Our generation entered this world at an extremely exciting time, when progress and change are not only possible, but happening. But unfortunately this progress might come to a screeching halt. We currently have a debt of over $10 trillion and growing. And we are going to bear the brunt of it. Let’s take a closer look at what makes up most of the debt, entitlements. Currently, Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare take up 42% of our budget, and that number is projected to grow. Currently our parents’ tax dollars are paying for these entitlements, but soon we will join the workforce, and the government will be leaning heavily on us to keep these programs running.

Many people categorize Medicare and Social Security together. Why? For starters they both take a chunk of your paycheck every month and they both go to serving mainly the elderly. But they are different programs with very different problems: Social Security pays monthly to retirees to help them cover expenses when they are no longer receiving an income. Medicare and Medicaid are health insurance programs for the elderly and those with low incomes, which includes children, people with disabilities, and the elderly again.