Widely Held Attitudes to Different Generations
Generation Y Seen as Most Self-indulgent, Generation X as Most
Innovative, and Boomers as Most Productive. "Silent Generation" and
"Greatest Generation" are the Most Admired.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – August 20, 2008 – A recent survey
by Harris Interactive conducted for Charles Schwab and Age Wave asked almost
4,000 Americans aged 21 to 83 what they thought of different generations.
Specifically, they were asked about people aged 13 to 31 or Generation Y; those
aged 32 to 43 or Generation X, Baby Boomers, aged 44 to 62; the "Silent
Generation," aged 63 to 83; and the "Greatest Generation," aged
84 or older. The results show how very differently people view the different
generations, with many people holding strong positive and negative opinions
about them.
These are some of the results of a Harris Interactive survey,
Rethinking Retirement, based on a nationwide sample of 3,868 adults aged
21 to 83 surveyed online in March and April 2008. Much of the survey was focused
on retirement issues and retirement planning.
Some of the most interesting findings are:
- Baby Boomers
(35%) are most widely viewed as having a positive
effect on society, followed by Generation X (25%);
- The Silent Generation (33%) and the Greatest Generation (30%)
are the most widely admired generations, followed by Baby Boomers
(22%);
- The Silent Generation (40%) and Baby Boomers (33%) are
widely viewed as the most generous;
- The two generations widely seen as the most productive are Baby
Boomers (45%) and Generation X (32%);
- A 53 percent majority (including a majority of Gen Y itself) believe Generation
Y is the most self-indulgent, followed by Generation X (25%);
- A 41 percent plurality sees Generation X as the most innovative,
followed by Baby Boomers (25%) and Generation Y (22%);
- There is no consensus as to which generation is most socially conscious,
but Baby Boomers (34%) and Generation X (26%) top the list;
- Gen Y
would like to rename themselves the "Internet Generation"
(32%). They really dislike being called "Generation Y" or "Millennials";
- Gen X
would choose to rename themselves "Generation Tech"
(25%). They dislike being called "Generation X";
- Baby Boomers
are the only generation which seems to really like the
name given to them (27%)
- The Silent Generation would re-name themselves the "Responsible
Generation" (44%). They strongly dislike being called
"Silent" or "Invisible."
So What Does This Mean? Myth versus Reality
These findings show that two widely-held views are false. One
is that America is riddled with ageism and that younger people have no respect
for older people. While there is surely some prejudice against older people
which sometimes leads to age discrimination, the two oldest generations – the
Silent and the Greatest Generations – are much more admired than any other
generation. There are several reasons why there is so little hostility to older
people or concern about what some people have termed "intergenerational
equity".
One is that they are our parents and grandparents. Another is
that we all hope to get old one day. Furthermore, research has shown that older
people are much more likely to give money to their children and grandchildren
than vice-versa. While older people are the beneficiaries of Social Security and
Medicare, and the taxes that are needed to pay for them, most people do not see
them as a burden to younger generations.
Another common belief, shown to be false in this survey, is
that Baby Boomers are widely seen as particularly self-indulgent or even greedy.
In reality, Boomers get higher marks than other generations for being socially
conscious, productive and having a positive effect on society.
TABLE 1
WHICH GENERATION IS HAS MOST POSITIVE EFFECT ON SOCIETY?
"Which of the following generations do you think has had,
or will have, the most positive effect, overall, on society?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
13 |
25 |
11 |
9 |
11 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
25 |
34 |
34 |
11 |
16 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
35 |
24 |
30 |
53 |
33 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
16 |
7 |
14 |
15 |
29 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
11 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
12 |
Note: on this and all the tables, totals may not add to 100%
because of rounding
TABLE 2
WHICH GENERATION DO YOU ADMIRE THE MOST?
