Hearth and Home

Last night I had an interesting discussion with the wife about how the trend of outmigration [1] [4] seen in many rural Midwest counties could be reversed by twenty-somethings having quarterlife crises [2][3]. We have come to the conclusion that the phenomenon of the quarterlife crisis may actually be a mechanism for reversing the outmigration trend—a problem fixes a problem. What an interesting thought.

Outmigration
The National Association of Counties Fact Sheet on the New Homestead Act of 2003 describes the outmigration problem facing rural counties in the US [4]:

“Outmigration poses a significant threat to rural counties across the United
States. This problem is particularly acute in the nation’s heartland-from the Dakotas to North Texas, and from the Rocky Mountains to the mouth of the Missouri River-where nearly 70 percent of rural counties on the Great Plains have seen their population shrink by an average of one third.”

“The downward cycle of outmigration is a slow devolutionary process that begins with decreasing job opportunities in rural communities. With dim prospects for work, skilled professionals
and youth flee to prosperous metropolitan areas. Following their departure, birth rates begin to decline to the point where death rates exceed them. With a smaller tax base and fewer customers, government services, civic organizations and businesses begin to contract or shut down. Everyday staples of life, such as churches, schools and businesses are affected. This cycle is complete when public investment decreases and skilled workers and young people are left with few job opportunities.”

Reference [1] details the flow of population in and out of counties throughout the continental United States.

Quarterlife Crisis
From her book “Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis,” Alexandra Robbins describes the phenomenon of the quarterlife crisis [2]:

“Many of us in our 20s and 30s go through a period that leaves us feeling panicked or directionless. For some of us, the challenges of this time become so overwhelming that we may seriously second-guess our abilities, intensely question our lives, or crush our own self-esteem with our doubts.”

“Throughout our years in school, we had specific people to turn to for help and guidance: teachers, advisers, counselors, coaches, parents. But once we graduate and grapple with real-world issues, we don’t have someone readily available to tell us, “I’ve been there. Here’s how I got through it.” And because of the ever-widening generation gap, our parents’ experiences in many areas aren’t necessarily relevant anymore.”

Today’s twenty-somethings are ill-equipped for life. The scant eighteen years they had living at home is not nearly enough time to prepare for the real world—a world of the internet, virtual reality, 80 hour workweeks, cell phones, identity theft, a war, terror, and most importantly, uncertainty.

Synergy
So, we have towns that are drying up due to the out-flowing of their youth and youth that find that they may have left the nest way too early. The solution seems simple enough: invite the kids back into the nest. There needs to be a concerted effort by small, rural, outmigration-plagued towns to bring back the prodigal youth. This needs to be done both on a family level and a community level.

The returning youth bring with them knowledge, experience and a new set of viewpoints developed during their time elsewhere. Many will bring families which will further refill the population. They will become reestablished in their hometowns which in turn will grow the employee base. Some of these youth will build new businesses and revitalize established ones. The town gains on many levels.

For those who are suffering a quarterlife crisis, the benefits are obvious. Living with the parents will allow them breathing space to pay bills and re-evaluate life. For many there is a feeling of safety associated with being with the family and in familiar surroundings.

Now this won’t work with everyone or in every situation, but the idea deserves consideration. Our daughter lives with us and I think that we, her and us, have all benefited from her return. Families in small towns, and the small towns themselves, need to explore ways to bring back their youth, especially ones suffering from a quarterlife crisis. It may be one of those all too rare win-win situations.

References
1. Johnson, Kenneth, “Demographic Trends in Rural and Small Town America,” Reports on Rural America, Carsey Institute, University of New Hampshire, Volume 1 Number 1, 2006
2. Robbins, Alexandra, “Conquering Your Quarterlife Crisis,” Sample chapter on website.
3. Robbins, Alexandra, “Quarterlife Crisis statistics,” Sample data on website.
4. National Association of Counties, “New Homestead Act of 2003 Fact Sheet”

Tags: rural, outmigration, quarterlife crisis