around a bit the last few days reading up on student loan debt and the millennial generation. Quite shocking. Over 40% do not know the interest rate of their student loans. 36% say they would have rethought college if they had understood student loans. 1 in 10 were actually unaware they had to pay back student loans. The average student debt alone for my graduating class (2003) is just under 20k...still...in theory thats after paying it off for 13 years...

Read a few of the articles for yourself -
http://time.com/money/4283559/millennials-have-no-idea-how-their-student-loans-work/
https://www.forbes.com/sites/winniesun/2015/10/30/halloweenmillennials/
https://www.investopedia.com/articles/personal-finance/021914/money-habits-millennials.asp
https://thecollegeinvestor.com/14611/average-net-worth-millennials/

The millennial generation, followed by the coming digital age are going to be setting the economic norms for the next four decades or so. What exactly is going to come of a bunch of people that buy on credit they can't repay, people that live normally inside of 20k-30k of debt, people that rely on a bigger government to come through with varying financial systems collapse?

My guess is increased power for an elite few, corruption increasing, freedom decreasing, and family values continuing to fail...

You could make a case that the Hunger Games will become a little less fictional...

While their may not be a ton we can do to support the millennial's at this point, outside of give them some financial bandaids, I still have hope that we can help the Digital Generation before it's too late (Generation Z - born somewhere between 1995 - 2010, always had access to internet and social media).

Give Them an Education

By give them I mean bring basic economics into middle and high schools as a required part of the curriculum. What would some basic supply and demand understanding actually do for society? We go off on a 'livable wage' and our need for $15/hour minimum wage...and yes we should aim for livable wages...but what does a $15/hour minimum wage do for our economy? Anyone know?

We make our kids go to school to get edumacated...and for some reason we have missed that whole money thing...

Give Them a Work Ethic - Not an iPhone

What happens when you use netflix and pbskids as a babysitter for your 5-12 year olds? Any parents want to chime in? You potentially destroy their imaginations, will power and any real desire to do anything for anyone other then themselves. My biggest concern with the Digital Generation is that they just don't care. Turning in school work is optional, skipping class is no big deal, actually creating something of value is almost non-existent. It requires effort and it's easier to just post your thoughts about doing it on FB then actually doing something.

Bring Mom and Dad Back

I have this crazy thought. A Mom and Dad are needed to create a kid, and a Mom and Dad are needed to raise a healthy kid.

Unfortunately my only source for this is...well...look around you. I understand their are anomalies...kids that didn't get dealt a hand with a Mom and Dad, and you still make it. Way to go! It took ridiculous amounts of courage, risk and tenacity. But for everyone success story there are hundreds of fail stories...
Our society has got to get back to some basic family values of raising and training our kids. Relying on technology, school teachers, a coach will not work. The digital generation is increasing in apathy, debt, drug abuse, sexual confusion, depression the list goes on...and they are not going to get better on their own...

It's possible we are entrusting the future of our society on a generation and upcoming generation that has no idea how to hold it, or even cares about it...Responsibility and ownership of the future has to fall somewhere....

let me know your thoughts...thanks for reading