Private, quiet space is a visceral need for some people and a frivolous luxury for others. In my experience it's very difficult for the people in these two groups to understand each other. A craving for solitude is an expensive trait, but one I have no qualms about indulging: after spending all day in a giant open floorplan and then commuting on a crush-loaded train, if there were Craigslist strangers in my home I'd be in hell.

It's better than spending your life as a young adult working degrading jobs and starving. In the broad scheme of things, being a programmer is not so bad.

Living in San Francisco, working at a big 5 tech company really isn't that bad. Even the "worst" of the bunch on the work life balance scale, only do around 60 hours a week. Most of them just do the standard 40 hrs a week, though.

So it really isn't giving up your youth or anything. And many young people even enjoy the city of San Francisco. It is a big city. Lots of stuff for young people to do...

Eh it depends, I live with a roommate because I choose to. We're friends, we do things together, it's nice.

I could live without one, my rent would be marginally more, though I'd still probably bank close to the same. But the social aspect is really nice.

Living with roommates by choice isn’t that bad. Needing to live with roommates for financial reasons when one really would rather have a private space to come home to is hell.