Teenagers more likely to oppose equal marriage…and tattoos
A new study has suggested that teenagers born since the millennium are the most socially conservative generation since the Second World War.
Teenagers in Generation Z are reported to be less in favour of same-sex marriage, transgender rights or the legalisation of cannabis than the two generations before them.
The report by The Gild, a brand consultancy, also suggested they will be much more financially prudent, saving more and spending less, than other generations – except for those born before the end of WW2 in 1945.
The Times reported the study questioned over 2,000 people on a range of social and financial issues and categorised the responses by age.
Anyone born prior to the end of the war was classed as the Silent Generation, 1946 to 64 the Baby Boomers, 1965 to 80 Generation X, 1981 to 2000 the Millennials and from 2001 onwards Generation Z.
Only children over the age of 14 were questioned from Generation Z to ensure answers were credible.
When asked to give answers to social issues on a scale of one to five, from very liberal to very conservative, 59 percent of the youngest group said they were on the conservative end of the spectrum.
This contrasts with Generation X and the Millennials who said they were either very or quite liberal with 83 percent and 85 percent respectively.
One in seven of Generation Z said they were “quite conservative” when it came to the issues of same-sex marriage and transgender rights. This compared with only one percent of Generation X and two percent of the Millennials answering the same.
Over ten percent of teenagers said they hated tattoos and body piercings, whereas only two percent of Millennials felt the same.
When it came to financial matters, a quarter of Generation Z said they would rather not spend money they didn’t have, with a further 22 percent adding they wouldn’t buy “unnecessary, frivolous things”.
This compared to almost half of the baby boomers who said money “was made to be spent”.
A British Government report, released last year, found that modern teenagers are less likely to get pregnant and smoke fewer cigarettes. However, it also said that self-harm and eating disorders had increased.
Earlier this year, PinkNews reported on a contrasting study that stated over half of Generation Z don’t identify as straight.
