Why do we do it? America was literally founded on the idea of independence. That idea got turned into a personal virtue embedded into every citizen that was born and raised or immigrated here to "make it".<p>The independent spirit was commercialized capitalized on by advertisers and used as a way to sell us things. Houses with big yards in a quiet neighborhood, two cars, family vacations - all paid for by the sweat off your own back. Your value as a citizen and person was measured by how many things you could provide for your direct family.<p>We should adopt a more family-centered valuation of life (and not just the nuclear family, but extended family and 'found' family as well). But we won't. Somehow Americans have this idea that sacrificing something for someone who isn't your chosen partner or offspring is bad, and accepting help by anyone else is a sin.<p>It will be interesting to see how things will turn out in the next 25-50 years. People are becoming increasingly hyper-connected and at the same time mental health issues directly related to loneliness and depression are rising [1]. Will the new generation(s) finally reject the "American Dream" work ethic and self-reliance? It seems like it may be the only option moving forward.<p><a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170805165319.htm" rel="nofollow">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170805165319.h...</a>
Our economy wants for everyone to have their own place. Companies lose sales if multi-generations share items. Look at advertisements and you'll see them emphasize the 1 generation home.<p>It wasn't always that way. The 20th-century economy and advertisement brought that to fruition.<p>We don't give the adman enough credit for the shape of our society. Advertisements are very powerful in shaping how we live but they only care about profits, not the overall impact.
It's not "adults who live with their parents" who are shamed, but specifically men. For women, it's completely acceptable and probably even "proves" that they're more responsible than men.<p>Must be male privilege.