As the first members of the Baby Boom generation reach the age of retirement, pessimism and gloom are pervasive on a number of fronts. While some of the negativity is related to aging — the demands and stress related to middle age are not pecular to any generation — Boomers have long trailed other age cohorts in life satisfaction. Currently, Baby Boomers are the most downbeat on the state of the nation. Fully 80% of adults ages 46 to 64 are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the country today — just 15% are satisfied with the direction of the nation. While still substantial, such concern is significantly lower among other age groups: 60% of those ages 18 to 29 (Millennials) and 69% of those ages 30 to 45 (Generation Xers) are dissatisfied with the country’s trajectory. Boomers also have little optimism about their personal state or their children’s future. Some 21% of Baby Boomers say their own standard of living is lower than their parents’ was at the age they are now, while more than a third (34%) believe their own children will not enjoy as good a standard of living as they themselves have now. Far fewer non-Boomer adults — both younger and older — expressed such gloom and doom. Read More