A few weeks back, I wrote about a report from the Pew Research Center showing that while the oft-polled 18-to-29-year-old set has been hit particularly hard by the financial downtown (more than a third of people from that age group are unemployed or out of the workforce), the vast majority of those surveyed were optimistic about their financial future.

Now comes a report from the Harvard University Institute of Politics that focuses more on just how desperate many young people are in the here and now. The “Survey of Young Americans’ Attitudes Toward Politics and Public Service” reveals that nearly half of the 18- to 29-year-olds polled say their current financial situation is bad.

The majority of respondents said they are concerned about paying their bills and meeting other financial obligations, as well as affording a place to live. Nearly half of college students are worried about being able to afford to stay in college.

The survey shows that many young people don’t approve of President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy. They are also increasingly skeptical about handing over their money to traditional banks, reports U.S. News & World Report, citing a recent survey by the research and advisory firm Aite Group.

Another piece of the Harvard survey shows that only 35 percent of young Democrats, as opposed to 41 percent of young Republicans, say they will “definitely be voting in the 2010 midterm elections.” That could spell trouble for House and Senate Democrats who are already back on their heels, writes CBS News.

One last point on the Harvard survey -- it shows that paying for health care is among the top concerns of young people. Speaking of which, here's an interesting piece on how new health-care legislation would affect young people. It focuses on the debate over how much people in their 20s would benefit from plans that make insurance less of a financial burden but also require high deductibles. As the article notes, “Critics warn that the low-cost policies would leave young people financially vulnerable and reluctant to seek care. Supporters counter that the plans would help young people who otherwise might be uninsured.”

Switching gears, I wrote this week about increasing concern over the use of K2 as a recreational drug. Several media outlets are also reporting an increase in teenagers abusing inhalants. They are sniffing a wide variety of products -– shoe polish, hairspray, nail polish -- to get high, CNN International reports.

And finally, USA Today reports that among network television’s plans for fall are a slew of shows that focus on the relationships of loosely connected 20somethings. In other words, it’s a search for the next ‘Friends.’ Among the contenders: a show about young people who haven’t lived up to their high school yearbook promises and one about friends with benefits. There’s even an offering from a former "Friends" producer.