Youth Engagement Falls; Registration Also Declines
Young voters are significantly less engaged in this year’s election than at a comparable point in 2008 and now lag far behind older voters in interest in the campaign and intention to vote.
Smartphones Particularly Popular With Young Adults, High Earners
On the eve of Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone 5, 45% of American adults own smartphones. They are particularly popular with young adults and those living in relatively higher income households; 66% of those ages 18-29 own smartphones, and 68% of those living in households earning $75,000 also own them.
Young People and Political Engagement
The Pew Research’s Center’s Paul Taylor answers questions about young people’s involvement in politics.
Teens & Online Video
Nearly four-in-ten teenage (37%) internet users participate in video chats with others andf almost three-in-ten record and upload video to the Internet. Fewer teens (13%) stream live video for others to watch than engage in simple uploading.
Teens, Smartphones & Texting
Texting is the dominant daily mode of communication between teens and all those with whom they communicate.
The Boomerang Generation
Large majorities of young adults ages 25 to 34 who are living at home with parents say they’re satisfied with that arrangement and upbeat about their future finances.
Millennials Will Benefit And Suffer Due to Hyperconnected Lives
While experts see many young people becoming nimble analysts and decision-makers because of their embrace of the networked world, they also warn that some constantly-connected teens and young adults will lack a deep engagement with people and knowledge by being hyperconnected.
Young, Underemployed and Optimistic
A plurality of the American public believes that young adults are having the toughest time of any age group in today’s economy — and a lopsided majority says it’s more difficult for today’s young adults than it was for their parents’ generation to pay for college, find a job, buy a home or save for the future. But long-term economic optimism among young adults remains unscarred.
Teens, Kindness and Cruelty on Social Network Sites
A comprehensive study finds that almost seven-in-ten American teens who use social networking sites say that people their age are mostly kind to one another on the sites; another 20% say that they are mostly unkind. Most teens say they have witnessed other people being mean or cruel to each other on the sites.
The Generation Gap and the 2012 Election
In the last four national elections, generation has mattered more in American elections than it has in decades. This continues to be true as voters look ahead toward the 2012 general election. In a contest between President Obama and Mitt Romney, there is a 20-point gap in support for Obama between Millennials and the over-65 Silent generation.
