So, in my spare time I help people become expats. The (precious few) studies of US expats show that most of them have moved to other countries for someone they love, followed by work or adventure (search for von Koppenfels' study). Very few of us expats have left for political reasons. However, when I talk to people today who want to leave, while adventure and love are still cited, it's the political crap in the US which is driving a lot of it. People are telling me that "the US isn't the country they grew up in." They're saying they can't fight the Koch Brothers, the Waltons, Big{Oil,Pharma,Banking}, Citizens United and so on.
Interestingly, when they talk to me about this, they're usually not looking for greener pastures: they aren't assuming the world is better somewhere else or that they can escape what's going on. Maybe that puts 'em back in the adventure category instead of moving for political reasons? (That being said, the demographics between actual expats and would-be expats could be radically different).
Note for the curious: I moved abroad for adventure, not political reasons. Five countries and counting.
TL;DR: Young people in the US are waking up from all of the bad news and wondering what it would be like to live somewhere else, but they think they don't have the money to leave the US.
I would think the a big reason that 18 to 24-year olds are willing to consider moving abroad is the lousy job market since 2007 - due to a variety of reasons, not the least of which was the financial "crisis".
Funny you should mention this. The primary reason I left the US was because I wanted to see the world, and secondarily because I wasn't happy with the things going on there. I have said those very same words: "It's not the country I grew up in"! And that's the reason why I'm not moving back any time soon.
That, and I LOVE Australia! Well, maybe not the higher prices but that's the subject of another post.
I think it's not coincidental that the rate of 18 to 24-year-olds who are interested in moving abroad has skyrocketed from 12% in 2007 to 40% in 2011 (http://www.americawave.com/2011/10/05/somewhatseriously-inte...) but the number of them planning to relocate has collapsed (http://www.americawave.com/2011/10/06/yes-plan-to-relocate-b...). I think the reason is simple: young people are tired of the constant bad news but they don't have any money to move abroad.
Interestingly, when they talk to me about this, they're usually not looking for greener pastures: they aren't assuming the world is better somewhere else or that they can escape what's going on. Maybe that puts 'em back in the adventure category instead of moving for political reasons? (That being said, the demographics between actual expats and would-be expats could be radically different).
Note for the curious: I moved abroad for adventure, not political reasons. Five countries and counting.
TL;DR: Young people in the US are waking up from all of the bad news and wondering what it would be like to live somewhere else, but they think they don't have the money to leave the US.
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