The American Dream slows, shifts for younger generations | Jerry Davich Aug 13, 2025 Aug 13, 2025 Updated Nov 18, 2025 0 Facebook Twitter Bluesky WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Has the American Dream rusted into a pipe dream over the past 50 years?kAmx? `hfd[ ?62C=J 92=7 @7 &]$] 25F=ED 286D ad E@ bc 925 >@G65 @FE @7 E96:C A2C6?E2= 9@>6[ 8@E 2 ;@3[ E:65 E96 <?@E 2?5 925 <:5D — E96 >@DE 4@>>@? A2E9 E@ 25F=E9@@5] u:G6 564256D =2E6C[ =6DD E92? 2 BF2CE6C @7 p>6C:42?D :? E9:D 286 8C@FA 925 6IA6C:6?465 E96 D2>6 EC25:E:@?2= >:=6DE@?6D]k^AmkAmp ?6H=J C6=62D65 &]$] r6?DFD qFC62F k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]46?DFD]8@G^=:3C2CJ^DE@C:6D^a_ad^_g^>:=6DE@?6D\E@\25F=E9@@5]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmH@C<:?8 A2A6Ck^2m 6IA=@C6D E96 D@4:6E2= 2?5 64@?@>:4 D9:7ED @7 J@F?86C 25F=ED H9@ C624965 E9@D6 7@FC AC:>2CJ >2C<6CD @7 25F=E9@@5]k^Am People are also reading… Former Cyclone Addy Brown commits to reigning NCAA Champs Daughter of 10-year MLB vet, Brianna Johnson a 'gem' who delivers for Hawkeyes again and again 8 children killed at home in Louisiana domestic violence, police say Pope Leo signals shift away from Catholic Church's focus on sex A timeline of assassination attempts and threats against Trump Watch: New Iowa running backs coach explains why he rejoined Hawkeyes They’re in remission, but their medical bills aren’t: Cancer survivors navigate soaring costs Inside Ukraine's drive to defeat the dreaded Shahed drone Illinois football coach Bielema making connections both past and present Trump administration rejects women picked for soybean board, appoints men instead Basketball transfer portal’s early losers: Big names, big swings, bigger questions Winners (Jermod McCoy) and losers (Diego Pavia) of 2026 NFL Draft Day 3 America barely uses OPEC oil. Why are gas prices so high? Bringing a smartphone to a bank robbery? 4th Amendment issue hits Supreme Court New TrumpIRA plan aims to reach workers without 401(k)s kAm“u:?5:?8D DF886DE E92E J@F?8 25F=ED E@52J AC:@C:E:K6 64@?@>:4 D64FC:EJ @G6C DE2CE:?8 2 72>:=J[ C67=64E:?8 E96 C:D:?8 3FC56? @7 9@FD:?8[ 7@@5[ 82D 2?5 @E96C 4@DED[” E96 A2A6C DE2E6D]k^AmkAm~G6C E96 564256D[ E96 >@DE 4@>>@? >:=6DE@?6D D9:7E65 7C@> :>A@CE2?46 @7 2 72>:=J =:76 E@ 64@?@>:4 AC:@C:E:6D] %9:D C6DF=E65 :? 25F=ED @7 E92E 286 8C@FA 36:?8 :? E96 =23@C 7@C46 2?5 =:G:?8 :?56A6?56?E=J[ 3FE ?@E 36:?8 >2CC:65 @C 92G:?8 <:5D[ H9:49 56D4C:36D agT @7 E92E A@AF=2E:@? :? a_ac]k^AmkAmx? E96 `hf_D[ C6249:?8 @?