WASHINGTON 鈥斅營t is聽now the biggest generation聽in America 鈥斅爕es, bigger than the Baby Boom.聽The Facebook-connected millennial generation, ages 18 to 36, already聽has had an impact on American politics and now is聽shaping America’s future.
The impact of millennials will聽displace Baby Boomers’ long-standing social, economic and cultural dominance over the past 50 years, says Quentin Kidd,聽director聽of the聽Judy Ford Wason Center聽for Public Policy聽at聽Christopher Newport University.
“This is the biggest generation that this country has ever had,鈥� he says.
鈥淭hey are going to have an enormous impact as they mature. They are going to do things differently than the way we’ve been doing them.聽But they care fundamentally about聽the same things that聽we聽all do,” such as better jobs, good schools and safe communities.
reveals聽the聽perceptions of Virginia millennials on topics such as where they are聽in their lives, what issues are important and their economic lives.
The聽study聽finds聽millennials聽feel聽like they are playing catchup after the Great Recession of 2008-2009聽took聽a financial bite out of their聽lives.聽And they are聽feeling stressed by the weak economy that聽greeted them聽as they graduated into聽adulthood and continues to affect them.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e not happy about the jobs situation,”聽Kidd says, but they remain optimistic 鈥斅爀ven though they don’t believe聽job prospects in the future will be any better. Seventy-one percent say job opportunities over the next five years will be about the same.
The study shows聽they are less religious than generations that have gone before them, and they don’t care much for聽political parties.
He says this is part of a national trend.
“They don’t see politics as a primary way to solve problems. They see community engagement and volunteering as a more meaningful way to solve problems.”
Kidd聽says the generation is by and large rejecting institutions, be they institutionalized religious denominations or institutionalized political parties.
鈥淚 really think that’s what’s going on: a rejection of institutions as much as anything else,” he says.
Millennials are not聽attracted to traditional news sources, the study finds.聽Virginia millennials get their聽current events,聽lifestyle news and information from a variety of sources, but social media platforms dominate.
“Facebook is the most common source for millennials, with聽28 percent聽getting their news this way,鈥� Kidd says.
Nearly two-thirds say they are considering moving,聽especially to Northern Virginia, in the next five years, Kidd says. He says about 45 percent of those who said they would move would move to Northern Virginia, which they see as being “where the action is economically.”
The survey聽questioned 2,004 Virginia millennials between July 20, 2015 and Aug. 4, 2015. Kidd says the goal of the report is to better understand impact they will have on Virginia.
