I see a parallel that I don't believe was mentioned in the article: that the "young men" can be compared to "undergraduate degree holders." It's a crude comparison, and I feel guilty making it, but if you have a BS in Biology, your options can feel limited, and it may be mentally easier to apply to graduate school than to figure out what you'd like to do with your life. And once you join graduate school, you've got at least 5 more years to make a decision (in the US, in the biomedical sciences).