Kids These Days Human Capital & the Making of Millennials

A Millennial's groundbreaking investigation into why his generation, the most educated in American history, is economically worse off than their parents, challenging popular stereotypes and creating a radical and devastating picture of what it means to be young in America.
They are the largest living generation in the United States, they are about to inherit the earth, and they're in trouble. Despite being the most educated, efficient and competitive generation in American history Millennials are poorer, deeper in debt, sadder, more anxious, more medicated, and less trusting of others than their parents and even their grandparents.
To find out why, Malcolm Harris (b. 1988) decided to conduct a meticulous, data driven analysis of the cultural, technological, and (especially) economic forces over the past 40 years that have shaped Millennial lives. What he discovered, and the sense he made of it, will change how you see yourself, your country, and our future--whether you're a Millennial or not.
Examining broad trends like the professionalization of childhood, runaway student debt, the rise of the intern, mass incarceration, social media, and more, The Making of Millennials is a devastating portrait of a generation conditioned from birth to treat their lives, their efforts, their very selves and futures as human capital. With the verve, wit, and breadth of knowledge of a true polemicist, Harris unmasks the school, the university, the job, the government, the social network--indeed, all institutions and corporations of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries--as exploitative systems that increasingly offload costs and risks to young people. What are the consequences, and where do we go from here?
Gripping, mercilessly argued, and deeply informed, The Making of Millennials is required reading not only for the birth cohort it describes, but for parents, people in business, policy-makers, teachers, and anyone ready to take a good, hard look at how America treats its young.

Named one of Fall 2017's most anticipated books by New York Magazine, Publishers Weekly, Nylon, and LitHub
Everyone knows "what's wrong with Millennials." Glenn Beck says we've been ruined by "participation trophies." Simon Sinek says we have low self-esteem. An Australian millionaire says Millennials could all afford homes if we'd just give up avocado toast. Thanks, millionaire.

This Millennial is here to prove them all wrong.

"The best, most comprehensive work of social and economic analysis about our benighted generation." -Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private Citizens

"The kind of brilliantly simple idea that instantly clarifies an entire area of culture."-William Deresiewicz, author of Excellent Sheep

Millennials have been stereotyped as lazy, entitled, narcissistic, and immature. We've gotten so used to sloppy generational analysis filled with dumb cliches about young people that we've lost sight of what really unites Millennials. Namely:

- We are the most educated and hard-working generation in American history.

- We poured historic and insane amounts of time and money into preparing ourselves for the 21^st century labor market.
- We have been taught to consider working for free (homework, internships) a privilege for our own benefit.

- We are poorer, more medicated, and more precariously employed than our parents, grandparents, even our great grandparents, with less of a social safety net to boot.

Kids These Days, is about why. In brilliant, crackling prose, early Wall Street occupier Malcolm Harris gets mercilessly real about our maligned birth cohort. Examining trends like runaway student debt, the rise of the intern, mass incarceration, social media, and more, Harris gives us a portrait of what it means to be young in America today that will wake you up and piss you off.

Millennials were the first generation raised explicitly as investments, Harris argues, and in Kids These Days he dares us to confront and take charge of the consequences now that we are grown up.

Named one of Fall 2017's most anticipated books by New York Magazine, Nylon, and LitHub.
Glenn Beck says Millennials have been ruined by "participation trophies." Simon Sinek says we have low self-esteem. An Australian millionaire says Millennials could all afford homes if we'd just give up avocado toast. Thanks, millionaire.

This Millennial is here to prove them all wrong.
"A landmark." - n+1

"The best, most comprehensive work of social and economic analysis about our benighted generation." -Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private Citizens

"The kind of brilliantly simple idea that instantly clarifies an entire area of culture."-William Deresiewicz, author of Excellent Sheep

Millennials have been stereotyped as lazy, entitled, narcissistic, and immature. We've gotten so used to sloppy generational analysis filled with dumb cliches about young people that we've lost sight of what really unites Millennials. Namely:

- We are the most educated and hard-working generation in American history.

- We poured historic and insane amounts of time and money into preparing ourselves for the 21^st century labor market.
- We have been taught to consider working for free (homework, internships) a privilege for our own benefit.

- We are poorer, more medicated, and more precariously employed than our parents, grandparents, even our great grandparents, with less of a social safety net to boot.

Kids These Days, is about why. In brilliant, crackling prose, early Wall Street occupier Malcolm Harris gets mercilessly real about our maligned birth cohort. Examining trends like runaway student debt, the rise of the intern, mass incarceration, social media, and more, Harris gives us a portrait of what it means to be young in America today that will wake you up and piss you off.

Millennials were the first generation raised explicitly as investments, Harris argues, and in Kids These Days he dares us to confront and take charge of the consequences now that we are grown up.

"The first major accounting of the millennial generation written by someone who belongs to it." -- Jia Tolentino, The New Yorker
"The best, most comprehensive work of social and economic analysis about our benighted generation." --Tony Tulathimutte, author of Private Citizens

"The kind of brilliantly simple idea that instantly clarifies an entire area of culture."--William Deresiewicz, author of Excellent Sheep

Millennials have been stereotyped as lazy, entitled, narcissistic, and immature. We've gotten so used to sloppy generational analysis filled with dumb cliches about young people that we've lost sight of what really unites Millennials. Namely:

- We are the most educated and hard-working generation in American history.

- We poured historic and insane amounts of time and money into preparing ourselves for the 21^st century labor market.
- We have been taught to consider working for free (homework, internships) a privilege for our own benefit.

- We are poorer, more medicated, and more precariously employed than our parents, grandparents, even our great grandparents, with less of a social safety net to boot.

Kids These Days, is about why. In brilliant, crackling prose, early Wall Street occupier Malcolm Harris gets mercilessly real about our maligned birth cohort. Examining trends like runaway student debt, the rise of the intern, mass incarceration, social media, and more, Harris gives us a portrait of what it means to be young in America today that will wake you up and piss you off.

Millennials were the first generation raised explicitly as investments, Harris argues, and in Kids These Days he dares us to confront and take charge of the consequences now that we are grown up.