"Gen Next" Baffles NYT Mag
| By Graham - Mar 11th, 2007 at 12:56 pm EDT |
| Also listed in: Campus Progress Blog |
Wow, we must be pretty intriguing. The New York Times Magazine is the latest entry into a healthy industry of old people trying to come up with narratives about what makes young people tick. They seem to think they're special, as if every generation in the history of human society hadn't been baffled by their progeny.
The latest folly? Ann Hulbert today has some Pew survey data that charts young people (18 to 25) as more in favor of gay marriage than elders, but slightly less supportive of abortion than 50- to 64-year-olds.
The latest folly? Ann Hulbert today has some Pew survey data that charts young people (18 to 25) as more in favor of gay marriage than elders, but slightly less supportive of abortion than 50- to 64-year-olds.
- Oops No. 1: She says "roughly a third" of we younguns "endorse making abortion generally available." That's versus, wait for it, 35 percent of older people. Wow, that's stark.
- Oops No. 2: She uses this faulty data point (margin of error, anyone?) to conclude that "A hardheadedness, but also a high-mindedness and softheartedness, seems to be at work." You'd have to read the article, but trust me, there's no support for this odd statement
- Oops No. 3: She hopes that maybe this means the 18-25 crowd will be more generous and help people in our lives. Well I hope we help the world too, but who said previous generations have never acted gallantly? Or is she too bitter to be a Boomer and not a member of the Greatest Generation to respect her elders.
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But the article leaves out some other interesting data. Among whites in general, only 20 percent endorse affirmative action—whereas 33 percent of Nexters do. (Still quite the minority position)
But what I found interesting was the profound split between GenNex and their parents on 1) their view of government and 2) national security.
Gen Next: A More Positive View of Government
Nine years ago 47 percent of the 18-25 age group viewed the federal government as generally inefficient and wasteful. Today that number is 32 percent.
Looking for Another Way on National Security
On National Security, GenNexters are clearly looking for an alternative to the Bush administration “shock and awe” approach. Only 29 percent of Gen Next agrees that using overwhelming force is the solution to terrorism—far lower than the 41 percent of their elders.
And a majority of GenNexters—67 percent—believe that relying on “hard power” will actually lead to more terrorism. Only 49 percent of their elders share this sentiment—a difference of 18 percent.