Publications on Social Trends
This section features selected Pew Research Center reports (since 2005) related to family, community, health, personal finance, work and leisure. Individual project websites contain more reports related to this topic. In particular, please visit the Social & Demographic Trends project, which explores changes in behaviors and attitudes of Americans in key realms of their lives.
Baby Boomers: The Gloomiest Generation
25 Jun 08Today, in their early 40s to early 60s, boomers are more prosperous than any other age group. Their tastes still rule the world. Yet this privileged and pampered generation is the most downbeat in America.
Social & Demographic Trends
The Middle Class Blues: Pricey Neighborhoods, High Stress
29 May 08When it comes to anxiety about family finances, an old truism applies: Where you stand depends on where you sit. Or, more precisely, on where your house or apartment sits.
Social & Demographic Trends
Feeling Guilty: Americans Say They Aren't Saving Enough
14 May 08Most Americans at every income level and in every demographic group worry they aren't putting enough aside for the future -- but they're apparently not worried enough to do much about it, a new survey finds.
Social & Demographic Trends
Who Wants To Be Rich?
The Currently Hard-Pressed Put a Higher Personal Priority on Being Wealthy than Do the Well-to-Do
30 Apr 08Anyone who thinks that Americans worship at the feet of the almighty dollar should ask the American public. In fact, a new Social Trends survey finds only 13% of adults say it's "very important" for them to be wealthy, ranking this personal priority far behind six others measured.
Social & Demographic Trends
Writing, Technology and Teens
24 Apr 08Most teenagers spend a considerable amount of their life composing texts, but they don’t regard most of the material they create electronically as real writing. Does e-communication help – or hurt – students’ writing skills?
Pew Internet & American Life Project
You're Laid Off
A Worsening Economy Couldn't Come at a Worse Time for Many U.S. Workers
16 Apr 08At a time when the U.S. economy is faltering, one out of every seven U.S. workers -- especially those who have already hit hard times in the recent past -- fear they will be laid off in the next 12 months.
Social & Demographic Trends
Inside the Middle Class: Bad Times Hit the Good Life
9 Apr 08A new Pew Social Trends study finds that fewer Americans now than at any time in the past half century believe they're moving forward in life. But at the same time, two-thirds say they have a higher standard of living than their parents had.
Social & Demographic Trends
Immigration to Play Lead Role In Future U.S. Growth
U.S. Population Projections: 2005-2050
11 Feb 08If current trends continue, immigrants arriving from 2005 to 2050 and their descendants will account for 82% of the population growth in the United States during this period, according to new projections from the Pew Research Center.
Pew Research Center
Do Blacks and Hispanics Get Along?
Yes, but Not Always, and Not about Everything
31 Jan 08In general the nation's two largest minorities think well of each other, but there are some important differences, a Pew survey finds.
Social & Demographic Trends
Race, Ethnicity and Campaign ’08
People…Can We All Get Along?
17 Jan 08Race, ethnicity and politics can sometimes make for a volatile mix, but a poll finds that race relations in this country are on a pretty even keel.
Social & Demographic Trends
English Usage among Hispanics in the United States
29 Nov 07A new analysis of six Pew Hispanic Center surveys finds a dramatic increase in English-language ability from one generation of Hispanics to the next.
Pew Hispanic Center
Blacks See Growing Values Gap Between Poor and Middle Class
Optimism About Black Progress Declines
13 Nov 07African Americans see a widening gulf between the values of middle class and poor blacks, and nearly four-in-ten say that because of the diversity within their community, blacks can no longer be thought of as a single race, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Social & Demographic Trends
Modern Marriage: "I Like Hugs. I Like Kisses. But What I Really Love is Help with the Dishes."
18 Jul 07What makes a marriage work? A new Pew survey finds that "sharing household chores" has moved way up on the charts.
Pew Research Center
Fewer Mothers Prefer Full-time Work
From 1997 to 2007
12 Jul 07In the span of the past decade, full-time work outside the home has lost some of its appeal to mothers. This trend holds for both those who have such jobs and those who don't.
