Pendulum Swing: "Generation Z" More Sociopolitically Conservative?

[smac97]

Here (from an article in the UK):

Quote

Teenagers born since the turn of the millennium are the most socially conservative and thrifty generation since the Second World War.

The newly classified Generation Z are much less likely to approve of gay marriage, transgender rights or the legalisation of cannabis than Baby Boomers, Millennials or Generation X, a study has found. They also have a much more prudent approach to saving and spending than any generation, except those born in 1945 or before.

Wow!  I'd like to better understand this phenomenon, if it's accurate.

Quote

The study questioned more than 2,000 people on a range of issues and categorised respondents by their age.

Those born in 1945 or before were defined as the Silent Generation; those born between 1946 and 1964 were Baby Boomers; those born between 1965 and 1980 were Generation X; and those born between 1980 and 2000 were Millennials. Everyone born from 2001 onwards was considered part of Generation Z. The survey only questioned 14 and 15-year-olds because anyone younger was not considered to have formed credible opinions.

This makes sense.  I'd like to hear more about the study itself (who conducted it, where, when, etc.).

Quote

When asked where they judged their opinions on same-sex marriage, transgender rights and marijuana legalisation, on a scale of one to five, from very liberal to quite conservative, 59 per cent of Generation Z respondents said they were on the conservative end of the spectrum while 83 per cent of Millennials and 85 per cent of Generation X respondents said they were either "quite" or "very liberal".

One in seven of Generation Z took a "quite conservative" stance on these issues, compared to only 2 per cent of Millennials and 1 per cent of Generation X. Only the Silent Generation had a higher rating of "quite conservative" at 34 per cent.

...

The study also found that teenagers are more likely to shun tattoos. More than one in ten of Generation Z said they hated tattoos and body piercings compared with only 2 per cent of Millennials and 6 per cent of Generation X.

"One in seven of Generation Z" are sociopolitically "quite conservative?"  That's about 14.2%, which is a huge jump from the immediately preceding "Millennial" generation (2%).  I wonder if these numbers would hold for Gen Z kids on this side of The Pond.

Alas, some of the changes for Gen Z are not good (emphases added):

Quote

When it came to their finances, young teenagers also challenged the stereotype that they are spendthrifts. A quarter of Generation Z, who have grown up since the financial crash and face high house prices and student debt, said they would rather save than spend money they don't have. A further 22 per cent said they never spent on "unnecessary, frivolous things".

By comparison, two in five Baby Boomers said "money is made to be spent". Only the pre-war generation were more thrifty, research by The Gild, a brand consultancy, found. Its study chimes with recent survey evidence that shows young people are drinking less and taking less drugs.

A government report published last year also found teenagers are less likely to get pregnant and are smoking fewer cigarettes than earlier generations. However, it noted increasingly levels of self-harm and eating disorders.

Sir Mark Walport, the government's chief scientific adviser, said that "digital immersion" had resulted in a "rapid societal shift" which was having a profound impact on young people.

He said that the popularity of social media and computer games had left children with "less time and opportunity to participate in traditional risky behaviours" but that it had exposed them to more "hate content" online.

Hmm.  What sorts of social factors could be in play here?  What sort of "rapid societal shifts?"  I have some theories, but I'd like to hear from you folks.

Thanks,

-Smac

Edited September 16, 2016 by smac97

[The Nehor]

Asking people whether they would rather spend or save is unlikely to get answers that comply with reality.

[california boy]

You would have to know at least where the survey was taken, Who took it and what the exact questions were.  I can't get any of that information from your link.  I am not a subscriber to the times.  Perhaps you can answer those questions.

[hope_for_things]

14 minutes ago, smac97 said:

Here (from an article in the UK):

Wow!  I'd like to better understand this phenomenon, if it's accurate.

This makes sense.  I'd like to hear more about the study itself (who conducted it, where, when, etc.).

"One in seven of Generation Z" are sociopolitically "quite conservative?"  That's about 14.2%, which is a huge jump from the immediately preceding "Millennial" generation (2%).  I wonder if these numbers would hold for Gen Z kids on this side of The Pond.

Alas, some of the changes for Gen Z are not good (emphases added):

Hmm.  What sorts of social factors could be in play here?  What sort of "rapid societal shifts?"  I have some theories, but I'd like to hear from you folks.

