Polly Toynbee argues that millennials and generation Z face a markedly tougher start to adult life than older generations, despite frequent stereotypes portraying them as lazy or overly entitled. She says the social contract between generations has been broken, leaving younger people less likely to achieve the financial security, stable work and housing their parents could expect.

Toynbee points to rising youth unemployment, stagnant wages and increasingly unaffordable homes as key pressures. Research commissioned for the BBC suggests people in their twenties face the worst start to adulthood for almost 50 years, while more than 40% of 25-year-olds live with their parents; she argues older generations should acknowledge this and help address it.