Pew Research Center
Same-Sex Marriage: Redefining Legal Unions Around the World
11 Jul 07In many countries around the globe, gay and lesbian couples are seeking the right to marry or enter into other legally recognized forms of domestic partnerships. The legal definition of marriage is in flux, particularly in the developed world.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
As Marriage and Parenthood Drift Apart, Public Is Concerned about Social Impact
Generation Gap in Values, Behaviors
1 Jul 07At a time when nearly four-in-ten births in this country are to an unmarried mother, the public says unwed parenting is a big problem for society. But Americans are far less inclined now than a generation ago to say children are important to a successful marriage, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Pew Research Center
Mean Teens Online: Forget Sticks and Stones, They've Got Mail
Older Girls and Social Networkers Are Most Likely Targets of Harassment via the Internet
27 Jun 07Forget sticks and stones, today's teenagers have got the web at their command and about a third of those online tell a new Pew Internet survey that they have been targets of annoying and potentially menacing online activities.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Who Flies the Flag? Not Always Who You Might Think
A Closer Look at Patriotism
27 Jun 07For many Americans, demonstrating patriotism means showing the flag; overall, 62% say they do so. Notably, significantly more Northeasterners and Midwesterners fly the flag than do residents of the South or the West.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Don't Blame Me: It's the Phone's Fault!
Many Internet and Cell Phone Users Find Devices and Applications Too Complicated or Hardly Worth the Trouble
20 Jun 07Many internet and cell phone users find devices and applications too complicated or hardly worth the trouble. Here are some ideas to address those problems.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Being Dad May Be Tougher These Days, but Working Moms are among Their Biggest Fans
13 Jun 07Most people agree that it is harder to be a father now than it was 20 or 30 years ago, yet the verdict is mixed on how well today's dads measure up -- about half of the public says they're doing a worse job when compared with fathers a generation ago. But, a majority (56%) of women say today's dads are handling their fatherly duties as well or better than in the past.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Growing Up With the News
Most Parents Encourage Teenagers to Follow Current Events, Though Younger Children Are Often Shielded
23 May 07In an era when war, tragedy and scandal often dominate the headlines, America's parents are more likely to encourage children to follow the news than they are to shield them from it.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Four-in-Ten Americans Have Close Friends or Relatives Who are Gay
Survey finds Familiarity Is Closely Linked to Greater Tolerance
23 May 07A new survey also finds that those with homosexual or lesbian relatives or friends are more likely to accept gay marriage and oppose the firing of gay teachers.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Motherhood Today: Tougher Challenges, Less Success
Mom's Biggest Critics are Middle-Aged Women
2 May 07From managing busy schedules to dealing with outside influences, mothers have their hands full these days - and middle-aged women are their sharpest critics. At the same time, fully 70% of the public says it's harder to be a mother today than it was 20 or 30 years ago; somewhat fewer (60%) say the same about being a father.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
States Say No to Teen Tanning
Utah and Virginia Join 25 Other States in Limiting Underage Access to Bronzing Beds - Is There a 'Personal Right to Tan'?
27 Mar 07Spurred by worries about skin cancer, Utah and Virginia have joined 25 other states in limiting underage access to bronzing beds
Stateline.org
Trends in Attitudes Toward Religion and Social Issues: 1987-2007
22 Mar 07As the '08 elections approach, what are the views of Republicans, Democrats and the general public on "social values" issues? And how have they changed over time?
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Trends in Political Values and Core Attitudes: 1987-2007
Political Landscape More Favorable To Democrats
22 Mar 07Increased public support for the social safety net, signs of growing public concern about income inequality, and a diminished appetite for assertive national security policies have improved the political landscape for the Democrats as the 2008 presidential campaign gets underway.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Americans and Social Trust: Who, Where and Why
22 Feb 07Just under half of Americans say most people can be trusted, while 50% say you can't be too careful, a new Pew survey finds. Whites are more trusting than blacks or Hispanics. High income folks are more trusting than those with low incomes. The married are more trusting than the unmarried. The old are more trusting than the young. And rural folks are more trusting than their city cousins.
Pew Research Center
What Americans Pay For - and How
'Information Age' Bills Keep Piling Up
7 Feb 07Bill-paying is a different experience now than it was a generation ago. A sizable minority of adults pay by click. And a sizable majority pay each month for one or more of the big three Information Age staples that didn't exist or were in their infancy a few decades back -- cell phones, internet service and cable and satellite television.
