Gen Z is choosing not to drive::Less Gen Z Americans own a driver’s license than previous generations, according to consulting firm McKinsey.

  • Thorny_Insight
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    94
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    10 months ago

    Just like they’re “choosing” not to own houses either I guess

    • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      34
      ·
      10 months ago

      If you work hard and save up, you could live in a nice van down by the river!

    • Grippler@feddit.dk
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      25
      arrow-down
      7
      ·
      edit-2
      10 months ago

      The unit of measure in this article is whether or not they have a driver’s licence, not a car…I’m pretty sure even gen Zers can afford a driver’s license, if they actually wanted it. Not having a driver’s licence is very much a choice, to a much higher degree than owner a car (or house)

      • Dlolor@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        36
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        Sure, but why get a licence if you know you won’t have a car any time soon?

        • fidodo@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          9
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          10 months ago

          Because it’s convenient to be able to drive a car? There are lots of cases when you may borrow a car to do things. Teenagers might borrow their parents car to do errands and stuff.

          • Sasha@lemmy.blahaj.zone
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            8
            ·
            10 months ago

            As someone who has absolutely no desire to ever own or drive a car, I’m getting my licence based purely on the off chance that I might need to anyway (but I’d probably just hire for a day).

        • Appoxo@lemmy.dbzer0.com
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          10 months ago

          Because you don’t want to drive privately but for work. Where you need a drivers license.

        • Grippler@feddit.dk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          6
          arrow-down
          3
          ·
          edit-2
          10 months ago

          I got a licence when I was 18 (legal driving age where I live) despite not owning a car or planning to anytime soon. I could still borrow my parent’s car sometimes, which was nice. This article specifically talks about teens in the 16-17 year old range, very much able to borrow a car from parents (if they have one)

      • Thorny_Insight
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        18
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        10 months ago

        In places like Finland it costs over a thousand euros to get your driver’s license. That’s less than a car obviously but not nothing either

        • Grippler@feddit.dk
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          10
          ·
          edit-2
          10 months ago

          Yeah it costs around 2k Euros where I live, which is enough to also buy a small beater…but this article is US-focused only, and it’s significantly cheaper to get a licence in the US, hence my comment.

        • Obi@sopuli.xyz
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          10 months ago

          That still sounds on the cheap side for Europe, in some countries you’ll easily have spent north of 2k€ on all the mandatory lessons and exams, or even more if you’re a slow learner or fail the tests a few times.

    • Yuki@kutsuya.dev
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      15
      ·
      10 months ago

      It costs about 400K to 500K where I live to buy a house that used to be around 150K 30 years ago. Times are fucked

      • fidodo@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        7
        arrow-down
        2
        ·
        10 months ago

        That’s not that bad unless that’s already adjusted for inflation. If you haven’t adjusted it already then 150k would be 310k today. Where I’m at house costs have increased 5x after adjusting for inflation.

        • Yuki@kutsuya.dev
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          5
          ·
          10 months ago

          This is after inflation has been calculated. I live in the Netherlands atm, you can look up how fucked that market is.

          • MoonRaven@feddit.nl
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            10 months ago

            My dad bought a house as the only worker and supported my mom and 2 kids 30 years ago. Now, I cannot buy that house even though I earn more than double than what his job currently pays while I don’t have to support other people. It’s crazy. The Netherlands as well btw.

      • Thorny_Insight
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        10 months ago

        When my parents bought my childhood home in the 90’s they paid 150k euros for it and when they sold it in 2010 or so they got around 300k I believe. While it’s more money it’s not worth the double. It pretty much cost that much to buy their 2-room apartment then

    • Arkaelus@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      6
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      10 months ago

      Hell, I’m a Millennial and it’s a no-brainer… Food or gas, emission taxes, road taxes, maintenance costs, and everything else which comes with owning a car. Including the car itself. And that’s just from an economic standpoint, I’m not even gonna go into the impact it has on the climate and how EVs are mostly just expensive and not-really-efficient pieces of jewellery still.