Thanks,

-Smac

These would be interesting findings for this generation "born since the turn of the Millennium".  Wouldn't that make the oldest members of this generation 15 or 16 yrs at this point?  2001 - 2016 I'm guessing is the years they looked at.  How do you conduct a survey of teenagers and adolescents?  And if you can conduct such a survey, do we know about how the views of individuals of these ages change over time.  I'm guessing that most people this young are still quite impressionable and that their views are still significantly fluid during these years.    

Thats been my experience as a parent of one teenager right now.  

Edited September 16, 2016 by hope_for_things

[Jeanne]

If this is true...I am surprised.  I will check in to see the questions and answers here.  Very interesting to say the least.

[bluebell]

That's interesting, thanks for sharing.

[The Nehor]

I also did not know I dodged being a Millenial by such a thin margin. That was a close one.

[smac97]

39 minutes ago, california boy said:

You would have to know at least where the survey was taken, Who took it and what the exact questions were.  I can't get any of that information from your link.  I am not a subscriber to the times.  Perhaps you can answer those questions.

A found another article about this item.  Here you go.  The study was done in the UK.

Here is a link to what I think is the study itself (it's a .zip file with a .pdf of the article, which I have separately attached hereto - see below link - if you don't want to click on the link).

Thanks,

-Smac

 

Trends in young people's health and risky behaviours 2016 - a briefing by the PSHE Association 31-08-16.pdf

Edited September 16, 2016 by smac97

[waveslider]

51 minutes ago, smac97 said:

The study was done in the UK.

That makes more sense, because here in the U.S. it sure does seem like the public schools are indoctrinating more liberal progressive views rather than conservative views. My 14 year old daughter, and her friends, are the opposite of what was described in your OP's quotes, as being the norm.

[rockpond]

3 hours ago, smac97 said:

A found another article about this item.  Here you go.  The study was done in the UK.

Here is a link to what I think is the study itself (it's a .zip file with a .pdf of the article, which I have separately attached hereto - see below link - if you don't want to click on the link).

Thanks,

-Smac

 

Trends in young people's health and risky behaviours 2016 - a briefing by the PSHE Association 31-08-16.pdf

 

As someone raising a 14 year old I suspect that they are far more likely to be parroting the opinions of their parents (the Gen X'ers) than their own independently formed opinions.  Those will come but not until they hit 17+ years old.  Too early for this study.

 

[bluebell]

2 minutes ago, rockpond said:

 

As someone raising a 14 year old I suspect that they are far more likely to be parroting the opinions of their parents (the Gen X'ers) than their own independently formed opinions.  Those will come but not until they hit 17+ years old.  Too early for this study.

 

I think one of the interesting aspects of the survey is that they aren't parroting their parent's opinions.    The kids surveyed are measuring much more conservative than their parents generation. I would like to see the results for this survey using American kids to be able to compare.

[mfbukowski]

Quote

Those born in 1945 or before were defined as the Silent Generation; those born between 1946 and 1964 were Baby Boomers; those born between 1965 and 1980 were Generation X; and those born between 1980 and 2000 were Millennials.

Those who lived through the Depression, the First and Second World wars were the "silent generation"?

Usually called the "greatest generation"?

[ERMD]

31 minutes ago, rockpond said:

 

As someone raising a 14 year old I suspect that they are far more likely to be parroting the opinions of their parents (the Gen X'ers) than their own independently formed opinions.  Those will come but not until they hit 17+ years old.  Too early for this study.

 

Do you think they are old enough to choose their true gender?

[waveslider]

33 minutes ago, rockpond said:

 

As someone raising a 14 year old I suspect that they are far more likely to be parroting the opinions of their parents (the Gen X'ers) than their own independently formed opinions.  Those will come but not until they hit 17+ years old.  Too early for this study.

 

My 14 year old is far more liberal in her views than I have. It is definitely coming from school, media and peers.

[The Nehor]

4 hours ago, smac97 said:

A found another article about this item.  Here you go.  The study was done in the UK.

Considering how the far-right parties in Europe have been going lately I am not sure that this is a good sign.

 

[california boy]

5 hours ago, smac97 said:

A found another article about this item.  Here you go.  The study was done in the UK.

Here is a link to what I think is the study itself (it's a .zip file with a .pdf of the article, which I have separately attached hereto - see below link - if you don't want to click on the link).