Pew Research Center
We Try Hard. We Fall Short. Americans Assess Their Saving Habits
24 Jan 07Despite a negative national savings rate, three-in-four Americans still think of themselves as savers. But a majority also acknowledge they don't save enough, according to a new Pew survey.
Pew Research Center
A Portrait of "Generation Next"
How Young People View Their Lives, Futures and Politics
9 Jan 07A new generation has come of age, shaped by an unprecedented revolution in technology and dramatic events both at home and abroad. They are Generation Next, the cohort of young adults who have grown up with personal computers, cell phones and the internet and are now taking their place in a world where the only constant is rapid change.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Social Networking Websites and Teens
Over half (55%) of online teens have web profiles; MySpace dominates networking world.
7 Jan 07In the past 5 years, social networking sites have rocketed from a niche activity in to a phenomenon that engages tens of millions of internet users.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Most Americans Moderately Upbeat About Family Finances in 2007
4 Jan 07Most Americans are moderately upbeat about their family's financial prospects in the coming year, with 57% expecting some improvement in their financial situation and another 10% expecting a lot of improvement, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.
Pew Research Center
What Was -- and Wasn't on the Public's Mind
...And How Opinions Changed During 2006
20 Dec 06Once again, public opinion played a major role in the most important news stories of the year. Some of the strongest 2006 trends in public opinion carried over from previous years -- notably growing concern about the Iraq war and mounting dissatisfaction with the performance of the Republican-controlled Congress.
Pew Research Center for the People & the Press
Luxury or Necessity?
Things We Can't Live Without: The List Has Grown in the Past Decade
14 Dec 06As Americans navigate increasingly crowded lives, the number of things they say they can't live without has multiplied in the past decade, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that asks whether a broad array of everyday consumer products are luxuries or necessities.
Pew Research Center
Internet Users In Search of a Home
The number of Americans who have looked online for information about a place to live has doubled since 2000
14 Dec 06More than a quarter of all adults in the U.S. -- and more than half of 18-29 year olds -- have looked online for information about housing, double the overall number of Americans who had done so in 2000.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
As Home Prices Cool Down, Homeowners Temper Their Optimism
6 Dec 06Despite a record drop this past year in the median sales price of existing homes, more than eight-in-ten homeowners expect the value of their homes to go up either "a little" (55%) or "a lot" (26%) in the future. However, these anticipated levels of future gains are not nearly as great as the gains that homeowners say they've experienced in recent years.
Pew Research Center
Virtual Space is the Place
A Ticket Out of This World Is Just a Click Away
27 Nov 06About 72 million people have used the internet to explore other areas, a 33% increase over 2004 when an estimated 54 million did so. On a typical day, more than five million people are taking virtual tours in cyberspace, up from roughly two million in 2004.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
It's Time for Holiday Shopping. Do You Have Your Budget?
20 Nov 06A majority of Americans say they set a budget limit for their holiday shopping; 56% have already set or plan to set a limit while 41% say they don't use a budget limit for holiday shopping.
Pew Research Center
America's Optimists: More Republican, But Fewer of Them
20 Nov 06Since 2000, people have become far more pessimistic and partisan in their views about the country's future -- and their own.
Pew Research Center
Nerds Gone Wild
The 2006 Ig Nobel Awards
6 Oct 06Ceremonies at Harvard honor scientists who discovered why woodpeckers don't get headaches, why people dislike the sound of fingernails scraping on a blackboard and how many photos are needed to ensure that no one in the picture has their eyes closed. Plus declining teacher quality and the latest research into shop-a-holics.
Pew Research Center
Getting a Grad Degree in Cheating
27 Sep 06Researchers find that about half of all graduate students admit they cheated in the past year, with MBA students the most likely to say they cut ethical corners. Plus, studies of hockey thugs and the declining percentage of alcohol in liquor, beer and wine.
Pew Research Center
Working After Retirement: The Gap Between Expectations and Reality
21 Sep 06A new Pew Social Trends survey finds a yawning gap between the expectations of today's workers, more than three-quarters of whom believe they will work for pay even after they retire, and current retirees, just 12% of whom are actually working for pay right now.