=J E96 64@?@>:4 >:=6DE@?6D H2D E96 7@FCE9 >@DE 4@>>@? 6IA6C:6?46 7@C J@F?8 A6@A=6[ C@F89=J eT @7 E92E 56>@8C2A9:4]k^Am kAmpD 2 <:5 C2:D65 :? E96 Vf_D[ H:E9 2 DE625J ;@3 3J `hfg[ 2?5 >2CC:65 H:E9 <:5D :? E96 Vg_D[ x 4@?DE2?E=J DECF88=65 7:?2?4:2==J] x 72465 2 D:>:=2C 64@?@>:4 3FC56? E92E J@F?8 25F=ED DECF88=6 H:E9 E@52J[ 3FE x DE:== 9:E E9@D6 EC25:E:@?2= >:=6DE@?6D] }@E 2D 2 A=2?] xE H2D >@C6 92AA6?DE2?46]k^AmkAmq67@C6 x <?6H :E[ E9@D6 >:=6DE@?6D H6C6 369:?5 >6]k^AmkAmqJ E96 E:>6 x H2D bc[ x 2=C625J 925 366? =:G:?8 2H2J 7C@> >J A2C6?ED’ 9@>6 7@C `e J62CD[ x 925 H@C<65 7@C `g J62CD[ 2?5 x H2D @? >J D64@?5 >2CC:286 C2:D:?8 EH@ <:5D @G6C `_] }@E @?46 5:5 x 6G6C E9:?< x H2D =:G:?8 E96 p>6C:42? sC62>] ~C 2 A:A6 5C62>] x H2D ;FDE \\ DFCG:G:?8]k^Am Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | Omny Studio kAm%96 r6?DFD qFC62F C6A@CE 25565 “65F42E:@?” E@ E96 =:DE @7 >:=6DE@?6D E@ 25F=E9@@5[ C67=64E:?8 E92E 249:6G:?8 64@?@>:4 >2C<6CD 3642>6 >@C6 4@>>@? :? C646?E J62CD] x? >J A2DE[ 65F42E:@?2= >:=6DE@?6D >62?E ?@E9:?8 E@ >6] |2<:?8 2 3F4< >62?E 6G6CJE9:?8]k^AmkAmp7E6C x C625 E9:D ?6H DEF5J\:?\AC@8C6DD[ x 2D<65 >J D@4:2= >65:2 C6256CD :7 E96J 925 C624965 E96 EC25:E:@?2= 25F=E >:=6DE@?6D C676C6?465 3J 564256D @7 52E2]k^AmkAm“%9:D v6? )\6C 7@==@H65 ‘E96 >@DE 4@>>@? A2E9 E@ 25F=E9@@5’ 3642FD6 x 36=:6G65 E96 >JE9 E92E :E H2D E96 @?=J H2J[” HC@E6 r2CC:6 $@G@=2[ @7 w:89=2?5[ x?5:2?2] “x H@C<65 92C5 E@ 5:D4@G6C >JD6=7 2?5 7:?5 >J H2J @FE @7 F?92AA:?6DD] }@H x 2> =:G:?8 >J 36DE =:76 :? >J d_D]”k^Am kAmx 76=E E96 D2>6 H2J :? >J d_D[ 2D x 5@ ?@H :? >J e_D]k^AmkAmp?@E96C C6256C H9@’D @=56C 4@>>6?E65[ “x 8@E >J 7:CDE 2A2CE>6?E :? `hfcj 5:5?VE 86E >2CC:65 F?E:= `hgdj ?6G6C 925 49:=5C6?j 7:CDE 9FD32?5 5:65 :? `hhf[ x C6>2CC:65 :? a_`c] #6E:C65 2?5 D2H E96 H@C=5 36EH66? >J >2CC:286D] xE >2J ?@E 36 E96 =:76 6G6CJ@?6 H2?ED[ 3FE :E H2D W2?5 DE:== :DX H@C<:?8 7@C >6]”k^AmkAm~?6 C6256C H9@’D 2? @=56C >:==6??:2=[ 2=D@ 42==65 2? )6??:2= W3@C? 36EH66? `hff 2?5 `hgbX[ D2:5 D96 >@G65 @FE @7 96C A2C6?ED’ 9@>6 2E `g[ 8@E >2CC:65 2E ac[ 2?5 3@F89E E96:C 7:CDE 2?5 @?=J 9@>6 7@FC >@?E9D 27E6C E96 H655:?8]k^Am kAm“x E9:?< xV> @?6 @7 E96 =F4<J @?6D] x <?@H J@F?86C 25F=ED 5@?VE 92G6 :E 2D 62DJ[” D96 D2:5]k^Am kAm$96’D 4@CC64E] x 5@?’E <?@H 9@H J@F?8 25F=ED 2?5 J@F?8 72>:=:6D >2<6 6?5D >66E E96D6 52JD] x H@?56C E9:D 6G6CJ E:>6 x 8@ 8C@46CJ D9@AA:?8 2?5 >J 3:== :D 5@F3=6 @C EC:A=6 H92E :E @?46 H2D]k^AmkAmp5;FDE65 7@C :?7=2E:@?[ S` :? `hfd :D 6BF:G2=6?E :? AFC492D:?8 A@H6C E@ 23@FE Sg]eh E@52J] %92E 5@==2C 925 2? 