- An Alabama mom went viral admitting she felt "helpless" in the face of the struggles of her adult children.
- She urged her generation not to buy into common stereotypes that Gen Z is lazy and entitled.
An Alabama mother of two stoked a viral wave of support after saying she felt "helpless as a parent" trying to guide her adult children in a world that feels economically untenable — and unrecognizable to the one she grew up in.
In a video shared late last month, Jessica McCabe — who goes by "Gen X Jess" on her TikTok bio — said that her children, aged 28 and 25, were struggling to get ahead financially. The clip went massively viral, with Gen X and Gen Z viewers alike commiserating about the economy, and urging against common stereotypes that young people are lazy and entitled.
McCabe, 51, told Insider that she was inspired to make the video after accompanying her 25-year-old son to look for apartments, as all of the properties either looked like they "should be condemned" or were out of his salary range. Her video has been viewed almost 12 million times.
@that1crazy72 Its no wonder there is a mental health crisis amoung the younger generation..and to make matters worse most cant afford to get treated and if they do they are told to “get a better job” what happened to the middle class just wanting to make w decent living? #housingcrisis #mentalhealth #americandream #rent #longervideos #howtoretire ♬ original sound - That1crazy72
"Yes, my kids are grown adults," she begins her impassioned TikTok. "I thought by teaching them what I learned, which is you work hard, you get it a good job, you're going to get the things in life you need."
According to McCabe, her son moved back in with her after college, and while he found a job within two weeks of graduating — and helps out around the house — he still hasn't been able to save up enough to move out.
McCabe, who left the military in 2014 and retired from her corporate job at age 51 to help take care of her daughter's newborn, said it was the first time that she'd addressed her feelings of helplessness on TikTok. She launched her account during the pandemic and it now counts 770,000 followers who tune in for her musings on marriage, menopause, grandmotherhood, and family RV trips.
But this vulnerable video touched a nerve. And made Gen X and Gen Z viewers alike feel seen and validated.
"This is why my 27 yr old still lives with me," one commenter wrote. "Neither one of us can afford to be on our own."
McCabe also discussed debunking common notions around millennials and Gen Z, such as that they overspend on Starbucks ("My kid hates Starbucks," she told Insider) and cell phones ("No longer a luxury; it's a necessity," she added.)
She added that today's economy is much harder than the one she grew up in. "Gen X was called the slacker generation when we were growing up," McCabe continued. "But we didn't like being called slackers, so why are we continuing that tradition and calling them lazy and entitled?"
@that1crazy72 Replying to @Zoey’s Delights the crazy part i just saw the federal reserve just raised interest rates again while corpations profit margins are at an all time high! #inflationcrisis #bluecollar #generationalcurses #housing #timyhomes ♬ original sound - That1crazy72
"They are not lazy they are defeated," a commenter wrote under one of McCabe's follow-up videos about the topic. "As a current 21 year old all of your videos have been so validating," another said. "I'm out here trying my absolute hardest."
While she was flooded with support, McCabe has also received DMs from people saying that she was coddling her children, or suggesting that her kids get better jobs or second jobs. "I'm like, 'When would you expect them to sleep, George?'" she told Insider, addressing one of her critics.
In terms of advice for other parents, McCabe urged viewers to no longer expect their children to leave home at 18, and not to look down on multigenerational households. "How we lived back in the eighties was completely different of the world we live in today," she said.
She also said that, if she could go back in time, she would've done things differently.
"If I had to do it all over again, instead of saving for them to get their first car or to go to college, I would've bought a huge piece of land and let them build tiny houses or RVs on it," she said. "Because then you're building generational wealth instead of paying landlords."