Pew Research Center
Who Do That Voodoo at Harvard?
21 Sep 06Psychologists convince test subjects at the famed university that they may have put a Voodoo hex on a disagreeable man. Also, new studies on marriage and Social Security, birth order and dirty diapers.
Pew Research Center
Americans See Less Progress on Their Ladder of Life
14 Sep 06As economists and politicians debate whether there is less mobility in the U.S. now than in the past, a new Pew survey finds that many among the public are seeing less progress in their own lives.
Pew Research Center
The Devil's New Playground: The Shopping Mall
14 Sep 06Has the repeal of Sunday blue laws given the Devil a new playground? A pair of economists think so.
Pew Research Center
Emergency Contraception and Moral Misgivings
FDA ruling puts pharmacists in crossfire
6 Sep 06The FDA's recent decision to let women over age 18 buy the morning-after pill without a doctor's prescription won't end heated disputes in state capitols over emergency contraception and thrusts pharmacists - more than ever - into the middle of the fray.
Stateline.org
How Often Do Members of Congress Tell the Truth?
6 Sep 06Not often, two political scientists found. Plus, economists say they know why tall people earn more.
Pew Research Center
Women Can't Do Math...Or Can They?
31 Aug 06A pair of psychologists devised an experiment to see if they could improve women's test scores in math by triggering positive self-images.
Pew Research Center
American Work Life is Worsening, But Most Workers Still Content
30 Aug 06Americans are generally satisfied with their own jobs but believe that wages, benefits, job security and employer loyalty have deteriorated over the past generation for most workers, a new survey finds.
Pew Research Center
Parental Pressure on Students: Not Enough in America; Too Much in Asia
24 Aug 06Americans think parents here are too lax; Asians think parents there are too tough.
Pew Global Attitudes Project
"Remedy" Ads May be Hazardous to Your Health
24 Aug 06Find out why it might make sense to put health warnings on self-improvement ads. And learn what happens to companies whose CEO's are narcissists.
Pew Research Center
The Surprising Impact of Global Warming on Tourism
18 Aug 06Which countries will win, which ones will lose in the race for tourism dollars as global warming heats up. (Hint: Book that Mongolian vacation now.) And did embedded reporters slant the news in Iraq?
Pew Research Center
Male Lefties Have More of the Right Stuff
9 Aug 06College-educated left-handed men earn 21% more than male righties with college diplomas. But there's no wage differential between left and right handed women. Go figure. Also, find out why 2002 was an off year for girl babies in Korea.
Pew Research Center
As the Price of Gas Goes Up, The Nation's Odometer Slows Down
History Repeats Itself
8 Aug 06About half the public says it is driving less due to sticker shock at the pump.
Pew Research Center
Americans and Their Cars: Is the Romance on the Skids?
Fewer Americans like to drive, survey shows
1 Aug 06Any nation with more passenger vehicles than licensed drivers has a pretty serious love affair with the automobile. But the romance seems to be cooling off a bit -- a casualty of its own intensity.
Pew Research Center
States Probe Limits of Abortion Policy
While Public Attention Is Focused on the Supreme Court, the Real Action May Be in State Capitols
22 Jun 06The U.S. Supreme Court may loom largest in the legal history of abortion in the United States, but state capitols from the 1800s to today have been the crucibles of America's evolving abortion policies. Stateline.org highlights the pivotal role that states continue to play in setting abortion policy.
Stateline.org
Americans to Rest of World: Soccer Not Really Our Thing
Just 4% say it's their favorite sport to watch
14 Jun 06Just 4% of U.S adults here say soccer is their favorite sport to watch.
Pew Research Center
Surfing to the Bank
14 Jun 06Some 63 million Americans now let their keyboards do their banking, as online financial housekeeping has burgeoned along with internet use generally. But the "trust gap" may limit further growth, especially among less financially experienced internet users.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Gambling: As the Take Rises, So Does Public Concern
23 May 06A new study from the Pew Research Center finds a modest backlash in attitudes toward legalized gambling, even as the public is spending more money on more forms of legal gambling.
