Generation Gap Widening In US, Study Finds

WASHINGTON — From cell phones and texting to religion and manners, younger and older Americans see the world differently, creating the largest generation gap since the tumultuous years of the 1960s and the culture clashes over Vietnam, civil rights and women's liberation.

A new study released Monday by the Pew Research Center found Americans of different ages increasingly at odds over a range of social and technological issues. It also highlights a widening age divide after last November's election, when 18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio.

Almost eight in 10 people believe there is a major difference in the point of view of younger people and older people today, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights. In contrast, just 60 percent in 1979 saw a generation gap.

Asked to identify where older and younger people differ most, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.

Religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults. About two-thirds of people 65 and older said religion is very important to them, compared with just over half of those 30 to 49 and 44 percent of people 18 to 29.

In addition, among adults 65 and older, one-third said religion has grown more important to them over the course of their lives, while 4 percent said it has become less important and 60 percent said it has stayed the same.

"Around the notion of morality and work ethic, the differences in point of view are pretty much felt across the board," said Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Social and Demographic Trends Project. He cited a greater tolerance among younger people on cultural issues such as gay marriage and interracial relationships.

Still, he noted that the generation gap in 2009 seems to be more tepid in nature than it was in the 1960s, when younger people built a defiant counterculture in opposing the Vietnam War and demanding equal rights for women and minorities.

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"Today, it's more of a general outlook, a different point of view, a general set of moral values," Taylor said.

Among the study's other findings:

_Getting old isn't as bad as people believe in terms of health, but isn't as good when it comes to lifestyle. While more than half of those under 65 think they will experience memory loss when they are older, only one-quarter of people 65 and older say they do so. Older people reported fewer instances than expected of problems such as serious illness, not being able to drive, being less sexually active or depressed.

On the other hand, older adults end up having less leisure time than expected. While 87 percent of those under 65 think they will have more time for hobbies and other interests in older age, only 65 percent of older people report having it. Life at 65 and older also fell below expectations when it came to time with family, travel, having more financial security and less stress.

_Hispanics are more likely to report problems in old age. About 35 percent of Hispanics 65 and older say they have a serious illness, compared with 20 percent of whites and 22 percent of blacks in the same age group. More older Hispanics reported being depressed, lonely or a burden to others than did whites and blacks. They also were less likely to do volunteer work or be involved in their communities.

_Younger people are more likely to embrace technology. About 75 percent of adults 18 to 30 went online daily, compared with 40 percent of those 65 to 74 and about 16 percent for people 75 and older. The age gap widened over cell phones and text messaging. About 6 percent of those 65 and older used a cell phone for most or all of their calls; 11 percent sent or received text messages. That's compared with 64 percent of adults under 30 for cell phone use and 87 percent for texting.

_Americans differ on when old age begins. On average, they say 68. People under age 30 believe it begins at 60, while those 65 and older push the threshold to 74. Of all those surveyed, most said they wanted to live to 89.

Pew interviewed 2,969 adults by cell phone or landline from Feb. 23 to March 23. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. In cases where older persons were too ill or incapacitated, their adult children were interviewed. Pew also used surveys conducted by Gallup, CBS and The New York Times to identify trends since 1969.

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On the Net:

Pew Social and Demographic Trends: http://pewsocialtrends.org/

Comments

[angry expat]

I am having the same experience now as the old paradigms are failing.

Baby Boomers I talk to are just waiting for things "to go back to normal", and the younger ones among us want to see a radical departure from the old model.

The older you are, the less energy/courage you have to start all over from scratch. The Boomers were so sure they could ride this out until they died, but they were wrong!

It's a pity, because the 50+ crowd is making things more difficult for the rest of us, but hasn't that always been the case?

I for one have little to no respect for that generation.

[CanisLatrans]

I always thought that "old age" was really "15 years older than I am right now".

It is interesting that we are as divided now as we were in the '60's, generationally speaking, but we don't have the riots or demonstrations or physical militant movements. Now it all takes place on the Internet, with information wars.

In a way, I think that's why we have such a deep divide between generations right now. The way younger generations speak, interact, share and get information is utterly alien to how the older generations traditionally did it. It seems tohappen whenever there's a major technological gap in understanding that affects communication.

[CJWebber]

'The young are permanently in a state resembling intoxication. '
- Aristotle

There has always been a generation gap. Nothing new. Who here thinks the gap between them and their parents is any different than the gap between them and their children?

[historymatters]

As is true with so many issues, if those involved come at it from positions of mutual respect, much can be accomplished. Younger folks can respect older folks for their experience, expertise, and the accumulated wisdom of their years. Older folks can respect younger folks for their energy, ideas, and passion. Both groups can respect the other for having a willingness to try new things, to work together, to embrace change rather than fearing it, and to understand and accept that the world is made up of billions of people who all have their own thoughts and ideas and feelings and while we may not always agree, we can certainly try to get along.

[MissAngela]

Is this supposed to come as any kind of shock? That people who grew up in different times have different outlooks on life and the world? Woah!
This articles sites technology as a cause of the generation gap - but isn't it *always* a huge factor in differentiating the eras? The world was completely changed by the advent of the printing press, the radio, computers, television - and I'm sure that people who had grown up without these new inventions also felt less at ease than their children who took them as a given.

I think that, like the "culture war", the age gap is divisive and just another way of getting you to click on the link...

[MJinCanada]

Yep. My grandmother watched clothing styles change from floor-length dresses with corsets and layers of petticoats to hotpants and miniskirts. I regret I was too much in awe of the old girl to really have a good chat.

[larry278]

This blog is comforting. I've spent all 72 years of my life not being in sync with my peers. I'm still out of sync. That is a positive accomplishment for me. I'm still a non-conformist. I've avoided being nausciaingly(sp?) normal. I still don't know how to spell either. Life has been good to me. On the other hand, I've been a positive influence on the lives of others. I've been a surly, curmudgeon since birth.