“You can be anything you want to be. The sky’s the limit”

Most of us heard that at some point during childhood, be it from parent, teacher, or a one the felt-covered puppets on Sesame Street. Some believe it; some call it the first of many of life’s little lies. Regardless, it’s what the American dream was founded on. But believe in the philosophy or not, it’s painfully obvious that “putting your mind to it” doesn’t just warrant success anymore, especially for a young generation entering a brave new world with a rocky economy that’s sliding into unexplored territory.

In something I read recently, writer Joel Kotkin pointed out that strenuous economic circumstances –including an overburdened job market, fiscal mismanagement of previous generations and a national college student loan debt that topped $1 trillion this year – have shaped what he calls “the screwed generation.” His arguments cite the obstacles faced by college graduates entering an economy that has little to offer in terms of employment and to top it, dwindling social security benefits and pension cuts are keeping older generations (also being screwed) in the labor market longer, making it nearly impossible for anyone in their 20s and 30s to pay back those student loans.