Thanks,

-Smac

 

Trends in young people's health and risky behaviours 2016 - a briefing by the PSHE Association 31-08-16.pdf

Thanks,  I will take a look

 

[CV75]

6 hours ago, smac97 said:

Here (from an article in the UK):

I saw something like this in another online article (cnn?) earlier this week, and if you Google [millennials conservative] you get a lot of articles, some as early as Nov 2015, June and July 2016, and so on

[Calm]

7 hours ago, hope_for_things said:

These would be interesting findings for this generation "born since the turn of the Millennium".  Wouldn't that make the oldest members of this generation 15 or 16 yrs at this point?  2001 - 2016 I'm guessing is the years they looked at.  How do you conduct a survey of teenagers and adolescents?  And if you can conduct such a survey, do we know about how the views of individuals of these ages change over time.  I'm guessing that most people this young are still quite impressionable and that their views are still significantly fluid during these years.    

I believe past studies have shown people tend to become more conservative as they age, but I don't know if those studies started as young as 15/16 years old, though I would be surprised if many didn't go as young as 18 years of age.  Two-three years makes a difference at that age though.

[california boy]

7 hours ago, smac97 said:

A found another article about this item.  Here you go.  The study was done in the UK.

Here is a link to what I think is the study itself (it's a .zip file with a .pdf of the article, which I have separately attached hereto - see below link - if you don't want to click on the link).

Thanks,

-Smac

 

Trends in young people's health and risky behaviours 2016 - a briefing by the PSHE Association 31-08-16.pdf

 

1 hour ago, california boy said:

Thanks,  I will take a look

 

I took a look at the articles you linked.  They are studies only about risky behavior (smoking, drugs, internet use etc).  There is nothing in there about political leanings or how young people feel about gay marriage.  Are there other studies that you haven't linked??

[The Nehor]

On 9/16/2016 at 6:45 PM, waveslider said:

My 14 year old is far more liberal in her views than I have. It is definitely coming from school, media and peers.

Put some of it down to rebellion. Become a crazy liberal and she will probably join the Young Republicans out of reflex.

[The Nehor]

On 9/16/2016 at 8:44 PM, Calm said:

I believe past studies have shown people tend to become more conservative as they age, but I don't know if those studies started as young as 15/16 years old, though I would be surprised if many didn't go as young as 18 years of age.  Two-three years makes a difference at that age though.

Of course it has been said that in 25 years you can go from being a liberal to a conservative without changing your views significantly. Now if you go far-right probably not.

[Rain]

On Friday, September 16, 2016 at 11:21 AM, smac97 said:

Here (from an article in the UK):

Wow!  I'd like to better understand this phenomenon, if it's accurate.

This makes sense.  I'd like to hear more about the study itself (who conducted it, where, when, etc.).

"One in seven of Generation Z" are sociopolitically "quite conservative?"  That's about 14.2%, which is a huge jump from the immediately preceding "Millennial" generation (2%).  I wonder if these numbers would hold for Gen Z kids on this side of The Pond.

Alas, some of the changes for Gen Z are not good (emphases added):

Hmm.  What sorts of social factors could be in play here?  What sort of "rapid societal shifts?"  I have some theories, but I'd like to hear from you folks.

Thanks,

-Smac

My oldest is a barely a millennial. My youngest is a Generation Z. My youngest is definitely more conservative in money and other things than my oldest. My daughter was born in 98 so she is a Millennial, but is much more conservative than my oldest snd less than my youngest.  It's not just how old they are. They have always been this way. 

So it holds true for my family, but I've always considered it a personality difference like when my 4 siblings and I are all Gen X, but vastly different in how conservative we are.

[VideoGameJunkie]

I'm a millennial, but we were originally called Generation Y. I thought I was a part of Generation X at first because I remember watching the wrestlers D-Generation X.

[Five Solas]

Given how badly it seems to be going for the LDS Church with the previous Generation Y, a.k.a., the Millennials, a critic might dismiss this thread as an example of what Freud called, wish fulfillment fantasy. 

Of course, I wouldn't be so cruel...

;0)

--Erik

[hope_for_things]

On 9/16/2016 at 7:44 PM, Calm said:

I believe past studies have shown people tend to become more conservative as they age, but I don't know if those studies started as young as 15/16 years old, though I would be surprised if many didn't go as young as 18 years of age.  Two-three years makes a difference at that age though.

Agreed, and if the oldest members of generation Z are 15/16 yrs, then how young are its youngest members?  Are we still in generation Z today in 2016 or has a new generation classification started?  I'm guessing its hard to survey a baby of 9 months.  Ha!