Millennials: They're Younger – But Their Preferences Aren't That Different

Report Read time:
Millennials: They're Younger – But Their Preferences Aren't That Different

As might be expected, members of the Millennial generation are enthusiastic about the technological and communication advances of the past decade. They are also highly accepting of societal changes such as the greater availability of green products and more racial and ethnic diversity. What may be less expected is that, in many cases, they are not much different from the age groups that precede them. And on at least one issue – the advent of reality TV shows – their views differ not at all from those of the oldest Americans.

A recent survey by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press found that most Americans, young and old, offer a gloomy assessment of the past decade. Still, not all of the changes Americans have experienced in recent years are seen in a negative light. In particular, innovations in cell phones, email and online shopping are seen as changes for the better by most Americans with positive views reaching well beyond the youngest Millennial generation. These kinds of change are viewed at least as favorably by Americans in their 30s and 40s as they are by those in their late-teens and 20s and, in many cases, it is only those 65 and older who have less enthusiastic views of these innovations.

More than seven-in-ten (72%) among those in the 18-29 age group – the so-called Millennials – say that high-tech communications devices such as Blackberrys and iPhones represent a change for the better. More than six-in-ten (62%) of those ages 30-49 agree. Not surprisingly, smaller percentages of those in the 50-64 age bracket (51%) and those ages 65 and older (33%) see the advances in smart phone technology that way. For the public as a whole, 56% say these handheld devices are a change for the better, a quarter see them as a change for the worse and 12% say they have made no difference.

While social networking sites are seen as especially popular among the young, Millennials are no more likely than the 30-49 age group (45% each) to say that websites such as Facebook represent a change for the better. The numbers for the public as a whole indicate greater ambivalence: 35% of Americans say these sites are a change for the better, 21% say they are a change for the worse and 31% say they have made no difference. Older people express greater skepticism. Among those ages 50-64, 25% say this is a change for the better, while 33% say it is a change for the worse. Among those ages 65 and older, 21% say social networking sites are a change for the better, 21% say they are a change for the worse and 27% say they have made no difference. About three-in-ten (31%) did not give an answer.

Read the full report Millennials: They're Younger – But Their Preferences Aren't That Different on the Pew Research Center's Web site.

America’s Overdose Crisis
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up
Quick View
America’s Overdose Crisis

America’s Overdose Crisis

Sign up for our five-email course explaining the overdose crisis in America, the state of treatment access, and ways to improve care

Sign up

MORE FROM PEW

An aerial view of a vast wetland, with scattered vegetation visible on sandy islands. In Western Australia, a Conservation Model for the World
A presentation being given by a businesswoman to a group of participants at a business conference. Four Plan Features Can Boost 'Retirement Readiness'
A large group of people in formal or traditional attire stands together on a stage, with a digital background depicting marine life and the large text “WTO Agreement on Fisheries Subsidies.” WTO Needs to Redouble Its Effort on Fishing Subsidies
A man in a winter hat and sunglasses kneels on a rocky shoreline in front of a campfire, holding a metal mug with gloved hands. Behind him, in the water, a motorboat is moored to the shore. Cliffs rise on both sides of the water. Why Newfoundland’s South Coast Fjords Are Sacred
Composite image of modern city network communication concept

Learn the Basics of Broadband from Our Limited Series

Sign up for our four-week email course on Broadband Basics
Quick View

How does broadband internet reach our homes, phones, and tablets? What kind of infrastructure connects us all together? What are the major barriers to broadband access for American communities?

Pills illustration
Pills illustration

What Is Antibiotic Resistance—and How Can We Fight It?

Sign up for our four-week email series The Race Against Resistance.
Quick View
Pills illustration

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria, also known as “superbugs,” are a major threat to modern medicine. But how does resistance work, and what can we do to slow the spread? Read personal stories, expert accounts, and more for the answers to those questions in our four-week email series: Slowing Superbugs.