YOUTH AND THE ELECTORATE
A brief study on youth, the church, and politics.
MILLENNIALS
Today’s teenagers are part of the Millennial generation (a term that Thom Rainer uses in his book The Bridger Generation). This generation (those born between 1980 and 2000) is the largest generation in the history of America, surpassing the Boomer generation (those born between 1946 and 1964) (Thom Rainer and Jess Rainer, The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation (Nashville: B&H Publishing Group, 2011), 15.)
At the time of this paper, a teenager would be considered those in 6th grade (born 2002-2003) through 12th grade (born 1996-1997). These Millennials have influenced everything from marketing to fashion and have been pivotal in the world of politics. The media took notice in the Presidential Election of Barack Obama. “According to CNN exit polls, millennials voted for Obama 60% to 36% and accounted for 19% of all voters, up from 17% in 2008.” (“Why Obama Won: Hispanics, Millennials Were the Difference,” Forbes [on-line]; accessed 24 August 2016; available from http://www.forbes.com/sites/joelkotkin/2012/11/07/why-obama-won-hispanics-millenials-were-the-difference-makers/#4c9b1457caf0; Internet.)
There were about 46 million 18-29 year old that were eligible to vote in the 2012 presidential election( “Youth Voting Stats,” Young Democrats of America [on-line]; accessed 15 December 2012; available from http://www.yda.org/resources/youth-vote-statistics/; Internet.) This generation is projected to make up about one-third of the electorate, making it one of the most influential and powerful generations in our history. The White House issued an economic report on the Millennial generation. The President’s Council of Economic Advisers published 15 Economic Facts About Millennials in October of 2014. Their study collaborated with ones previously mentioned in this paper. The first finding in the study was that the Millennials are the largest and most diverse generation in the United States population, comprising one-third of its 320 million ( The Council of Economic Advisers [PDF] “15 Economic Facts About Millennials” [On-Line] Accessed October 2014, pg. 44. Available from https://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/millennials_report.pdf; Internet)
What is worth noting is that the average age of this group is only 23 years of age. Their diversity is due to the fact that many of the Millennials are immigrants or the children of immigrants. The research concludes by stating, “The Millennial generation has taken part in many important transformations: from shifting ways of communicating and using technology, to changes in parenting practices, educational and career choices, and shifts in homeownership and family life.”
A brief snapshot of the typical Millennial is recorded by 2 major research studies turned into books: The Millennials: Connecting to America’s Largest Generation by Thom Rainer and UnChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks About Christianity...and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons. Rainer shows some typical characteristics of the Millennials:
The typical Millennial is not religious. In fact, according to their research they are the “least religious of any generation in modern American history,” yet they still claim to be spiritual. Many of the Millennials have a difficult time defining their beliefs.
The typical Millennial is educated. “Four out of five older Millennials received education beyond high school.” Not only do they have a desire to impact the future with this education, but it seems like they are poised to be in the best position to do so. This generation is by far the most diverse generation in American history. They are intentional about “including those of varying backgrounds, particularly those of different races.”
The typical Millennial is working. However, Millennials are not workaholics. Balancing social life, family, and career is extremely important for this generation, and the Millennials are not willing to obtain success at any cost. “Nine out of ten Millennials believe it is their responsibility to make a difference in the world.” Additionally, “six out of ten Millennials believe they will make some great contribution in their lifetime.”
The typical Millennial is not married. While this statements should not come as a surprise considering most of this generation is still fairly young, what needs to be noted is their concept of the family. A typical Millennial wants a connected family that is different than the broken- family norm of our culture. These Millennials hold to traditional attitudes about the family, even though the definition of family is in constant flux with this generation.
Millennials communicate unlike any other generation. At the time of publication (2011), Rainer notes that “seven out of ten Millennials say the cellphone is vital in their lives.” As of December 2013, the United States has 335.65 million cellular service subscribers, or a 104% penetration rate. In 2013 alone, these subscribers spent in excess of $35 billion in capital expenditures. This further breaks down to 96 billion multimedia message services, 32 trillion megabytes of data usage, 1.9 trillion text messages, and 2.6 trillion minutes of wireless traffic. A Pew Internet and American Life Project study over Social Media & Mobile Internet Use Among Teens and Young Adults provides interesting data on today’s Millennials: Both teen and adult use of social networking sites has risen significantly.
93% of teens ages 12-17 go online. 62% of online teens get news about current events and politics online. 48% of wired teens have bought things online like books, clothing or music, up from 31% who had done so in 2000. 31% of online teens get health, dieting or physical fitness information from the internet. And 17% of online teens report they use the internet to gather information about health topics that are hard to discuss with others such as drug use and sexual health topics.
Three-quarters (75%) of teens and 93% of adults ages 18-29 now have a cell phone. In the past five years, cell phone ownership has become mainstream among even the youngest teens. Finally, 58% of 12-year olds now own a cell phone, up from just 18% of such teens as recently as 2004.
Whether we like it or not, this is the world in which teenagers live today. Compared to previous generations, youth culture is bigger, faster, and ever-changing. But the need for relationship and connection is still there. Teens crave the connection and they are constantly wired into each other and the world around them. Factors such as fluctuating economics, the expansion of the middle class, and the rise of technology have made this generation experience a world unlike their predecessors. Yet even with the rise of connectivity, why do so many teens feel lonely? Students are constantly trying to fill the void of community and connection with something.
GENERATION Z
Who is this new generation? Those born between 1995 to 2010 (currently under the age of 25).
#1: Now constitutes 25.9% of the US population.
- Millennials (24.5%)
- Boomers (23.6%)
- By 2020, members of Gen Z will account for 40%
#2: Currently, the NONES (no religious affiliation) make up the second largest religious group in the US - second only to Catholics. Fastest growing religious group.
- 85% of American adults who were raised Christian, nearly a quarter of them no longer identify with Christianity
#3: 3 Major forces that shaped the NONES
- Secularization: process of becoming more secular. Peter Berger: process by which “sectors of society and culture are removed from the domination of religious institutions and symbols.” Church losing its influence as a shaper of life and thought in the wider social order.
- Privatization: process by which a chasm is created between the public and the private sphere of life, and spiritual things are increasingly placed within the private arena.
- Pluralization: process by which individuals are confronted with a staggering number of ideologies and faith options competing for their attention. No longer a “sacred canopy” - Berger
- Recession Marked: the most defining event in their lifetimes is the Great Recession (2007)
- Wi-Fi Enabled: Millennials as being “digital natives,” due to their comfort and innate abilities with digital technology.
- Multiracial: 4th wave of immigration following the passage of immigration reform in 1965 (majority of immigrants coming from Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.)
- Sexually Fluid: For Gen. Z, the idea of “acceptance” is often interchangeable with the idea of “affirmation”
- Post-Christian: It is the first post-Christian generation
Source: Meet Generation Z by James White
$3 trillion
“This fall, the older members of Gen-Z will be able to vote for the first time (only 26 percent of them say that they trust elected officials, according to the center’s research). By 2019, tens of millions of Gen-Z’ers will enter the workforce. And by 2020, the young adults will wield roughly $3 trillion in purchasing power.”
Excerpt From: The Washington Post. “Generation Z.” iBooks.
Rev. Dr. Justin Wog
Email: justinhwong@gmail.com
Website: http://cbchouston.org/youth.html
Location: 900 Brogden Road, Houston, TX 77024, United States
Phone: 281-300-2345
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbcyouthofhouston