In the list of what's hot and what's not, blowing all your money on an overpriced apartment is 'out' and sleeping on a twin bed at your parents' house is 'in.' Bobby Jackson is a senior at Williams College. After graduating in June, he will move back to Washington, D.C., and look for a public relations job from the comfort of his parents' home. Jackson typifies the remarkable shift of intergenerational attitudes when he declares, "I love hanging out with my parents."

According to market research company TWENTYSOMETHING Inc., 65 percent of college seniors expect to live with their parents after graduation. "Boomerangers" is what analysts call these twentysomethings and the consensus among researchers (who grew up in an era when moving back was a sign of failure) is that being a boomeranger is a strategically sound way to move toward independent life. If you don't have to worry about paying rent, you have more flexibility to wait for the right job - and also to take a job that feels right but pays poorly. The rise of the prestigious but unpaid internship intersects perfectly with the rise of the boomeranger.

Today it's almost impossible to become self-sufficient on an entry-level salary, especially in coastal cities like Boston, where rents are skyrocketing. Twentysomethings have to manage the costs of rent, college loans, and insurance premiums all of which are rising faster than wages. With these economic factors, it's hard for a boomeranger to leave again, and according to Mitchell, many underestimate the amount of time they'll be staying. One sociologist estimates that, "Most entry-level jobs pay $30,000, so I'll stay at home for six months and save $10,000 to $15,000." This plan would work only if he didn't buy clothes, go out with friends, or pay taxes.

And this is where the problems start. Boomerangers who think their time with mom and dad will last less than seven months are statistically delusional, and setting themselves up for emotional crisis. The typical stay is so long researchers don't count someone as a boomeranger until they've been home for four months.

Moving back home is probably the first step in the postboomer revolution of the workplace. Expectations for work are higher than ever, it should be fulfilling, fun, and accommodating to a substantial personal life. The logical way to meet such revolutionary expectations is to start out on a revolutionary path. So hold your head high, boomeranger, but don't leave your dirty dishes in the sink.

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© 2005 Boston Globe
Abbreviated for Length