Graduate from high school, go to college and get a degree, then find a well-paying job and move out of your parents’ house at age 22.
This is the American dream. It is a guide to life that older generations pressure almost all of Gen Z to follow. As the discussion continues to roar over the American dream’s evident outdatedness, the conversation fails to acknowledge how this kind of pressure is actively harming college students and recent graduates holding themselves to this unrealistic golden standard, especially amid current political affairs that are sapping the generation’s optimism.
As seen in countless articles warning Gen Z about the worsening state of the world, the American dream is much harder to achieve today, from a numerical standpoint. Housing inflation is surging, and salaries are struggling to keep up. Rent prices follow a similar trend and the job market is becoming increasingly more grueling. Hence, achieving financial independence right after graduating from college is no longer realistic for the majority of young Americans. In other words, the American dream is dead — end of discussion.
Now, when examining the American dream from a mental health standpoint, there is tangible evidence that even just the idea of the American dream is destructive. About 30% of Americans with a bachelor’s degree earned in 2024, aged 20-29, are unemployed. This age group also had the highest rate of depression in the country in 2023. According to another study, 72% of job seekers report that their job search has negatively impacted their mental health. This comes as no surprise when considering the rise of ghost jobs and an overall oversaturated job market.
In these difficult times for Gen Z, the U.S. government — which has not instilled young Americans with much hope recently — is in the driver’s seat. According to the Harvard Youth Poll, only 15% of young Americans believe that the United States is heading in the right direction.
Additionally, the federal government under the Trump administration has been cutting funding to various government-funded industries, such as academia, scientific research, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and conservation. To a college student with aspirations to pursue a career in any of these impacted fields, this feels like a backstab from their own elected politicians. Many are wondering if pursuing a career in these industries is even worthwhile now, or if they should change to a career with more stability.
Given all of these statistics and current events, of course, Gen Z feels left behind — like the world has no room left for them. Not to mention the looming threat of climate change, which our elected officials are also struggling to tackle. But while these struggles are just as real as they are frustrating, there is something deeply important to consider about these obstacles.
They are not personal. They are a reflection of the crumbled American dream, not the college graduate.
American society still tends to confuse the American dream with the definition of success, meaning one is not successful until they find a well-paying job that allows them to buy a home as young as possible. Many college students — myself included — are guilty of self-imposing this expectation. However, if society seeks to remain realistic, the American dream must be rejected so that success can be redefined, and steps can be taken to revive and rework the dream.
To my fellow Gen Z college students and graduates, don’t fall for the older generation’s expectations. Not only are they outdated, but they are harmful expectations to internalize. It is okay to need a few years to find your footing after college. It is okay to live at home with your parents while saving up to move out or paying off debt. It is okay to take a gap year or two before heading to graduate school. It is okay to graduate from college and simply have no idea what to do with yourself!
Gen Z needs to be the generation to reject the American dream and to accept that it is no longer viable. Only by abandoning it can we redefine what success means.
Alexander Randall is an Opinion Intern for the summer 2025 quarter. He can be reached at arandal1@uci.edu.
Edited by Casey Mendoza and Joshua Gonzales
