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The Law is Enabling Millennials to Be Even Worse Entitled Brats
Rachel Canning is an 18-year-old girl in New Jersey who attends private school. She’s a good student who excels athletically and is in the process of receiving college acceptances. And she’s also currently involved in a lawsuit — against her parents.
The facts are still a little muddled, but here’s the basic outline: Rachel Canning turned 18 in November, at which point her parents threatened to cut her off financially and emotionally. She claims the threat was unwarranted; her parents claim that it was the result of her refusal to follow any of their house rules. It was at this point that Rachel voluntarily left her home to stay with a friend. Her parents stopped paying her pricy high school tuition, and have said that they will not pay for her college education unless she makes changes. So Rachel is suing them for financial support, claiming that she was abandoned. Her parents claim that she is just acting spoiled and that she made the choice to leave and she’s welcome back at any time.
It’s taking a lot of effort for me to keep this post from becoming a total rant about this girl and people like her. But really, the world doesn’t need another article complaining about my generation. I’ve read plenty. And they all say the same thing — we’re spoiled, lazy, entitled, brats. Just read this headline by Forbes: “Are Millennials ‘Deluded Narcissists?'” I’ve also read dozens of articles combatting that notion and pointing out that pretty much every generation has been derided by their elders. For example: “Why Hiring Millennials is Good for Your Business.” Do a Google search on millennials and you’ll find hundreds of articles in this vein. It’s a hot topic, and everyone has an opinion.
Canning’s story isn’t the only one that’s earned national derision recently. This fall, a teenager named Ethan Couch drove drunk and caused a gruesome accident that killed 4 people. His defense team argued that he had “affluenza,” meaning that he had been raised with so much privilege and so utterly without limits on his behavior that he did not understand the potential consequences of his actions. He will be serving no jail time, but instead will be put on probation and sent to a rehab facility.
Or let’s look at pop culture. “Rich Kids of Beverly Hills” is a show that follows the lives of incredibly wealthy young people. Here’s my favorite clip, in which 25-year-old Roxy complains about her parents cutting her off (except that by “cut off” she means she can still live at home, drive the car they bought her, and receive spending money):
Or, check out this blog: White Whine: A Collection of First World Problems. There are some real winners on there, like this one:
Before I continue, I feel like I need to include a disclaimer: I am relatively privileged. I have had very little struggle in my life. I was raised by wonderful parents who were able to support me when needed. I’ve tried to thank them for that as best I could, and help out when I can. And I feel very fortunate for all the advantages I’ve been given in life, because I know that I am in a small minority of people who have been given those advantages. I by no means consider myself spoiled, because of the values and work ethic that those same great parents raised me with, but before I criticize anyone else, I feel as though I need to acknowledge that I do come from a place of privilege. I know for a fact I have had some incredibly selfish, dumb, and silly complaints. I am a millennial.
That being said, the way these three and their peers behave flabbergasts me. Literally, it’s unfathomable. Like I said, this could devolve into an insane, probably un-publishable rant about their actions. I could slam them for their ignorance, their laziness, their avarice. I could talk about how I could never imagine acting with such a disgusting sense of entitlement.
But here’s the thing: Rachel Canning, Ethan Couch, and Roxy are in some ways caricatures. They’re extreme examples. Ridiculousness exists at the fringe of society. Very few people have lives like those three. But what bothers me the most is the way that their behavior is institutionalized by society and the law. Couch is the most obvious example — his “affluenza” defense worked. He will not go to prison for the people he killed. Roxy and her friends have their own television show.
We don’t know what will happen to Rachel Canning, and to be fair, we don’t know both sides of the story. There may be more to it, and their family situation may truly be very messed up. But based on what we’ve heard from Rachel and her parents, it seems relatively cut and dry to me. She is asking her parents to continue to support her, against their will, after she has legally become an adult, rather than making any attempt to support herself.
And what bothers me is that Canning’s case may actually make it in front of a judge, and legal experts say that if it does, it may revolutionize family law. Jeralyn Lawrence, the incoming Family Law Section Chair of the New Jersey Bar Association stated, “this could open the floodgates of recalcitrant kids fighting with their parents, moving out and then suing for them to keep paying.” It could mean that teenagers who move out, even teenagers who are 18 or over and legally adults, could demand that their parents continue to support them in front of a court of law. I don’t think my generation, for the most part, is that bad. But if that actually does happen, well, I’m going to have to rescind that statement.
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Anneliese Mahoney (@AMahoney8672) is Lead Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.
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