Pew Research Center
Increasingly, Americans Prefer Going to the Movies at Home
16 May 06As the summer blockbuster movie season begins, a new Pew Research Center survey finds three-quarters of all adults now say they would prefer to watch movies at home, up from 67% in 1994.
Pew Research Center
Calling Mom on Mother's Day. And the Day Before. And the Day After.
9 May 06The traditional holiday phone call to mom may not have the impact it once had- not because fewer sons and daughters remember to call, but because more are already talking to mom every other day of the year.
Pew Research Center
Once Again, The Future Ain't What It Used to Be
2 May 06Barely a third of today's adults expect today's children to grow up better off than people are now.
Pew Research Center
In the Battle of the Bulge, More Soldiers Than Successes
Two-in-three are dieting or exercising
26 Apr 06Two in three are dieting or exercising, but most feel far from ideal weight.
Pew Research Center
Eating More; Enjoying Less
19 Apr 06Just 39% of adults say they enjoy eating "a great deal," down from 48% in 1989 - with a bigger decline among those who consider themselves overweight than among those who consider themselves just about the right weight.
Pew Research Center
When Facing a Tough Decision, 60 Million Americans Now Seek the Internet's Help
The Internet's Growing Role in Life's Major Moments
19 Apr 06Whether buying a home or a car, picking a college or a stock, or seeking medical advice, more and more people turn to the web.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Americans See Weight Problems Everywhere But In the Mirror
We tend to weigh ourselves on a different scale
11 Apr 06Americans think the nation's waistline is expanding and they consider this a serious problem. But when it comes to weighing themselves, they seem to use a different scale.
Pew Research Center
Are "Wired Seniors" Sitting Ducks?
11 Apr 06Older internet users, even relative newcomers to the senior ranks, may be easy targets for viruses, spyware and the like. Younger internet users take more chances online, but they also take more precautions.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
God is Alive and Well in America
4 Apr 06Forty years after a Time cover famously asked, "Is God Dead?" polls find the Almighty thriving in the nation's collective consciousness.
Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life
A Barometer of Modern Morals
Sex, Drugs, and the 1040
28 Mar 06Cheating on your taxes, cheating on your spouse and other questions of right and wrong
Pew Research Center
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
22% of Americans Have a Relative in a Mixed-Race Marriage
14 Mar 06One in five Americans (22%) now has a close relative married to someone of a different race.
Pew Research Center
Gauging Family Intimacy
Dogs Edge Cats (Dads Trail Both)
7 Mar 06Most dog and cat owners think of their pets as family. Almost all describe their relationship to their pets as "close." Dear old dad doesn't fare quite as well.
Pew Research Center
Eying Boomer Bonanza, States Woo Retirees
7 Mar 06As baby boomers search for the perfect place to spend their golden years, states - especially ones not typically considered seniors' havens - hope to grab a share of the retirement pie.
Stateline.org
Who's Feeling Rushed?
28 Feb 06If you want to find out who's always feeling starved for time, just ask a working mom.
Pew Research Center
Families Drawn Together By Communication Revolution
As Family Forms Change, Bonds Remain Strong
21 Feb 06A Social Trends Report
Pew Research Center
Are We Happy Yet?
13 Feb 06In the pursuit of happiness, it helps to be affluent, a Republican or a regular churchgoer.
Pew Research Center
Not Looking for Love
Romance in America
13 Feb 06Hold the heart-shaped candy; most singles in America aren't actively seeking romance.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
The Strength of Internet Ties
25 Jan 06The internet and email expand and strengthen the social ties that people maintain in the offline world, according to a new report by the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Pew Internet & American Life Project
Baby Boomers: From the Age of Aquarius to the Age of Responsibility
8 Dec 05As the oldest of the nation's 75 million baby boomers approach the age of 60, a Pew Research Center survey finds many are looking ahead to their own retirement while balancing a full plate of family responsibilities - either raising minor children or providing financial and other forms of support to adult children or to aging parents.
Pew Research Center
Mapping the Political Landscape 2005
1 Sep 05The Center's report offers a richly textured portrait of the American electorate, including a new analysis of 2004 election returns that reveals the congruence between where people live and how they vote.
Pew Research Center