MILLENNIALS ARE MORE
OPTIMISTIC THAN THEIR PARENTS THAT THEY CAN SOLVE GLOBAL
CHALLENGES
Results of new CGI
University-Microsoft Pulse on America survey of young adults shows a trust in
technology; and that education, the economy and human rights are Millennials’
top-ranked concerns
The poll was released today as more than 1,000 college students gather this weekend for the Clinton Global Initiative University (CGIU) meeting at Arizona State University in Tempe to engage in developing solutions to some of the most pressing concerns of the Millennial generation. These undergraduate and graduate students will create nearly 700 Commitments to Action - new, specific, and measurable plans to address their generation’s greatest challenges.
The poll examined the issues that drive Millennials to action, the tactics they think are useful to enact change, and the characteristics that their generation has that gives them the potential to make the world a better place:
- The most important issues to Millennials, personally, are education (97% important), human rights (94% important), and the economy (96% important);
- The poll showed that 59% of Millennials are committed to action and believe that the best way to make an impact on a cause or issue is by dedicating time to a cause; 86% think it is important that businesses donate to worthy causes, 80% think it is important that businesses give back to the community;
- Millennials believe their generation is uniquely positioned to handle social issues because compared to their parents’ generation, they are more creative (81% to 19%), open minded (81% to 19%), and innovative (79% to 21%).
This generation believes that changing accepted beliefs is possible. They see HIV/AIDS and cancer as challenges that will see progress within their lifetimes. The Millennials say their generation cares more than their parent’s generation about making information free and accessible, understanding other cultures and finding a true calling.
The CGIU-Microsoft Pulse on America was conducted online between March 18th and March 20th among a representative sample of 1,006 Americans aged 17 to 26 by Global Strategy Group. The overall margin of error on the survey is +/- 3.1%. The margin of error on sub-samples is greater.
This afternoon, in real-time, more than one thousand undergraduate and graduate college students attending CGIU from around the world and anyone watching the event’s live stream will have the opportunity to participate in a live Pulse discussion during a plenary session on the “Future of Higher Education.” People will be able to agree or disagree with ideas shared in the session by voting on Microsoft technology from their smart phones and tablets inside the auditorium or while watching a live stream of the event at live.cgiu.org at 1:45 PM MST.
The session will feature remarks from Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and feature Arizona State University Vice President and University Dean for Entrepreneurship and Innovation Mitzi Montoya, Author and Activist Nikhil Goyal, Duplin County Schools Superintendent of Schools Austin Obasohan, The MasterCard Foundation President and Chief Executive Officer Reeta Roy, and The Barefoot College Founder and Director Bunker Roy.
Detailed Takeaways:
DIRECTION AND ISSUES
Education, human rights and the economy are the most important issues for Millennials.
- 72% say education is very important to them personally, followed by 64% who
say human rights is and 62% who indicate the economy is very important
personally.
Millennials believe their generation cares more about key issues than their parents’ generation.
- On a host of major issues, most notably the environment (76% to 24%), human rights (69% to 31%), education (65% to 35%), and to a lesser extent both health care (56% to 44%) and poverty (51% to 49%), Millennials say their generation cares more than their parents’ generation.
- Millennials say they care more about understanding other cultures (78%) than their parents’ generation (22%).
- The Millennial generation also sees a disconnect between their generation’s
goals and its willingness to take action.
- While Millennials describe their generation as more ambitious than their parents’ generation (59% to 41%), they view themselves as far less hard-working (24% to 76%).
- 62% of Millennials say their generation is better equipped to handle the
greatest issues facing society relative to their parents’ generation at the same
age.
- This group is most likely to highlight access to better technology (72%) as the key factor over other reasons for why their generation is better situated to address major issues.
- For those who do not believe Millennials are better situated to address
major issues than their parents’ generation, they cite Millennials’ weaker
personal beliefs and values (62%) as well as weaker societal ties and
connections (40%) as reasons for this.
