25-Year-Old NEET Seeks Advice on Forum

25 Years Old, Neither Studying Nor Working: A Forum Testimony

A 25-year-old writes without embellishment: he has no money, no friends, no job, and no studies. He defines himself as a «NEET» living with his parents («casapapis») and a virgin, summarizing his daily life in a painful phrase: "I spend my days doing nothing because there is nothing interesting to do." He does not ask for pity. He cries out for a way out that he cannot find. What he receives in return is an uncomfortable mirror: dozens of replies oscillating between practical advice, mockery, and confessions that he is not alone.

The case, told in the first person in an economics forum, shows a conversation lasting more than two and a half years with 140 replies. During this time, the diagnosis repeats itself: the problem is not just unemployment, but the lack of a plan.

What It Means to Be a 'NEET' at 25

The term «NEET» (Not in Education, Employment, or Training) has become a label that hides more than it explains. In this case, the protagonist admits he has no own income, lives with his parents, and has a non-existent social circle. "No money, no friends," he writes. The combination is lethal: without money there is no independence, and without friends there is no support network or contacts to find work.

The most repeated response in the thread is not macroeconomic data, but an order: "Learn a trade." Plumber, electrician, construction worker, truck driver. Trades that, according to several participants, have real demand and do not require a university degree. "There are plenty of jobs for people who don't mind getting their hands dirty," summarizes one participant. Another goes further and proposes getting a truck license: "The OP has no life, so getting into a truck can only improve things."

The problem, some admit, is that even this is not free. SEPE courses (Spanish Public Employment Service) are not always accessible to those who don't know how to look for them, and paying for a professional license can cost thousands of euros that the protagonist does not have.

The Most Repeated Advice: Save Money and Get Trained

Among the highest-rated responses is one combining personal experience and economic calculation. A participant shares that by age 25 he had already been "working and studying for peanuts" for six years, applied "post-war economy" logic saving 50% to 70% of his salary while living with his parents, and that allowed him, over time, to have options he previously couldn't imagine. He doesn't promise wealth. He promises room to maneuver.

This is the core of the most insistent advice: if you live with your parents and cohabitation isn't hell, save as much as you can and learn something the market pays for. Vocational training appears as the most cited path, ahead of university. "Sign up for vocational training in electricity or plumbing, whatever, learn a trade since you're young," says one of the most voted messages. "When you finish, send resumes even if they pay poorly, gain experience, and when you master your trade buy a van and become self-employed."

The recipe is not original, but it has merit: it is concrete. Against the protagonist's paralysis, the advice that works is what can be executed tomorrow.

Mental Health, the Factor No One Wants to Look At

Part of the conversation shifts to uncomfortable ground: the possibility that the problem is not only economic. "If he has an undiagnosed mental disorder, he will hardly succeed," warns a participant. Others recommend seeing a general practitioner, exaggerating symptoms if necessary, and requesting referral to psychology or psychiatry. "Look for help from a social worker assigned to your neighborhood," adds another, also mentioning the possibility of applying for certain welfare benefits.

The advice is not trivial. But the underlying message is clear: if you cannot get out alone, ask for professional help. It is not weakness; it is strategy.

The Emigration Route: Ireland and Other Destinations

Another minority but persistent current of opinion points to external solutions. A participant details a concrete plan: save money, move to Ireland—where, as a Spaniard, you have the same rights as an Irish citizen—find any low-paid job, share a flat, and when unemployed, apply for benefits and train locally in a trade. "It will be tough years, but at least you'll have lived and maybe you'll date more," he summarizes. The UK is no longer such a simple option post-Brexit, but Ireland remains in the EU.

The plan has obvious appeal: it breaks the spiral of inaction. It also has an emotional cost the thread does not hide: going alone, without a network, to a country where you know no one, is not an adventure for everyone.

The Issue of Virginity and Social Life

One of the most voted messages addresses an aspect the protagonist mentions in passing but which weighs heavily: being a virgin at 25. "First thing: go to prostitutes. It is neither physically nor mentally healthy to be a virgin at 25," says the message, which accumulates one of the highest scores. The recommendation is controversial and not free of ethical nuances, but reflects a real concern: lack of sensual and affective experience at that age generates anxiety that feeds isolation.

Other participants opt for a more constructive tone: sign up for activities, play sports, seek small goals. "If you are depressed, don't get involved here or on the internet in general," advises one. "Set yourself small goals, not excessive ones, but achievable things." The underlying idea is that action, any action, breaks paralysis better than reflection.

What the Thread Leaves Unresolved

After 140 replies and more than two and a half years of conversation, the protagonist still has no job. Still no friends. Presumably, still at his parents' house. Advice accumulates, but the exit does not appear. And there is the disorienting fact: it is not an isolated case. Several participants confess similar situations. "Do you think you are alone?" asks one. "If 90% are like you, you came to the right place to ask for advice," ironizes another.

The conversation does not end with a closed plan or a magical solution. It ends with a 25-year-old asking again what to do. And with a response that summarizes the thread's uncomfortable consensus: get off the couch and do something. Anything. The rest, they say, will come later.

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Editorial Note: This article is based on testimonies and opinions gathered in an economics forum. The figures and statements cited come from the participants themselves and have not been independently verified. If you or someone you know is facing a similar situation, consider consulting a mental health professional or local social services.