Style magazine The Face recently coined the term “Generation Boomerang,” referring to the phenomenon that whereas previously most 18-to-34-year-olds in the US lived in a property they owned, many now have moved back in with their parents – that’s if they ever moved out at all. A similar trend can be found in Europe. Eurofound shared data on the increase in employed youth in Europe still living with their parents. The report outlined the challenges young Europeans are facing, including housing, the cost of living crisis, mental health, and precarious employment. The effects of not being able to live by oneself are quite significant; being unable to live independently was likely to have a knock-on effect on wellbeing, with the report’s authors finding it was sometimes associated with a sense of social exclusion.

In addition, milestones of young adulthood have shifted dramatically, with delayed parenthood, later marriages, and delayed financial independence. Young adults are already redefining what a milestone looks like. Some Gen Z and millennial women are throwing ‘Success Showers’ to celebrate personal and professional milestones. 

Brands are also recognizing and adapting to these changes in how we live together and what we celebrate. IKEA, in collaboration with Dazed, created IKEA Catalogue!!! The zine questions what the home means to young creatives in 2024, depicting a more realistic portrayal of how Gen Z and millennial creatives around the world are living—often together with others who are not necessarily their partners or in very small apartments. Instead of stigmatizing these lifestyles, they present them as the “new normal” and offer ideas on how to create living environments similar to those featured in their catalogue.

If we postpone or alter traditional milestones, such as moving out, finding a partner, getting married, moving in together, buying a house, having kids, etc., what does that mean for what we celebrate in life? What do we define as success? How do we want to live, and what do we need from brands and organizations that are still selling to us based on traditional life stages?