"Which of the following generations do you admire the
most?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
4 |
9 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
11 |
17 |
18 |
3 |
4 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
22 |
28 |
21 |
25 |
13 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
33 |
25 |
30 |
33 |
43 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
30 |
22 |
28 |
37 |
38 |
TABLE 3
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST GENEROUS?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most generous?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
4 |
8 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
10 |
15 |
19 |
4 |
2 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
33 |
32 |
32 |
39 |
24 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
40 |
31 |
34 |
41 |
57 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
13 |
13 |
11 |
14 |
15 |
TABLE 4
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST GREEDY?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most greedy?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
55 |
62 |
60 |
54 |
47 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
22 |
16 |
17 |
26 |
30 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
16 |
18 |
19 |
13 |
17 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
4 |
4 |
4 |
5 |
4 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
TABLE 5
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST SHORT-SIGHTED?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most short-sighted?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
64 |
63 |
63 |
65 |
63 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
16 |
11 |
17 |
18 |
21 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
10 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
11 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
6 |
6 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
4 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
TABLE 6
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST PRODUCTIVE?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most productive?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
6 |
15 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
32 |
43 |
48 |
17 |
22 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
45 |
29 |
38 |
63 |
46 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
13 |
10 |
7 |
13 |
25 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
4 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
TABLE 7
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST SELF-INDULGENT?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most self-indulgent?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
53 |
58 |
52 |
53 |
49 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
25 |
22 |
24 |
25 |
29 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
18 |
18 |
20 |
17 |
19 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
3 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
TABLE 8
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST INNOVATIVE?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most innovative?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
22 |
35 |
20 |
17 |
16 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
41 |
43 |
50 |
34 |
32 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
25 |
15 |
22 |
38 |
31 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
9 |
4 |
5 |
8 |
18 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
TABLE 9
WHICH GENERATION IS MOST SOCIALLY CONSCIOUS?
"Which of the following generations would you say is the
most socially conscious?"
Base: All Adults
|
Adults Aged: |
Total |
Gen Y |
Gen X |
Baby Boomers |
Silent Generation |
|
% |
% |
% |
% |
% |
|
13-31 year olds
(Generation Y)
|
19 |
31 |
19 |
15 |
13 |
|
32-43 year olds
(Generation X)
|
26 |
33 |
36 |
15 |
18 |
|
44-62 year olds
(Baby Boomers)
|
34 |
23 |
28 |
48 |
30 |
|
63-83 years olds
(Silent Generation)
|
18 |
11 |
13 |
18 |
33 |
|
84 years old and older
(Greatest Generation)
|
4 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
6 |
TABLE 10
WHAT WOULD YOU NAME OR RENAME YOUR OWN GENERATION?
"If you could name or rename your own generation (those
who are currently 13-31 years old) from the following list, what would you name
it?"
Base: Gen Y
|
|
Total |
|
|
% |
|
Internet Generation |
32 |
|
Generation Tech |
27 |
|
Networked Generation |
11 |
|
Green Generation |
10 |
|
Millennials |
10 |
|
Generation Y |
10 |
TABLE 11
WHAT WOULD YOU NAME OR RENAME YOUR OWN GENERATION?
"If you could name or rename your own generation (those
who are currently 32-43 years old) from the following list, what would you name
it?"
Base: Gen X
|
|
Total |
|
|
% |
|
Generation Tech |
25 |
|
Dot Com Generation |
22 |
|
Forgotten Generation |
15 |
|
Generation X |
14 |
|
Generation Next |
13 |
|
Latchkey Generation |
12 |
TABLE 12
WHAT WOULD YOU NAME OR RENAME YOUR GENERATION?
"If you could name or rename your own generation (those
who are currently 44-62 years old) from the following list, what would you name
it?"
Base: Baby Boomers
|
|
Total |
|
|
% |
|
Baby Boomers |
27 |
|
Self-Empowered Generation |
24 |
|
Generation Innovation |
17 |
|
Woodstock Generation |
13 |
|
Generation Liberation |
10 |
|
Me Generation |
9 |
TABLE 13
WHAT WOULD YOU NAME OR RENAME YOUR GENERATION?
"If you could name or rename your own generation (those
who are currently 62-83 years old) from the following list, what would you name
it?"
Base: Silent Generation
|
|
Total |
|
|
% |
|
Responsible Generation |
44 |
|
Transition Generation |
19 |
|
Rock and Roll Generation |
17 |
|
Pioneering Generation |
9 |
|
Invisible Generation |
5 |
|
Silent Generation |
5 |
Methodology
This study was conducted online within the United States by
Harris Interactive on behalf of Charles Schwab and Age Wave between March 28 and
April 22, 2008 among 3,868 adults (aged 21 to 83). Figures for age, sex, race,
education, income, investable assets and region were weighted where necessary to
align them with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score
weighting was also used to adjust for respondents’ propensity to be online.
All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use
probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most
often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage
error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording
and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore,
Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are
misleading. All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors
with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100%
response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close
to this ideal.
Respondents for this survey were selected from among those
who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been
weighted to reflect the composition of the adult population. Because the sample
is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no
estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.
These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of
the National Council on Public Polls.
J33506
Q620, 625, 630
About Harris Interactive
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research. With a long and rich history in multimodal research, powered by our
science and technology, we assist clients in achieving business results. Harris
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information, please visit www.harrisinteractive.com.
Press Contact:
Tracey McNerney
Harris Interactive
585-214-7756
press@harrisinteractive.net
Harris Interactive Inc. 8/08
|
