THE MEANING OF "FAILURE TO LAUNCH"

The term "failure to launch" (in humans) is applied to young adults who do not successfully enter roles in society.  There is an article describing this "syndrome" in Scientific American (https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/failure-to-launch-syndrome/).  And a study has been initiated at Yale department of Psychiatry, enrolling "patients" to evaluate interventions. (https://www.spacetreatment.net/forum-1/professional-forum/new-failure-to-launch-treatment-study-at-yale-child-study-center     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5504878/).  Parent training has been recommended (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36047938/).  ( https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/991190?ecd=mkm_ret_230506_mscpmrk_psych_anxiety&uac=75012BG&impID=5403082#vp_1) And there is a special outdoor program for men (https://fortestrong.com/landing/?gad=1).  

This is not entirely an AMERICAN phenomenon.  The Japanese "lost generation" refers to young men who could not enter the employment cycle during the downturn of Japan's economy in the mid 90s-2000's.  They often retreated to their rooms and were eventually described as the Hikikomori (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hikikomori).  They have a serious impact on the pension system of elderly in Japan.   Similar trends are observed in the EU,  and these issues occur despite the changing demographic profile which is producing fewer young persons, while expanding the elderly survival.  

Nor is it an entirely NEW phenomenon.  Kenneth Keniston wrote about it in THE UNCOMMITTED: ALIENATED YOUTH IN AMERICAN SOCIETY.  Entering society is the last "aspect" of adolescent development  usually through entry into employment.  (The adolescent developmental stage includes five transitions that impact social adaptation: The physiologic changes of adolescence combine rapid somatic growth with the changes of puberty associated with a general increase in emotional intensity. The cognitive changes associated with abstract thinking. Personal gender identity is different from physical puberty and builds on childhood experiences of sexual identification, normal and abusive childhood sexuality, and other pre-adolescent issues. Social development is the transition from dependence on family for emotional and physical support of childhood to using the peer group in adolescence. Adolescents may have difficulty separating from the family and ambivalent autonomy. Social identity is the task of becoming a productive member of society.  SEE NEUROMIND: A CONTEMPORARY APPROACH TO MENTAL HEALTH Ch 6) Interfering with the development of one's role in the larger society can result from many different processes.  Severe physical incapacity,  cognitive disability, head trauma, emotional trauma/PTSD, and mental health disturbances may all result in failure to achieve family autonomy.  But none of these factors explain the sudden increase in the number of failures, either in Japan or the US.

It is only possible to understand and address the "failure to launch" when considering it as an indication of social and economic problems that impact the individual.  Two specific features must be considered in the US: 1) The role of youth in American society in the last twenty plus years is primarily the role of consumer.  All media, social and non-social aimed at American youth are designed to direct the motivation to be consumers.  The goal to enhance the desire to acquire goods and services that stimulate the economy does not emphasize the skills needed to be productive.  Even traditional roles like athletic success have been transformed into their importance for economic impact.  and  2) The failure to enhance the funding and development of the education for productive skills.  All the evidence suggests that public education is declining in its ability to produce students with effective skills needed in the general society.  This is due in part to the disappearance of training in non-academic skills in high schools, etc.  and also the declining quality of learning primary skills (the 3 Rs).  It is also a consequence of the failure to develop teachers and curricula for the new digital skills needed in modern society.  Everyone, liberal and conservative, agrees on these changes,  but they do not agree on the solutions, and so none have occurred.  Instead  conflicts about social values and the historical accuracy of information distracts the energy from teaching productivity.

At the same time that the education process has been less successful in preparing students for work skills,  several changes in the work environment have made entry less desirable or more difficult.  Companies frequently complain about the lack of commitment of young workers and their self centered expectations.  But no consideration is made of the companies' failure to assure lifelong employment to workers.  Why should young workers be committed to companies that are not committed to them?  The lucky ones take entry jobs and then "climb the ladder" of opportunities across companies who hire workers away from other companies to avoid the costs of training.  The unlucky ones do not find good entry opportunities, and become quickly disillusioned.  Complicating this is the failure of contemporary education to train students in the digital technical skills needed to perform the basic operations of modern corporations efficiently.  Most older teachers do not have these skills.  Most older leaders in corporations do not have these skills.  The ability to advance in tech companies depends on highly specialized skills.  The desire to enter or advance in less appealing and poorer compensating jobs has little motivation for young people who see the social emphasis on technology and the digital world.  Making "failure to launch" a mental health issue leads to suitable outcomes in selected persons,  but makes the individuals the problem in all cases,  without addressing the social factors.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO ADDRESS THE VARIOUS ISSUES IN FAILURE TO LAUNCH WITHOUT INCORPORATING THE ROLE OF EDUCATION AND SOCIAL REWARD IN THE CONSIDERATION.