You may be wondering if your son struggles with failure to launch syndrome, otherwise known as Peter Pan syndrome or the boomerang generation.
Failure to launch is a common issue among millennials, especially young men.
Young men with failure to launch syndrome tend to be unable (or just unwilling) to live on their own, often moving back in with their parents after unsuccessfully trying to live independently. They struggle to hold down a job, or if they do have a job, they aren’t good at managing their finances in a sustainable and productive way.
They often have failed out of college or are currently struggling with their classes, even though they may have been high achievers or did fine in high school. They may have intense anxiety about doing adult tasks such as socializing with peers, holding a job, or driving.
These young adults can be unmotivated, have no direction, and are unsure about what to do with their life. They may seek to escape from real life by playing video games or otherwise wasting time on technology in order the avoid their problems, or other uncomfortable conversations.
All in all, they have failed to launch into adulthood like other young adults their age have. It isn’t that these young men who struggle aren’t smart or capable; they just struggle to make it on their own for one reason or another.
