Parasitic single

Parasitic single ( Japaneseパラサイトシングル, parasaito shinguru ) is a Japanese expression for people who live with their parents until the late 20s and early 30s of their lives in order to enjoy a carefree and comfortable life.

Despite the negative evaluation of the term, many young Japanese have no choice but to live with their parents well into adulthood for financial reasons. Also, not all parents necessarily feel unhappy in this situation. Indeed, this way of life has a long tradition in Japanese society.

The term was initially used mainly in relation to Japanese society, but there are similar phenomena in many other industrialized countries, so that it is increasingly popular.

Origins

The term was coined by Professor Masahiro Yamada of Tokyo Gakugei University in his best-selling book The Age of Parasitic Singles (パラサイトシングルの時代parasaito shinguru no jidai ) published in October 1999 . The term quickly found its way into the mass media and is now a common expression in Japan.

The related term parasite pair comes from Professor Yamada, referring to married couples who live with the parents of one partner. However, this situation is less common and therefore the term is less common. This, too, is a traditional form of the Japanese way of life, although it has become less and less practiced in recent years.

situation

It is estimated that there were 10 million parasitic singles in Japan in 1995. According to a survey by the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs (now: Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs ) in 1998, 60% of single men and 80% of single women in the age group 20 to 34 lived with their parents. These numbers had grown continuously since 1976.

While some of the adult children help with household chores or even pay part of the rent, the vast majority do not. According to statistics, 85% (according to other sources 50%) of the children do not support their parents with their common living expenses, but receive housekeeping, laundry and food from their parents free of charge. 50% of adult children even receive additional financial support from their parents.

This situation allows the children to live in considerable comfort , and while many invest the money saved, others spend all of their income on luxury goods , travel, and other non-vital expenses. Many children want to live with their parents until they get married . Women often want a rich husband to help them maintain their standard of living.

For their part, parents often enjoy life with their children. Many parents want to protect their children, give them the best possible start in life, and give them opportunities they never had themselves, such as: B. for travel. The parents also enjoy the company and social interaction and try to maintain the relationship.

The additional expenses for the parents due to the additional members of the household are generally low, since fixed costs such as rent are incurred anyway and additional costs for food and other everyday items are usually negligible. Many parents also see it as an investment in their own future, as their children are all the more obliged to support them in old age. In Japan, children are traditionally obliged to look after their elderly and sick parents.

causes

The main reason for living as a parasitic single is economic: The cost of living space in Japan is extremely high, especially in and around large cities. A single living alone pays around two thirds of the disposable income for renting a flat . In addition, they would have to clean the apartment and cook for themselves. In addition, starting a household means high start-up costs for furniture, washing machines, refrigerators, etc. The "key money" to be paid in advance, a traditional cash gift for the landlord when moving in, and the brokerage fees can easily exceed six months' rent.

The step into self-employment therefore requires a lot of expenditure and work and requires a significant step backwards in the standard of living . In addition, since the Japanese population is largely concentrated in cities, all eligible jobs and entertainment are often close to home.

The economic advantages benefit all parasitic singles. However, there are different subgroups:

Career-oriented young employees could afford an independent life, but prefer the additional financial benefits and time savings , perhaps also the company and security of life with their parents.
Other adult children have difficulty finding permanent employment in the current labor market. Often they find poorly paid work or only part-time jobs and thus become underemployed so-called " freeters " who cannot afford an independent life in the long term, even if they wanted to.
Some do not want to expose themselves to the competitive pressure of the “outside” world, are not looking for work or only those with relatively comfortable conditions and a correspondingly low income, or in extreme cases do not want to leave their parents' house or their own room at all (so-called hikikomori ).

Effects

One possible impact is the increase in the age of marriage, although this is also related to other factors such as career prospects and educational level, especially for women. While women married at an average of 24 years and men at 27 in 1970, the average for 2002 rose to 27.4 and 29 years, respectively. This also led to women having children later in life and fewer children being born due to the decline in fertility after the age of 30. The birth rate per woman therefore fell from 1.8 (1983) to 1.32 (2002). Many women no longer want to get married and choose a career rather than a family. This makes it more difficult for the men - who usually want to get married - to find a wife.

Many parasitic singles work, often have successful careers and substantial disposable income, but little in need of durable goods.

Some say this is good for the economy, others say that if they lived alone they would also spend the money, just not on luxury goods. The market for durable household goods such as refrigerators, furniture or washing machines is therefore steadily declining, while sales figures for luxury goods, especially brand names such as Gucci , Prada , Hermes and especially Louis Vuitton (which are very popular in Japan) are increasing sharply. All in all, the result is only a slightly different demand structure for the Japanese economy, apart from the money that flows out of Japan for vacation travel and imports.

Another effect is a possible reduction in prices or a slowdown in price increases for residential properties and rents due to the falling demand due to the growing number of people per household.

controversy

Parasitic singles are often blamed for a wide variety of problems in Japan, from the drop in the birth rate to the economic recession to rising crime.

In his book, Professor Yamada particularly accuses the “spoiled” Japanese women who grew up during the country's bubble economy .

However, many Japanese also feel that in the current difficult economic situation and faced with the choice between family and career, young adults have no choice but to become parasitic singles.