I think the sense of community that exists with all the characters - that's the answer. The fact that they have found a family in their friends. It does give some depth and meaning to their lives.
Knowledge has outstripped character development, and the young today are given an education rather than an upbringing.
You have to go to where you can make money, and you see in the service area, in the technological area, those are the areas where we're going to create jobs.