Lindy, since you are educated you should know the meaning of words like Average, you know the word you used in your title. You did not describe an Average American or even a typical American you described the finances of a poor single working class American.

The median income for an American household in 2018 was $62K. More than $5k a month not the $2.6K in your story. The Average American is not single, they are either living with their parents, married or cohabitating.

I was going to question this “You pay $114 per month for your cellphone so that you can stay in touch with family, friends, and work.” It turns out that is possibly an accurate number but it is more than twice what they could be paying.

This “You, like most Americans who attended college, have over $30,000 in student loan debt” is in error, I would call it a lie but that would mean you knew you were publishing a falsehood. 35% of Americans have a college degree, less than 8% of have over $30,000 in student loan debt. Most did not borrow for school or borrowed less and most like me already paid off our student debt.

Your publisher is not doing you a favor. If they picked your title, shame on them. If they did not fact check your story, shame on them. Ultimately the story is yours and your reputation rides on what gets published.

Claiming the plight of the precariat is average or typical is bad journalism. The situation you describe is real it is just not average or typical.

TEK