An excellent way to spend 30 minutes of your life

As we topple, rush or are dragged towards Xmas I don’t expect too many marketers are pondering the future economic problems facing 20-30 year olds. They should be since economic problems rapidly translate into marketing problems.

So, if you are interested in learning more of the IPOD generation (insecure, pressurised, overtaxed and debt-ridden) or just feeling too happy and in need of a dose of depression then tune your web radio to this BBC programme.

This is a taste of the content.

Young people born the 1970s and 80s find it increasingly difficult to buy their own homes, are burdened with student debts and are largely shut out of relatively generous company pension schemes.
By contrast, many of those born in the post war baby boom are living in houses worth far more than they paid for them, can enjoy an early and affluent retirement and, unlike the younger generation, will derive far more benefit from the welfare state than they will contribute in taxes. Are the under 30s likely to keep quiet about these iniquities for much longer?

Forget the nightmare of an Islamic fundamentalist revolution, a bird flu pandemic or catastrophic climatic change - start worrying about generational conflict. Alternatively you could ignore the whole thing and hope to hell it doesn’t happen! Dick Stroud