The ritual of coming of age is considered the moment when a young man leaves his family home and takes the big step of living alone. In some countries, such as Sweden, this is an obvious and integral part of a young person's path to adulthood. In others, such as Greece and beyond, things are lagging far behind. The sweeping passage of the financial crisis, after all, has made this transition even more difficult, as the incomes of family members, of all ages, in recent years are complementary, in order for the month to come out.
In the United States, more young people are living with their parents today than in all previous years from 1940 onwards. A 2019 study in Britain found that the number of 23-year-olds living with their parents rose from 37% in 1998 to 49% a decade later.
In Sweden, things are known differently. At the age of 18 and 19, children are expected to leave home, while the European average is 26, according to her data. Eurostat. And a significant portion of these young Swedes do not move to a "shared" house with many rooms or student dormitories. They live alone.
The number of single-person households, the non-crowding of members of the same family in one house and the observance of distances somewhat self-evidently, in the "normal" daily life, are elements that were widely pointed out during the colonial crisis. Sweden has followed its own path, without too strict measures and a complete ban on activities carried out by other countries. Many commented that what was added, as "news", to the daily lives of millions of Europeans was something the Swedes did anyway.
"I always wanted to leave the house and I always felt ready," Ida Staberg, who has been renting her own apartment in a Stockholm suburb for two years since she was 19, told the BBC. The "apartment" is a small studio of about 30 square meters, for which it pays about 850 euros a month. She pays her rent from her salary. Her parents and two younger siblings live about an hour on the other side of town.
"I can take care of myself, I have control of my life without the involvement of my family or my siblings," he said.
More than half of households in Sweden are owned by one person - the highest percentage in the EU, according to Eurostat. These include one in five young people between the ages of 18 and 25, although researchers estimate that the number is higher, as many remain registered at their home address, although they no longer live there.
The norm of leaving home at an early age was maintained even when real estate was very limited. Although high demand and high prices made it even more difficult to find an affordable apartment in the big cities, they delayed some of the abandonment of the "family nest". However, the proportion of young people living alone has not changed much since 2011, according to the Swedish Statistical Office.
"In Sweden and Scandinavia in general, there is very little difference in the age at which children leave home compared to other countries," explains Gunnar Andersson, a professor of demography at Stockholm University.
"In other parts of Europe it is not considered problematic to depend on your family, in some countries it may be considered a goal - if you are not dependent it is like rejecting your family. In Sweden, the goal is to create an independent individual. It's like something happens if the child stays home. "
Andersson explains that Sweden's "culture of individualism" has its roots back centuries, when young people in rural communities left their homes to work on another farm. In modern times, young people living alone have remained realistic thanks to the strong organization of the state, which, in theory, enables them to access financial housing, health and education without the need for relatives' help.
At the same time, he says, real estate in Sweden, which is usually small apartments, helps to maintain this way of life. In contrast, in cities such as London, Paris or New York, the numerous large apartments or houses favor cohabitation.
Although this life enjoyed by young Swedes is like a paradise of social and economic freedom that for many is a dream, there are concerns that there may be more difficult aspects.
Karin Schulz, secretary of the Mind Mental Health Organization, says that while it is great for young people to be independent, taking them home after graduation can have negative consequences for those who are not. emotionally equipped ”to live alone.
"It simply came to our notice then. You have a lot to think about, a lot of decisions to make. For many it is a struggle, "he explains.
According to Schulz, "emotional loneliness" is another difficulty. Although most teens have social life and social media presence, some find it difficult to move if they do not find a close friend or relative "to discuss their lives and feelings." And many times parents focus more on giving their children "practical than emotional" support.
According to her, the boundaries between loneliness and the diagnosis of specific mental health problems are not completely clear. But the number of young people aged 16-24 who needed treatment for a psychiatric illness has increased by almost 70% in the last 10 years.
Christoffer Sandström, 26, who has been living alone since he was 21, talks openly about the difficulties of moving from Sundsvall, about 400 kilometers north, to an apartment in Stockholm. "THE my mental health it was tested and I felt more isolated than ever, "he explains. "I had no energy, I felt a little more sad in the morning when the sun came out. I wanted to make the time pass faster and pass the day. There is a lot of pressure on young people in Sweden to grow up and behave like adults. But it's harder to live alone than with your family and friends. "
He feels better, he says, from the moment he hung out at work and started playing sports. "I still feel lonely sometimes, but a little less."
For Ida Staberg, the excitement of independence, when she left home, quickly faded and the psychological problems she faced as a teenager reappeared. "I was alone, I had no one around. I felt empty. I started thinking bad things about myself, I had self-destructive thoughts. "
It is characteristic that the percentage of young people who state that they "felt lonely in the last two weeks" is less than the corresponding percentage of Swedes over 75 years old.
According to Dr Filip Fors Connolly, a sociologist at Umeå University and author of The Swedish Loneliness, living alone is certainly a factor in determining loneliness.
At the same time, however, other research shows that this does not affect her perception loneliness in the country, as "frequent loneliness" stated that it felt 5% of Swedes, a percentage just below the European average of 7%.
The issue of loneliness as a possible social problem and health problem is becoming more and more a topic of discussion for young Swedes. As the possibility of a change in housing and socialization habits to help address the issue is explored, in larger cities this is taking the form of an increasingly cohabiting movement.
In 2011, one of Stockholm's medieval houses, the Hus 24, became the first to be designated a "cohabitation site." The idea belongs to entrepreneur Lisa Renander, who felt lonely when she returned to Sweden from Silicon Valley, and the house has 12 spaces for young professionals looking for a shared home. Five years later, the K9 opened, a hotel that was renovated to accommodate 50 professionals - including lawyers, consultants, teachers, bartenders, dancers and employees. start-up.
The latest addition is Colive, which opened in May 2019, with a capacity of 11 people, in one of Stockholm's most popular neighborhoods. In this building, the cost for a small bedroom with two beds is about the same as Ida Staberg's rent for her studio: 850 euros.
"Cohabitation provides a social space for many people who feel lonely," says co-founder Katarina Liljestam Beyer. "In Sweden, the winter evenings are very dark and you don't feel like going out on weekdays, which pushes some people into isolation. If you already live with other people, you have the dining room on the same roof as your room. And if you don't have an appetite for socialization, you just close your door. "
"When it comes to quality of life, it's much more fun to be with other people, especially when you're thinking the same way," said Katrine Bimell, a 25-year-old architect who was one of the first to enter the home.
As she describes, she felt good when she was living alone, in her 20s, but there was a big change in her mood when she started living with others. "There was a lot of opposition, because life at home got a lot of color."
How long the cohabitation will continue to resonate in Sweden remains a matter of debate. Andersson believes that it is difficult for this trend to become dominant soon, due to Sweden's deeply entrenched culture of individualism. Previous generations have also tried such solutions, but not on such a large scale. "Everyone seems to agree that in theory this would be a terrible thing. But in real life, not much seems to change, probably because this way of life does not fit in with Swedish logic and mentality. "
At the same time, there is no shortage of young Swedes who do not change the free life they enjoy for anything in the world.
"In Sweden we like to feel special. I think it's good, we're not as addicted as others, "said Jonna Lundin, who moved into a one-room studio in Stockholm when she was 19 to go to university.
Even Ida Staberg feels that despite her difficulties with loneliness, she would not change her course. "Even if it's hard, sometimes difficult, it teaches you a lot and makes you evolve," he says. "So it's a positive thing."