Age & Generations

Senior Research Specialist Mary Madden's presentation on teens, social networking sites, and cell phones, prepared for the Consortium for School Networking meeting.

Despite their young age during his presidency, nearly half (48%) of Millennials say that Bill Clinton did the best job of any president in their lifetime.

After narrowing during the 1980s, the gap in economic well-being between Americans under 35 and those over 65 has widened. About one-fifth (22%) of householders under 35 lives in poverty, compared to just 11% of householders over 65.

Nearly two-thirds (64%) of the over-65 Silent generation believe that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world; just 32% of Millennials share this view.

Two-thirds of Millennials believe that relying on military force creates hatred that leads to more terrorism, a view shared by a significantly smaller portion (41%) of the over-65 Silent generation.

Nearly six-in-ten (59%) members of the Millennials group (ages 18 to 30) support allowing gays and lesbians to marry legally; just 33% of the over-65 Silent generation share this view.

In 2009, the gap in median net worth between households headed by adults over 65 and those headed by adults younger than 35 was $166,382.

The parents of teenagers are steeped in technology and are increasingly involved with their kids’ lives in online environments.

How American teens navigate the new world of "digital citizenship"

Households headed by older adults have made dramatic gains relative to those headed by younger adults in their economic well-being over the past quarter of a century.