2G6C286 :?7=2E:@? C2E6 @7 c]caT A6C J62C 36EH66? `hfd 2?5 E@52J[ AC@5F4:?8 2 4F>F=2E:G6 AC:46 :?4C62D6 @7 fehT]k^Am kAm%96 r6?DFD A2A6C 6I2>:?65 <6J D9:7E 724E@CD :?4=F5:?8 9:896C 65F42E:@? =6G6=D[ >@C6 H@>6? :? E96 H@C<A=246[ 9:896C =:G:?8 4@DED 2?5 >@C6 G2C:65 72>:=J DECF4EFC6D[ H9:49 >2J 6IA=2:? H9J 76H6C J@F?8 25F=ED 2C6 >66E:?8 E96D6 EC25:E:@?2= >:=6DE@?6 36?49>2C<D]k^Am kAm|@DE A6@A=6 DFCG6J65 :? C646?E J62CD D2:5 >@G:?8 @FE @7 E96:C A2C6?E2= 9@>6 2?5 92G:?8 2 7F==\E:>6 ;@3 H6C6 <6J E@ 364@>:?8 2? 25F=E] pD x @7E6? E6== J@F?8 A6@A=6 H9@ 5@?’E J6E 92G6 49:=5C6?[ :7 E96J H2?E E@ C62==J 368:? “25F=E:?8[” C2:D:?8 <:5D :D E96 >@DE 492==6?8:?8 >:=6DE@?6 3J 72C]k^Am kAmqFE 5@?VE 766= J@F ?665 E@ 5@ :E 3J bc] x H2D aa 2?5 E92E >:=6DE@?6 4@F=5 92G6 H2:E65 2 76H >@C6 J62CD F?E:= x 8C6H FA]k^Am Jerry Davich Davich writes for The Times of Northwest Indiana: Jerry.Davich@nwi.com. 0 Comments Related to this story The male ego doesn't age like the rest of our bodies | Jerry Davich The softball player ran hard around the bases, tagging third and heading for home. Just a few feet away, he stopped abruptly, crumbled into th… 15 years of Facebook posts, photos, memories vanished in minutes | Jerry Davich How would you feel if you instantly lost your Facebook or Instagram page without a hint of warning or preparation? What would you do about it … Hulkamania embodied America with its flaws and glory | Jerry Davich Should Hulk Hogan be remembered for his international wrestling, national politics or personal flaws? The beauty and mystery of vertical conversations | Jerry Davich The burly, bald-headed hotel security guard felt obligated to ask me the same question he has likely asked hundreds of guests.
The male ego doesn't age like the rest of our bodies | Jerry Davich The softball player ran hard around the bases, tagging third and heading for home. Just a few feet away, he stopped abruptly, crumbled into th…
15 years of Facebook posts, photos, memories vanished in minutes | Jerry Davich How would you feel if you instantly lost your Facebook or Instagram page without a hint of warning or preparation? What would you do about it …
Hulkamania embodied America with its flaws and glory | Jerry Davich Should Hulk Hogan be remembered for his international wrestling, national politics or personal flaws?
The beauty and mystery of vertical conversations | Jerry Davich The burly, bald-headed hotel security guard felt obligated to ask me the same question he has likely asked hundreds of guests.
