WASHINGTON, June 29, 2009
Generation Gap A Chasm, Study Finds
Nearly 8 In 10 Believe There Is Major Point Of View Difference Between Younger, Older Americans
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(CBS/AP)
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Interactive The Nation We Live In Who are Americans and what do they do? A comprehensive look at our economic, sociological and racial breakdown.
A survey being released Monday by the Pew Research Center highlights a widening age divide after last November's election, when 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.
Almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights. In contrast, just 60 percent in 1979 saw a generation gap.
Asked to identify where older and younger people differ most, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.
Religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults. About two-thirds of people 65 and older said religion is very important to them, compared with just over half of those 30 to 49 and 44 percent of people 18 to 29.
In addition, among adults 65 and older, one-third said religion has grown more important to them over the course of their lives, while 4 percent said it has become less important and 60 percent said it has stayed the same.
"Around the notion of morality and work ethic, the differences in point of view are pretty much felt across the board," said Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Social and Demographic Trends Project. He cited a greater tolerance among younger people on cultural issues such as gay marriage and interracial relationships.
Still, he noted that the generation gap in 2009 seems to be more tepid in nature than it was in the 1960s, when younger people built a defiant counterculture in opposing the Vietnam War and demanding equal rights for women and minorities.
"Today, it's more of a general outlook, a different point of view, a general set of moral values," Taylor said.
Among the study's other findings:
On the other hand, older adults end up having less leisure time than expected. While 87 percent of those under 65 think they will have more time for hobbies and other interests in older age, only 65 percent of older people report having it. Life at 65 and older also fell below expectations when it came to time with family, travel, having more financial security and less stress.
Pew interviewed 2,969 adults by cell phone or landline from Feb. 23 to March 23. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. In cases where older persons were too ill or incapacitated, their adult children were interviewed. Pew also used surveys conducted by Gallup, CBS and The New York Times to identify trends since 1969.
© MMIX The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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- I was stunned when my high school language arts students did not have a problem with constant and complete surveillance as portrayed in Orwell's 1984. I live in the Midwest. My students don't care if their email is read, they are constantly under video watch, or if they are tracked by gps. "We have nothing to hide! What do you have to hide Mrs. XXXX?" This was a constant comment I heard. SAD!!!
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- The comments on here are the perfect illustration of the problems we face in our country.
Nope not my fault. Their fault.
Their plan is a pile of bull...as Boehner so elegantly stated the other day. I don't have any brilliant ideas to put forth myself of course, I'm just going to condemn the other guy's plan.
We sit around in our air conditioned homes pounding away on our keyboards whining "ain't it awful" but we don't lift a finger to actually try to bring about an improvement even if that means that we ourselves have to seek office to attempt to bring about change or take to the streets to stand up for what we believe to be right or heaven forbid strain our little pea brains to come up with ideas for change.
We don't have it in us to stare down a tank in the town square willing to give our lives in defiance of our government when it loses it way.
We don't have it in us to take to the streets by the hundreds of thousands to protest the wrongs our government does.
Someone here even implied that possibly they don't even vote.
Nope, we'll just sit here and call each other commies and fascists and impress each other with our oh so clever juvenile wit by purposely misspelling names and continue to cry in wilderness "ain't it awful".
We're ALL to blame because we sat right here and allowed these things to happen virtually without protest.
If we're not part of the solution we're part of the problem. - Reply to this comment
- Things sure have changed.
Was it worth it? Look around.
What do you think? by darthcheney123 June 29, 2009 7:56 AM PDT
I think no, it wasn't worth it. Sure, we've had miraculous developments in telecommunications and health care, but overall, society seems to be "going to Hell in a hand-basket". Just my opinion. - Reply to this comment
- Have you tried to work at an entry level job today and have any kind of quality of life?? Don't blame the kids, they cannot move out, buy a home and raise kids before the age of 25 like kids of the early 1970's could.
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- An entry level job is just that, ENTRY LEVEL. Do you expect to start making 50-60K right off the bat? I'm 57, and when I entered the workforce in the 70's, it was the same thing. You CAN'T EXPECT to experience a high "quality of life" immediately. There's this thing called saving. But I suppose you don't know about that. You want everything you see everyone else has, and you want it NOW. And a young person in the 70's couldn't just buy a home because he wanted one. You had to hold a job for a reasonable length of time, establish your credit, so the mortgage company knew you were a good risk, and save up a down payment. And the credit card companies NEVER sent you a pre-approved credit card in the mail. Usually, when and if you applied for a card, you were disapproved because you didn't have a sufficiently long credit history. It wasn't as easy as you think it was.
- For 30 years, older Americans have happily charged their roads, bridges, security, law n order, and education to their children. They cut their taxes, kept their government services, and are now handing the $11 trillion bill to their kids. Older Americans also refused to MAINTAIN their infrastructure, the American Society of Civil Engineers estimates the country needs $2 trillion in immediate spending just to get its civil infrastucture up to code: oh well, let the younger generation pay for it.
Worse, with their blind attachment to unfettered capitalism, these older Americans have handed their children an economy in FREEFALL, with 10% unemployment on its way to 20%, and rates MUCH higher for younger Americans. Older Americans willingly believed that the free market demanded that they gut their industries, farm out their jobs, and think of real estate and finance as industries. In America, in 2003, 40% of all corporate profits went to the FINANCE sector. Which does WHAT??? Shuffle money around?? Everything else, apparently, was supposed to be made in China. Thats what the free market said.
Of course, older Americans did spent obscene amounts of money on its military fighting... uh, well, you know. The Taliban. Saddam Hussein. People who wanted our oil, er, freedoms. Most of that military spending is now rotting in an Arizona desert, hi tech doodads that gave some Americans a joy-ride, but never saw combat.
Honestly, the younger generation would have to NUTS to feel common cause with the debt and depression and hollowed out industry that their parents have gifted them. - Reply to this comment
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- Hold on there, pal-
You make it sound as if "older Americans" actually had something to say about what has happened over the last 30 years. It was not older Americans who are responsible for all the charges you level against them; it was our corrupt politicians. Go back and look at your post, and think about it. The American people, the actual citizens who live and work here, are not responsible for this mess. You must be under 30.
You just don't make sense.
- Hold on there, pal-
- Here we go again with the EPA suppressing a science report so they can ramrod their voodoo science down our throats,the only thing I can make of it all is they figure they can make more money on the backs of the lives of honest working people and destroy our quality of life in the process!
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The road ahead in Afghanistan, and the crucial decision Obama faces.
