In some segments of Australian society, living with your parents is seen as not being able to make it in "the real world".
Words to describe someone who either lives or moved back in with their parents used to be: lazy, disorganised and dependent.
But as the pandemic persists and the nation's cost of living rises, those words have changed to include practical and cost-effective.
Data from the 2021 Census released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed there were 456,543 people aged between 25 and 34 living with their parents.
It is an increase of almost 17 per cent since the 2016 survey.
The Australian Institute of Family Studies (AIFS) has noted this trend as far back as 2016, when they found 43 per cent of 20–24 year olds were living with their parents.
Who's more likely to live at home for longer?
According to the AIFS report, young people living in capital cities were more likely than those in regional areas to remain in the family home.
AIFS researcher Lixia Qu told ABC News cultural factors also have an influence over how long young people live at home.
"Among young adults born in Australia, those with Asian, Middle Eastern, African or southern and eastern European ancestry are more likely to live with their parents, compared to those with Australian, north-western European or New Zealand backgrounds,” Ms Qu said.
Do they save money faster than those who move out young?
If you live with your parents for longer, you must be sitting on a goldmine, right?
Not quite.
Senior research fellow at the UNSW's City Futures Research Centre Edgar Liu said this was rarely the reality — it all comes down to individual arrangements.
Dr Liu said people needed to remember that living with family does not automatically mean they do not contribute, financially or otherwise.
"We have come across examples where the young adults had to stay on to help their parents pay the rent or mortgage or living costs, or to help look after younger siblings or older grandparents," he said.
"There are others who share the living costs, or pay a portion of the costs.
"Some pay rent or board, and the parents who receive that money might have a range of arrangements, such as putting it aside for their children's housing deposit, with or without their knowledge."
Here are some of various reasons ABC News readers had for living with their parents:
"I live at home with my father and brother. My brother has autism spectrum disorder and as we live as a single parent family. I offer support to my brother as being his co-carer along side my dad. My brother wouldn't get the full support he needs if I didn't stay and live at home with my family." — Tenille
"It's definitely harder to save money living out of home. I paid board at my parents', which gave me freedom to travel. However, paying rent in a larger city is a sacrifice for the lifestyle that offers. It feels quite impossible to save much at the moment because of how expensive it is to live." — Lashea
"Having our kids live with us costs money. We certainly spend money at a faster rate. My husband and I still rent. We do not own a house. Our goal is to allow our kids to save money by living at home to give them a leg up to be able to buy something in the future." — Rachel
Living with parents is riddled with 'negative media portrayals and stereotypes'
What kind of person do you picture when you think of someone in their late 20s living at home with their parents?
Is it someone who lives in a dark basement? Is unemployed? Or someone who has minimal personal hygiene?
Dr Liu said negative media portrayals and stereotypes are to blame for this way of thinking.
"These stereotypes are certainly not universal and are highly dependent on individual circumstances and negotiations among family members," Dr Liu told ABC News.
"I reject the description of 'still' living at home, it's a completely unnecessary term and de-legitimises the choices people make."
Dr Liu said his research found young adults stay on living with their family for a wide range of reasons, with economic circumstances being the driving factor.
'Boomerang generation' on the increase
The 2017 Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey revealed the most common source of change in households was children leaving the parental home, and then returning after a period of time.
"The cost of living is so high that I had to move back in with my parents after eight years living independently. I'm 31 years old and this is the last thing I wanted," said Lashea, who moved back in with her parents after eight years living independently.
She is part of a group dubbed the "boomerang generation" — people who moved away from their family home, then returned.
"It feels like my parents and I speak a different language because of the generation gap," she said.
"We have different values and ways of doing things."
Multi-generational living 'isn't a new concept', it's 'normal all over the world'
Here's another term to add to your list: multi-generational households.
This can be adult children living with their parents, through to the addition of grandparents and even great-grandparents, all living under one roof.
It is by no means a new concept.
"Realistically, we all lived in multi-generational arrangements for the longest time," Dr Liu said.
"It wasn’t until the 19th century when certain parts of western societies began preferring individualism that we started departing from kin-based co-living arrangements."
ABC News' Instagram audience shared similar thoughts on the topic.
'Not everybody has the option to live with their parents'
"Our parents wanted a tree/sea change and moved away from their children and grandchildren. I’m 48 and now deal with parents who live regionally with health issues. This experience has shown me I have no desire to live away from my children and their future families." — Rachel
Although moving back in with her parents has been a "massive adjustment", Lashea said she and her parents work together to make things as smooth as possible.
"We have weekly meetings to discuss the running of the house, which have been super helpful," she said.
"I feel very fortunate to have parents who are willing to support me during tough times, because I know not everybody has the option to live with their parents."
