# Individualist trends and fads: kids just phoning it in these days?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/individualist-trends-and-fads-kids-just-phoning-it-in-these-days/575631>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [March 22, 2011, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/individualist-trends-and-fads-kids-just-phoning-it-in-these-days/575631 "2011-03-22T18:14:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Showing post:** 108

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**Author:** ![zweisamkeit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zweisamkeit/32/4360_2.png) [@zweisamkeit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zweisamkeit)\
**Post date:** [March 28, 2011, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/individualist-trends-and-fads-kids-just-phoning-it-in-these-days/575631/108 "2011-03-28T13:22:57Z")

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> [@msmith537](#):
>
> Interesting word choice. Because those tiny houses look like Unibomber shacks. 800 sq ft is like a typical Manhattan appartment. Even 1200 sq ft is a typical 2BR 2 BA suburban home. Hardly huge by any standard, but perhaps a bit much for just one person. Most people don’t want to live in a shoebox, especially if they plan to raise a family.

I’d say 1200 sqft for 2br/2ba is a bit on the high side. I grew up in a 1950s suburban ranch with 3br and 1.5ba and it was 1050 sqft.

And you realize you’re just parroting exactly what the real-estate agent kept saying, right? **Monstro** is having the house built for her, not some other family 20 years down the road. I understand that when someone is specifically choosing to do something that is markedly different than the mainstream (be it having a very small house built, picking up and moving across the country with no job lined up, even getting a stick shift in a non-sporty car\*), people may want to make sure s/he knows the potential issues s/he may face down the road. But once it’s clear that s/he’s aware of those issues, back off.

Understanding that your choice is a definite minority choice within society doesn’t automatically mean you will change your decision. And remaining steadfast is not automatically a sign you are just being stubborn or that you don’t _really_ understand the potential issues.

- and hell yes, this gets the same kind of reaction from a LOT of people. Are you sure? No one wants a stick shift nowadays. You’ll have a hard time selling it later on, etc.

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