Going Further than the Previous Generation

The following is an excerpt from the Envision White Paper “Youth Believe They Will Surpass Their Parents.”

There are many concerns in American society—issues that are discussed in depth during an election year. Yet, in spite of frequent media conversations, those issues are not affecting the way American teenagers feel about their future.

A substantial 73% of Envision Youth Pulse survey respondents believe they will be more successful than their parents. Only one percent think they will be less successful. The remaining 26% felt they would equal their parents’ careers, and a few were unsure. Alumni of Envision’s career exploration programs were slightly more optimistic about their success, with 74.8% believing they would do better than their parents versus 70.8% for non-alumni.

These numbers are in high contrast to the way adults feel about America’s future. Only 34% of adults feel that today’s kids will be better off than their parents, according to a 2013 Pew Research Study focusing on the future generation’s performance. Optimism picked up when adults considered their own children, with 61% believing their kids would be better off or perform at roughly the same level as them.

So who is right, the kids or the parents? If history is any indicator, the children are. The Duke University 2008 Child and Youth Well-Being Index Project showed an incremental increase of two percent in generational prosperity through 1975- 2005. However, the study measured eras preceding the Great Recession.

“Youth confidence in the future is exciting to see,” said Andrew Potter. “It’s great to see this kind of optimism in an election year, especially when so many media reports are concerned about the future of the middle class. Still, the issues identified by our respondents—college choices and financial pitfalls—are central themes for young voters.”

Download the whole white paper “Youth Believe They Will Surpass Their Parents” today.