For Young People, The Future’s So (Sort Of) Bright
Disenchanted, Distrustful, Yet Not Dispirited
Did you miss Part One? Check it out.
The great recession of the late 2000s and early 2010s disproportionately impacted young people. Those coming of age during this period saw job prospects dwindle, wages stagnate, and debt mount. The gains from the so-called recovery have mostly bypassed Millennials, and teens today face the worst job market on record.
Today’s young people earn less than prior generations at similar ages, have more debt (mostly from rising college costs), are more likely to live at home, and are increasingly delaying life milestones such as family formation, car ownership, and home-ownership. These trends are best explained by economic conditions, not changes in underlying preferences. Consider the rise of the gig economy (defined by temporary positions and short-term work engagements), which is fueled as much by technological advancement as by the growing desperation of those trying to cobble together enough part-time and ad-hoc employment to make ends meet.
And for all the talk about this generation and entrepreneurship, the share of businesses owned by someone under 30 is at a 25-year low, down 65% since the 1980s, despite the number of “entrepreneurship” courses being offered at colleges increasing 20-fold since 1985. The decline in entrepreneurship rates has been linked to the increased student debt, responsive risk-aversion, and an economic landscape increasingly dominated by a handful of large companies. While the spirit of entrepreneurship is strong within the Millennial community, the practice of it is not.
Disenchanted, Distrustful, Yet Not Dispirited
Within this context, it should come as no surprise that, according to DoSomething Strategic’s 2016 Survey of Young People and Civic Participation, today’s young people are disenchanted and distrustful with the powers that be. Just 1 in 2 young people surveyed agreed they would have a better life than their parents, while the others felt it would be worse or about the same. For those reporting above-average income, over 60% foresee a better life, whereas only 8% feel they will be worse off than their parents. Compare this to the 50% of low-income individuals who feel they will be better off than their parents and the 20% of them who feel they will actually be worse off, underscoring the perception that upwards social mobility is increasingly difficult.
Surprisingly, young men of color are the most optimistic group: 62% agree that they will have a better life than their parents. This finding dovetails with results released from the University of Chicago’s Black Youth Project, which found that black Millennials were the most optimistic group in believing they could make a difference through political participation as well as generally more positive about the future than white Millennials. One theory for the positive outlook centers on anticipation of a more racially heterogeneous United States. Young people of color see the coming demographic change as an inflection point in U.S. racial policy and justice.
In a world of racial tension and police oppression, it seems young men of color appreciate the progress of the last few decades and are confident that current movements will continue to move the country forward when it comes to racially charged issues.
There is little trust in the institutions responsible for economic conditions — from Wall Street to Silicon Valley. The government fairs little better, with 3 in 4 young people worried that the federal government only sometimes or never does the right thing and just 22% of young people reporting high confidence in the federal government. Lastly, trust in the media and news outlets is similarly low, standing at just 21%.
Results from DoSomething Strategic’s survey confirm this disillusionment: 77% of young Americans believe that the government does not care about young people, and only 16% have ever taken the step to contact an elected official, a reasonable response given this viewpoint. The institutional failure of the government will have long lasting impact: 91% of young people have no interest in ever holding political office, a terrifying outcome for a country with over 500,000 elected positions.
Individuals Over Institutions
Where does this leave young people in America? The generations currently coming of age have been economically burned and are still waiting for recovery. Their trust in politicians is nonexistent and government is viewed as ambivalent at best. Impressively, they aren’t retreating to their basements, and they aren’t disconnected and disengaged with society as a whole. They’re just turning away from traditional institutions and actions when they decide to be civically engaged.
And with their heavy reliance on technology, preferences have shifted to digital action, which they generally feel is more tangible and happens at a quicker pace.
“Be the change you wish to see,” right? On their phones, young people can literally see that change in the palm of their hand.
Research & Editorial Team
Jeff Bladt, Chief Data Officer, DoSomething.org
Nick McCormick, Data and Survey Research Analyst, DoSomething.org
Ben Kassoy, Editor-in-Chief, DoSomething.org
Keri Goff, Creative Director, DoSomething.org
Meredith Ferguson, Managing Director, DoSomething Strategic
Irene Pedruelo, Editor, Director of Research, DoSomething.org
Methodology
The survey was distributed to individuals ages 13–25 across the United States and its outlying territories. Prior to analysis, the data was cleaned and weighted as follows:
• Individuals with completion times of under 5 minutes were excluded from the results.
• Individuals younger than 13 years of age or older than 25 years of age were excluded from the results.
• Weights were applied to create equal representations across gender and age.
The final sample includes 3,305 observations. Results presented here are reported post-weighting, meaning that the opinions and actions of 13-year-old females are just as well represented as those of 25-year-old males.
Assuming a population size of approximately 45,000,000 13–25 year olds nationwide, a sample size of 3,305 at a 95% confidence level allows for a 1.7% margin of error.
About DoSomething.org
DoSomething.org is a global movement for good.
We’re activating 5.4 million young people (and counting!) to make positive change, both online and off. And it’s already happening in every area code in the US and in over 131 countries! When you take action with DoSomething.org, you join something bigger than yourself. You team up with the young people who’ve run the largest sports-equipment drive. And clothed over half of America’s teens in homeless shelters. And cleaned up 3.7 million(!) cigarette butts around the world. You’ve got the power and the passion to make a difference on any issue you want — we’ll help you get it done. Welcome to DoSomething.org. LET’S DO THIS.
About DoSomething Strategic
DoSomething Strategic is the data-driven social impact consultancy arm of DoSomething.org. We help brands and organizations engage young people for positive social change. We combine proprietary data with a deep understanding of what young people care about to help clients build relationships with this unique demographic and activate them for social good. Our expertise is grounded in moving 6 million DoSomething.org members — ages 13–25 in every area code in the United States and in 131 countries worldwide — to take social action, and we’ve been doing this work successfully day in and day out for over 25.
