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Attitudes in general
Youth today are more disconnected from society via conventional indicators
(they are less likely to read a newspaper, attend church, belong to a religion
or a union, vote for President, or identify with a political party than previously).
However, they are more likely today to have done community service, to use
the internet for communication and political information, and to get political
information from unconventional sources, such as “mock” news).
They are more pessimistic about society in general and of people in particular,
but they are not generally more pessimistic about their own lives. (See Network
op-ed). They are more liberal on a wide range of measures, especially
on civil liberties, modern gender roles, racial equality, and secularism.
Political leanings
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From 1970 to the 1980s, youth veered toward the Right, but from the 1980s
to the late 1990s, they veered back to the Left.
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Compared with those in the 1970s and 1980s, 18-24 year olds in the 1990s
were less supportive of abortion rights.
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The generation gap on approval of homosexuality narrowed
in 1985 as the young increased their disapproval and moved toward views
held by the older generation. However, the trend reversed by 1997, as all
age groups became less disapproving, with the greatest shift among the
young.
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In all decades, this age group (18-24) is the least likely to vote but
when they do they are the age group most likely to vote Democratic.
- Compared to the mid-1980s, 18-24 year olds in the late 1990s were much
less likely to believe that government should do more. In 1985 44%
said government should do more. In 1997, only 25% believed that.
Source: Tom Smith, “Generation Gaps in Attitudes and Values from the
1970s to the 1990s,” in On the Frontier
of Adulthood. See also a brief
of the chapter.
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