The big difference between this and communist living of their parents generation could be summed up in one word &quot;hope&quot;. They live in crappy communal living nearly identical to what their parents had but for them it is temporary just until they get their big break or their startup takes off. They all dream of living in a mansion when they get rich so they have hope. For their parents the government assigned apartment was the end of the line, there was no hope of getting a better place and you just lived with it and most people hated it. So when you choose to live this way you have the choice to leave, even though you most likely wont, but it is that choice that makes it so much better