Fewer young people can afford to have a car

The quality of life improves as personal motor vehicle dependency is overcome.

Your fixation on "the left" aside,

Gen Z Is Changing American Car Culture​

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The forward-thinking youths are at it again: This time, they're changing the car culture embedded in American society. Incrementally, at least.

Polls, studies, and surveys show younger generations are less likely to drive, less likely to have a driver's license, have less access to vehicles, and when they do get behind the wheel, are driving fewer miles.

Perhaps it's because of a greater awareness of the environmental and health damages of cars on the road. But Daniel Knowles, a writer for the Economist and the author of "Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What To Do About It"— a book about how cars contribute to public health and climate crises — told Insider there are many circumstances as to why Gen Z and Millennials may be ditching their automobiles...

"Most young Americans still do have cars — more don't than used to — and the ones who do, I think it does feel more of an imposition or something you're forced to have than in the past. So I hope that's beginning to motivate people to look for change."...

[https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-changing-american-car-culture-2023-5]

Millennials in Motion: Changing Travel Habits of Young Americans​

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"Overcoming a motor vehicle dependency" often requires a move to a different city, and housing expenses can go up as a result.
There are many parts of America (even including many high population density areas) where being able to get around without a car is not very realistic, I think. (Not theoretically impossible, but not pragmatic, and very difficult, creating a big burden on the person)

It might be true that if a certain city were able to almost completely eliminate cars within its boundaries and come up with an alternate solution, quality of life would improve. But that does not translate into quality of life improvement if a larger segment of society simply can't afford them any longer.

 

How Gen Z's lack of driving could exacerbate loneliness epidemic

NBC News Dana Griffin explores why Gen Z is driving less than other generations and how the major cultural shift could potentially exacerbate the loneliness epidemic.

Less and less of Gen Z -- roughly defined as people born between 1997 and 2010 -- are on the roads. Today (for year 2022), just 25 percent of 16 year olds have any type of driver's license. Compare that to nearly three decades ago (1997) when that number was 43 percent.

Why do all of that when you have things like public transportation, ride sharing, and food delivery aps?
teen girl: "The modern accessibility for getting rides, and all of that, has sort of balanced out the fact that I don't have a license."

It's also part of some broader shifts we're seeing in Gen Z.
They're drinking less, sleeping earlier, and staying home. Part of it may have to do with their 'coming of age' being interrupted.
"Many of these young adults really finished middle school, or high school in the pandemic where everything shifted to online. So in real life, interactions seemed less important."
They're spending a lot of time glued to their phones. Just about half of teens say they're online almost constantly (2022), double that from 2014 to 2015, according to a recent Pew study.

Another part? Finances.
85% of Gen Z citing barriers. Maybe less focus on getting a car and paying insurance, and more on groceries and paying off student loans.

Last year 24 percent of Gen Z adults reported always or often feeling lonely over the past 12 months. Compared to 18 percent of Millennials, according to the American Enterprise Institute's Survey Center on American Life). ​

How Gen Z's lack of driving could exacerbate loneliness epidemic, NBC (video), Feb. 12, 2024

 

I suspect it may in part be due to a reduced desire for personal freedom. Or perhaps a lack of recognition of desire for personal freedom. Being bombarded as they are with notions like freedom is a social construct and requires consensus and other brainwashery. They dont need independence, they need more codependence to be happy. Just a little more. You're almost there. You cant do it yourself. Just need to be more 'connected' and the group will make you happy...

 

I think it happens under Republicans and Democrats. But on the positive site: number of US billionaires is steady growing: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billionaire

And the US debt is growing too, but it looks here Republicans take a lead: https://www.usatoday.com/money/blueprint/banking/national-debt-by-president/

 

because for some crazy reason car makers only want to sell cars with all kinda digital sensors and stuff that raises prices and costs more to maintain and repair

the people want cars like from the 90's, cars that just work, easy to repair, thus cheaper to repair and own

 

But that may only be due to monetary inflation, not actually having more wealth.

 

I am not sure if the reason is inflation or the rich are getting richer because they take more from the average American.

Here is what Gemini (formerly called Bard) said:

Why in the US number of billionaires is growing?
Gemini: The number of billionaires in the United States has been growing in recent decades. There are a number of factors that have contributed to this growth, including:

• The growth of the US economy: The US economy has grown significantly in recent decades, which has led to an increase in the overall level of wealth. This has created more opportunities for people to become wealthy, including through entrepreneurship, investments, and stock ownership.
• Changes in tax policy: Some argue that changes in tax policy, such as the reduction of capital gains taxes, have made it easier for people to accumulate wealth and become billionaires.
• Globalization: Globalization has led to increased opportunities for trade and investment, which has benefited some individuals and businesses. This has contributed to the growth of wealth and the number of billionaires.
• Technological innovation: Technological innovation has created new industries and businesses, which has led to the creation of wealth and new billionaires.

The increase in the number of billionaires has been accompanied by an increase in income inequality. Some argue that this is a negative consequence of the growth of the number of billionaires, as it leads to a concentration of wealth and power at the top of the income distribution. Others argue that the growth of the number of billionaires is a positive sign, as it reflects the success of the US economy and the opportunities that it creates for individuals.

The debate over the impact of the growth of the number of billionaires is likely to continue. There are a number of factors to consider, including the overall impact on the economy, the impact on income inequality, and the impact on society as a whole.

And this is META AI answer:
As of 2022, the number of billionaires in the US is growing, with 935 individuals holding a collective wealth of $4.5 trillion ¹. This increase is attributed to various factors, including technological advancements and a strong stock market ². Additionally, the US has a large and diverse economy with multiple industries and sectors, providing ample opportunities for wealth creation ³. However, it's important to note that wealth disparities exist, and the growing billionaire class raises questions about income inequality and social mobility ⁴.

 

Well, it's a good thing that the majority don't drive. Have you seen how many people are on the roads now, even with the reduced percentage of drivers? There are too many people!

In my neighborhood, which was once in the sticks, every available space that was once empty tree lots or farm fields has become filled with dozens of squeezed up together family houses. The roads aren't built for so much traffic, there's not enough space for expansion. I shudder to think what the traffic will look like in 10-20 years with those families' kids growing up to drive their own cars!

The only saving grace has been that there's been a reduced number of drivers since we're in bad economic conditions. Traffic really died ever since the Great Recession. It's never been the same. And that's bad for businesses that rely on tourism.