The young have endured plenty of research seeking to locate their secret point of view and to identify, in common parlance, “what makes them tick.” We have described the young’s lack of a clear pathway to adulthood, as the historical steps along that path (e.g., home ownership, careers, marriage with children) have become too expensive or just too risky. We have also observed characteristics of the young, given the realities they face. Here, we add some perspective on how young people are responding to those realities, and what those experiences are doing to their mindset. We look at: Financial Stresses, Debt Worries, Sharing Opportunities, Activist Mindsets and Unique Traits. These lead to the following: Young adults feel the negative effects of a distorted economy; they know that climate change is dampening their optimism about their own future; they are turning a cold shoulder to the political extremes that soil American political life; they realize that their pathway to traditional adulthood is blocked, requiring them to achieve a unique kind of maturity; and they believe that they must act to change their environment because those currently charged with such responsibilities seem indifferent to the challenges.