For Millennials, human rights rank as a top concern on par with economic issues.
- Millennials are just as likely to say human rights (64% say it is a very important issue) are a major concern for them as the economy (62%).
- 64% believe the country is on the right track on the issue.
- Millennials also highlight human rights as a sector where they believe their
generation will make a significant contribution (52%).
Climate change is a real issue for Millennials, and they overwhelmingly point to human activity as the key reason for it.
- 66% of Millennials say there is solid evidence that the Earth has been
getting warmer over the past few decades.
- Among this group, three-fourths (75%) name human activity as the reason rather than natural patterns in the Earth’s environment.
- While 54% believe their generation will make a significant contribution to the environment, 57% believe they will leave the environment in worse condition than they found it.
- Millennials are divided on whether the problem of climate change is best
addressed by political action by governments around the world (50%) or action by
individual citizens (50%).
- However, they are willing to do their part: three-fourths (76%) would be
willing to pay more for a product from a company that follows environmentally
sustainable practices.
- However, they are willing to do their part: three-fourths (76%) would be
willing to pay more for a product from a company that follows environmentally
sustainable practices.
Millennials recognize the economic realities they face, with doubts about whether the American Dream is as attainable today as in the past.
- 66% say they are worse off than their parents’ generation when it comes to finding jobs.
- Millennials are split on whether the ability to achieve the “American Dream” (45% better now/55% worse now) is as strong for their generation as it was for their parents.
- 69% of Millennials believe their generation will make progress in closing the pay gap between men and women.
EDUCATION
Millennials give education quality and access low grades.
- Millennials grade the quality of kindergarten through 12th grade education in the United States today as a 2.12 on a GPA scale and give college education a 2.56 GPA.
- Millennials are more inclined to disagree (56%) that most Americans today have access to an affordable college education.
- Millennials say that a college education is very important for having a successful career (58%) and becoming financially stable (56%).
- However, Millennials do not view college education to be as vital for making a positive impact in the community (25% very important) or helping the less fortunate (24%).
- The vast majority of Millennials (72%) believe technology has made a college education more important (by widening the gap between the highly skilled and others)
WORK & ENTREPRENEURSHIP
When it comes to work, Millennials value free time and freedom over financial rewards.
- Millennials are more likely to say that work/life balance is a very
important concern for them (66%) in choosing to join or stay at a job than
opportunity for advancement (59%) or a high starting salary (38%).
- For this generation, freedom to work on their own ideas and projects (35% very important) ranks on par with salary concerns.
- 63% of Millennials are interested in starting their own business in their
lifetime.
- Freedom and independence of being their own boss (31%) and having control over their own work and ideas (30%) are the factors that make the idea most appealing to them, ahead of other rationales such as the financial rewards (12%).
They are willing to put their money where their mouth is and pay more for products made by companies that pay fair wages, manufacture in the US (76%), donate to charity (81%), are green, (76%) maintain a diverse workplace (66%).
About Clinton Global Initiative University
The Clinton Global Initiative University (CGI U), a program of the Clinton Global Initiative, brings together college students to address global challenges with practical, innovative solutions. CGI U participants do more than simply discuss problems – they take concrete steps to solve them by creating action plans, building relationships, participating in hands-on workshops, and following up with CGI U as they complete their projects. Since 2008, students have made more than 4,000 Commitments to Action. Previous CGI U meetings have taken place at Tulane University, the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Miami, the University of California at San Diego, the George Washington University, and Washington University in St. Louis, and have convened more than 5,500 students from over 800 schools, 130 countries, and all 50 states. To learn more, visit cgiu.org.
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI), an initiative of Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, convenes global leaders year-round and at its Annual Meeting to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States. To date, members of the CGI community have made more than 2,800 Commitments to Action, which are already improving the lives of more than 430 million people in over 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $103 billion. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.
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