Editing Twixter

{{short description|Neologism for economically inexperienced young adults}}
{{Refimprove|date=October 2007}}

'''Twixter''' is a [[neologism]] that describes a new generation of young adults in the [[United States]] and other industrialized countries who are trapped, in a sense, ''betwixt'' (between) [[adolescence]] and [[adulthood]]. This Western neologism is somewhat analogous to the [[Japanese language|Japanese]] term [[parasite single]].

==Behavior==
Twixters are typically young adults who live with their parents or are otherwise not independent financially. If they are employed, they often have [[Precariat|unsteady and low-paying jobs]]. They may have recently left university or high school, or recently embarked on a career.

==Media coverage==
''[[Time magazine|Time]]'' published an article called "Twixter Generation: [[Young adult (psychology)|Young Adult]]s Who Won't Grow Up", about Twixters in January 2005, putting this relatively obscure demographic in the spotlight.<ref name=gross>{{cite news|last=Grossman|first=Lev|title=Grow Up? Not So Fast|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1018089,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208003717/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1018089,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=December 8, 2006|accessdate=4 October 2012|newspaper=Time|date=16 January 2005}}</ref> The article focused on upper- and middle-class Twixters whose parents could support them. The article made no distinction between people who lived on their own with their parents' help and people who lived with their parents, nor did it mention lower-class Twixters similar to ''[[NEET]]''s and ''[[freeter]]s'' in other societies.

==Parallels in other societies==
The emergence of twixters is not entirely new, as it is similar to social phenomena observed in other industrialized societies. Since the 1980s and 1990s, [[Japan]] has seen the growth of a [[parasite single]] or "[[freeter]]" segment of the youth population who live at home and work at undemanding jobs. The ''Hodo-Hodo [[zoku]]'' are employees who avoid [[Promotion (rank)|promotion]] to minimize stress and maximize free time. Likewise, in Europe since the 1990s, there has been a growing number of ''[[NEET]]'', those "''N''ot engaged in ''E''ducation, ''E''mployment, or ''T''raining".

In October 2007, former [[List of Italian Ministers of Economy and Finance|Minister of Economy and Finance]] of [[Italy]] [[Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa]] called people in their twenties and still living with their families ''bamboccioni'' ("big, dummy boys"),<ref>[http://www.corriere.it/politica/07_ottobre_04/padoa_bamboccioni.shtml «Mandiamo i bamboccioni fuori di casa» . Corriere della Sera<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> stirring controversy within the Italian media. Newspapers received numerous letters from readers personally taking offense and pointing out that he knew little about the situation of a considerable part of twenty-something Italians, who live on approximately €1,000 per month and cannot afford to leave their parents’ house.<ref>[http://www.beppegrillo.it/2007/10/il_bamboccione.html Il bamboccione<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927181412/http://www.beppegrillo.it/2007/10/il_bamboccione.html |date=2011-09-27 }}</ref> A similar case is also seen in Spain, with the term ''{{ill|mileurista|es}}'' to describe the youth who live with €1,000 salary (''mil euros'').<ref>[http://www.elpais.com/articulo/portada/generacion/mil/euros/elpdompor/20051023elpdmgpor_1/Tes Article in] ''[[El País]]''</ref> In [[Greece]], the minimum salary is €700 and the [[Media_in_Greece#Mass_media|Greek media]] popularized the term the "€700 generation". This generation evolved in circumstances leading to the [[Economy_of_Greece#2010–2018 government debt crisis|Greek debt crisis]] and participated in the [[2010–2011 Greek protests]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15117098,00.html|title = Γενιά των 600 € και "αγανακτισμένοι" της Μαδρίτης - βίοι παράλληλοι; &#124; DW &#124; 30.05.2011}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[Boomerang Generation]]
*[[Emerging adulthood]]
*[[Freeters]]
*[[Hikikomori]]
*[[NEET]]
*[[Parasite single]]
*[[Waithood]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050207074727/http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,1101050124,00.html On the cover of Time Magazine]
*[http://www.twixters.com Twixters, The Indie Comedy Series]
*[https://www.thestar.com/living/article/298806 On The Toronto Star]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050207152334/http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/kdaly/2005/krd_0118.shtml Kay R. Daly calls it "Peter Pan Syndrome"]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050217220215/http://www.jonabad.com/2005/01/19/twixter They Just Won't Grow Up]

{{Young adult development}}

[[Category:Demographics]]
[[Category:Human development]]
[[Category:Precarious work]]
[[Category:Young adult]]