I think you only belong to a small portion of people living in Toronto. Most get OSAP to study and end up in debt or they work their ass off to earn money. Not everyone has parents to pay for down payment as well on a condo/house either. The issue is probably domestic because the people they hang around has the most influences. If they learn from their parents they aren't going anywhere, they won't. You can try to encourage and educate them at school, but if there's domestic issues, it won't help much. Poor immigrants work hard to build up. But because their family background is to work hard. So will their children (hopefully). It would take a third or forth generation to get where you are at. If their parents are gangsters, chances are they will follow suit. I don't think it has anything to do with lifestyle advertisements.