Societal changes drive public policy. These shifts include an aging population; the growth of high tech and service sector jobs; evolving views on race, ethnicity, and immigration; and changes in family structure.
Pew studies these attitudes and trends and their impact through the use of original public opinion survey research, along with social, economic, and demographic data analysis. Pew’s work includes a major study of the millennial generation and the distinct path it is forging toward adulthood, with fewer ties to traditional religious and political institutions and more use of social media to build personal networks.


Winter 2021
In this issue of Trend we step back to explore public attitudes about science and how science can inform policy.
Recent Work
Students who are gay, lesbian or bisexual, as well as girls, were especially likely to say their mental health has suffered in the past year.
The post In CDC survey, 37% of U.S. high school students report regular mental health struggles during COVID-19 appeared first on Pew Research Center.
As people are living longer and many young adults struggle to gain financial independence, 23% of U.S. adults are in the “sandwich generation.”
The post More than half of Americans in their 40s are ‘sandwiched’ between an aging parent and their own children appeared first on Pew Research Center.
The gender wage gap is narrower among younger workers nationally, and the gap varies across geographical areas.
The post Young women are out-earning young men in several U.S. cities appeared first on Pew Research Center.
About seven-in-ten say young adults today have a harder time when it comes to saving for the future, paying for college and buying a home.
The post Most in the U.S. say young adults today face more challenges than their parents’ generation in some key areas appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Adoption of key technologies by those in the oldest age group has grown markedly since about a decade ago.
The post Share of those 65 and older who are tech users has grown in the past decade appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Young people in the United States express far more skeptical views of America’s global standing than older adults.
The post Younger Americans still more likely than older adults to say there are other countries better than the U.S. appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Nearly six-in-ten U.S. adults (59%) see a great deal of difference between the two major political parties, up from 55% just two years ago.
The post Younger U.S. adults less likely to see big differences between the parties or to feel well represented by them appeared first on Pew Research Center.
Among those ages 18 to 29, friends and community often rank in the top three sources of meaning, fulfillment and satisfaction in their lives.
The post What makes life meaningful? Globally, answers sometimes vary by age appeared first on Pew Research Center.