How to confuse a millennial? Make them telephone you. No texting....Kurt Schlichter Tweet
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The idea for this post came to me after watching Watters World on Fox News last week. If you've ever watched his show, he does interviews with a variety of people on the street, on college campuses, at events, etc. On this particular edition, he showed some young people photos of several past presidents including, but not limited to, Carter, Reagan, Bush 1 and JFK. With the exception of one young woman, none of the others interviewed could even recognize those past presidents.
It was that show that started me thinking about millennials. I did some research. It clearly shows no one should be surprised at not only our current warped cultural climate but the political climate as well. The following are some facts (Sources: Fox News, Pew Research, NY Post, Inc., Forbes, AARP...):
- They are more diverse than previous generations.
- The are generally well educated but also underemployed.
- Because of the above bullet point, the are also burdened with a lot of student debt. That debt piles up quickly when you can't find a job.
- They have no problem with socialism---hence a majority supported Bernie Sanders.
- Again, because of the above, it's why many millennials like the idea of free college tuition.
- Purchasing expensive clothing is not on the top of their list. Sixty percent responded they look for the cheapest price possible in clothing.
- But their type of "socialism" only relates to humanitarian causes---they don't want the government to control everything.
- Most millennials are well connected to social media (I know. Thank you Capt. Obvious). Broadcast TV does not interest them as much as content on their cell phones and/or tablets. Telephone land lines? Forget about it.
- Only 18% believe owning a home is that important.
- They are more prone to be impressed by celebrities and other successful millennials.
- They don't tend to drive, dress up or go on dinner dates as much as previous generations.
- Millennials want more globalization and free trade. They generally don't support Trump's plans for illegal immigrants. No surprise, since almost 45% of millennials are minorities.
- 66% of millennials voted for Obama in 2008. If millennials had not voted in 2012, Romney would now be president. Yet, even though a majority voted for Obama, apathy toward Obama set in during his second term.
- Traits such as hard-work, patriotism and morals are not high on their list of how millennials view themselves.
- Roughly two-thirds thought about owning a gun but do support some forms of gun control. Interestingly, a majority oppose a ban on "assault" weapons. ( "assault" weapons is their language, not mine).
- In 2015, half of millennials surveyed said they either still lived at home with their parents or delayed purchasing a home.
- Recent polls show Hillary Clinton has about 41% support among millennials while Trump only has about 10% or less.
All of this and more shows millennials continue to be confused and a tad disorientated. Their opinions are wide and varied on almost every issue. And while their politics is closer to the politics of Sanders, Clinton and even Libertarian Gary Johnson, they remain adrift.
Having said this, Kyle Smith, critic and novelist, wrote this recently when he examined the millennial generation: "Millennials will figure out who they are as soon as they start paying for their own bills."
That will probably happen after Obama leaves office.
Note: Part of my headline today is courtesy of Search Quotes
