Getting established i.e. getting a good job that pays well, a house and all the big milestones that are associated with adulthood is getting harder. Even if one is hardworking and willing to do the grind it is not likely you will be able to complete these steps before you are in your 30s. I am not convinced this generation is less mature than previous ones. People are simply a product of their times and given the lack of opportunities it is harder to get ahead. This lack of opportunities can also lead to people simply abandoning common convention aka the journey of life.

What I mean by the journey of life is people no longer see the point in owning a house, the value of car ownership is less important today than it was in the 80s. From what I have heard this is true even in the youth of the US. More and more people are eschewing kids and marriage as the costs (financial, emotional) are too high. To some this refusal to follow lifes common path may be seen as act of immaturity but to others is simply a practical decision given the circumstances of the time. I don't think people are extrinsically less mature than before; they are simply responding to the prevailing conditions of today. The way they are acting is going against the historic norms and it is this decision not to follow the "chosen path" that is what make people question their maturity.

Maybe it is doom in me that is speaking but I think this environment is actually hostile to people forming families having kids and housing all your family in one big home. Just look what was said in the previous posts; you now need a degree even a masters to get something that resembles a middle class job. After that you need a few years of hard work to get yourself on a sound financial footing. Now ask me after doing all that how old will you be?

After you achieve all that you then need to save for a deposit on a house and if you are lucky (unlucky?) save for a wedding. My bet is after you achieve all that you will be in your early to mid 30s. Now if you are a woman how many years of fertility would you have left? This idea of having a white picket fence home, 2.1 kids and a dog just gets harder and harder to get as time passes.

Let's not forget the costs of raising a child (never mind several) is skyrocketing. As much as people look fondly on free range children it is simply not tolerated in modern society, children MUST be supervised at all times and you will be sent to child services if you let them loose without adult supervision too often. At the very least people will look down on your neglectful parenting style. Guess what? Clubs and child minders etc cost a bomb.

The fact this is a global phenomenon should tell you this is a systemic issue and is an not issue simply rooted in the youth being immature. It is a common past time to bash the young but I think those thoughts are largely mistaken and short sighted as people making such judgements often fail to consider all the aspects that are in play these days. This whole swing to right/populist voting is a big sign people (on a deep level) see the system as broken. The insane cost of living is a product of overpopulation which is again a problem of decreasing per capita energy consumption. You can't resolve these problems no matter what politician you install. Problem is penny hasn't dropped on last point for most of society. Given what is happening now I can only wonder what people will do when they realize the economy is broken on a fundamental level...