question

our parents' generation.

Free love and all that stuff

still a guarantee of a job for life

many would have made a lot of money on the property they would have bought when their families were young

Many can still retire earlyish on decent pensions - unlikely for us.

Don't care... It's all relative.

[Biker Biggles]

Those born just after the war had it all.They grew up in an era of increasing prosperity access to free health and education.All that still exists and is (on paper)getting better,apart from the education bit.But what that generation had was increasing personal freedom.They had to fight for it through the sixties and seventies,but that has all gone into reverse now.There is now a really visious authoritarian culture in the air backed up by the surveillance technology we have now.Who would be a teenager now with the dreaded camera picking up your every drag on an illicit fag or snog with the local slapper?Worse still everything is now "on record" for life so you can never live down past mistakes.Massive databases see to that.
I hate to think what Orwellian future awaits.

Originally Posted by timwilky

My children, whilst supposidly having a greater access to education and shaken of the shackles of class etc. will be burdened with massive debts as a result of aquiring thier education, I dispair for their future in attempting to build relationships, have children and buy their homes when they are likely to be into their 30s before their education debts are paid and then they will not be able to afford mortgages.

I think that the effects of high education fees, student loans and huge mortgages are turning Britain into a disaster waiting to happen. They're saying that people won't be paying off their student debt until they're over 35. How the f&^£ are they supposed to get a mortgage with even the cheapest one bedroom flats starting at over £150,000? How will they afford to raise families? I really wouldn't want to raise kids in this country right now. If we plan to start a family, we'll probably emigrate first, in order to give our kids a chance.

I think that those born just after the war had it best.

Originally Posted by wyrdness

I think that the effects of high education fees, student loans and huge mortgages are turning Britain into a disaster waiting to happen. They're saying that people won't be paying off their student debt until they're over 35. How the f&^£ are they supposed to get a mortgage with even the cheapest one bedroom flats starting at over £150,000? How will they afford to raise families? I really wouldn't want to raise kids in this country right now. If we plan to start a family, we'll probably emigrate first, in order to give our kids a chance.

I think that those born just after the war had it best.

I've the answer to you housing problems. Move out of london. Get a LARGE 3 bedroom house round here for 150k.

Originally Posted by mysteryjimbo

I've the answer to you housing problems. Move out of london. Get a LARGE 3 bedroom house round here for 150k.

Only works if you can get a job where you need to go though.

Thinking about it, going to Uni has made it difficult for me to decided where I can live... My parents can pretty much get a job anywhere - I don't have that many to choose from...

Maybe my answer of my generation wasn't correct afterall...

Interesting question though Im with Ping on this one its all relative. Every generation has lived through good stuff and bad.

Our grandparents saw the introduction of electricity and labour saving devices into their houses that would have made them consider themselves lucky over their parents.

Granted they lived through the horrors of WWII, but our parents lived through the Cold war with Russia/USA at ideological odds, Korea, Vietnam. We have grown up in the age of terrorism. So whos luckiest when you view it like that??

My parents had advantages that have now been lost to our generation - eg as Mystery Jimbo said they could laugh at credit adverts than note the number. But my bike gears better than what my mum and dad wore on the bikes.

Ive grown up in an age where going to Australia is achievable in a day, not a month and have the opportunity to travel at a cost that is now affordable as opposed to prohibitive to my parents.

Future generations? hey they may get to go to the moon for holidays, but they'll have the mess we leave behind to clear up.

pairents