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The World of Young People Today Victoria Guyatt, Deputy Head of Ethnography Ipsos MORI
04/12/2012
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British public is worried young people have little to do …
4639
3433
29212121
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The level of crime
Activities for teenagers
Road and pavement repairs
Facilities for young children
Public transport
Affordable decent housing
The level of traffic congestion
Clean streets
Source: Ipsos MORI clients – Place Survey 2008/9
Job prospects
Q Thinking about your local area, which 4 or 5 of the things on the card, if any, do you think most need improving?
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20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
% Im
port
ant i
n m
akin
g so
mew
here
a g
ood
plac
e to
live
% Most needs improving
Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor Base: c.23,000 online citizens, November 2009-January 2010
Cultural facilities
Parks
Education provision
Sport & leisure facilities
Race relations
Shopping facilities
Health services
Community activities
Clean streets
Activities for teenagers
Level of pollution
Public transport
Level of crime
Job prospects Affordable housing
What is important in our lives?
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20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
% Im
port
ant i
n m
akin
g so
mew
here
a g
ood
plac
e to
live
% Most needs improving
Cultural facilities
Parks
Education provision
Sport & leisure facilities
Race relations
Shopping facilities
Health services
Community activities
Clean streets
Activities for teenagers
Level of pollution
Public transport
Level of crime
Job prospects
Source: Ipsos Global @dvisor Base: c.23,000 online citizens, November 2009-January 2010
Affordable housing
International average Britain
In Britain we are less worried about education and more worried about teenagers than the international average
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What is the world like for young people?
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Today’s youth are living through
economic uncertainty…
…and rapid technological
change.
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
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Youth unemployment is at its highest level since
the mid 1980s
of 16-24 year olds are unemployed
Are young people bearing the brunt of the economic slowdown?
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2011/nov/16/youth-unemployment-hits-1m-uk
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
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Many students unsure of the value of taking degrees
Youth in education are worried ...
Job seekers worry about shrinking choice in jobs and how to differentiate themselves
“I feel sad for them... the Government should do more with apprenticeship schemes - they aren’t being given enough chances”
Adults, What do we think of Youth? group
Youth entering the job world are worried...
Adults are worried for Youth ...
Uncertain national mood …
What effect will the financial crisis have on my future?
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
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But I’m still aiming for success!
Happiness! Wealth
Material assets Well paid
job
Feelings of worry about the immediate future are mixed with ambition and hope for the longer term…
Financial security
Family
My future My here and now
I’m worried...
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
BUT Long term aspirations remain high
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Surrounded by human stories of fame and good fortune – ‘read how Branson made it to the top’, ‘Meet the band’ fansites.
This empowers young people to ‘make their goals their reality’ but brings pressures to achieve and attain
Empowerment Pressure
‘Meritocracy’ increases expectation
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
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Time to spare Time to care
School work - learning
16 -18s 18 - 21s 21 - 24s
Seeking instant gratification
First jobs Research / planning
Peer groups
Seeking certainty
Killing time
What am I up to?
University
What’s everyone up to?
Accepting ambiguity
Discovery
What are my options?
Decisions
Lifestyle
Across these age groups, social and attitudinal differences emerge
Time use and mindset changes with age
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
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Mum, Dad, Bro, Sis
Close face to face contact has biggest influence
Boyfriends, girlfriends
Peers
But wider circles provide powerful source of inspiration
Facebook and ‘real life’
friends
Wikipedia, Google
Media
Facebook pages, Twitter
Who influences them?
• Source: Ipsos MORI Youth in Transition 2011
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The impact of technology
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The younger ones are naturally ‘tech-y’
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"I'd rather give up, like, a kidney than my phone. How did you manage before? Carrier pigeons? Letters? Going round each others' houses on BIKES?“
Philippa Grogan, 16, The Guardian, 2010
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And adept at multitasking
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But they are easily distracted
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16 14 18
46 46 32
24 29 34
7 8 12
1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009
% Strongly disagree % Tend to disagree % Tend to agree % Strongly agree
...boredom threshold has fallen
2008
I am the sort of person that gets bored very easily
2005 2003
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What does society think of young people?
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4647484950515253545556
Marriedwithoutchildren
Childbearing
Pre-schoolchildren,oldest 5
Schoolchildren,
oldest 5-12
Teenagers,oldest 12-
16
First childgone to
last leavingat home
Empty nestto
retirement
Empty nextto death of
firstspouse
Study 1 Study 2 Study 3 Study 4
The terror of teenagers!
% happy during marriage
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Young people lack discipline and are materialistic …
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A majority think British teenagers need more discipline
2008
“Young people today have too much freedom and not enough discipline”
4 2 1 17 14 9
43 40 44
35 40 40
1997
% Strongly disagree % Tend to disagree % Tend to agree % Strongly agree
1999
Over 80% think young people have too much freedom
Source: Ipsos MORI, Real Trends 2008 Base: Self-completion and online, c. 2,000 British adults 16+ each wave
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Q To what extent do you think that the following are problems in your local area? (Materialism among young people)
Materialism amongst young people is perceived to be a problem by a significant majority
Base: All. Telephone interviews with 1,204 respondents aged 16+ in selected areas of England. Fieldwork dates 14 – 22 February 2012
35 32 17 8 9
A great deal To some extent Not very much Not at all Don't know
%
Source: DCLG/ Ipsos MORI, Research for the Riots Communities and Victims Panel, 2012
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Q To what extent do you agree or disagree that . . .? (Advertising puts pressure on young people to own the latest products)
A majority think there is too much pressure on young people to own the latest products
69 16 4 5 5 2
Strongly agree Tend to agree Neither/nor Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don't know
Base: All. Telephone interviews with 1,204 respondents aged 16+ in selected areas of England. Fieldwork dates 14 – 22 February 2012
Source: DCLG/ Ipsos MORI, Research for the Riots Communities and Victims Panel, 2012
%
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Young people themselves are fairly aspirational…
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6%
25%
44%
15%
Most teenagers still care what others think
Strongly agree
Tend to disagree
Tend to agree
Strongly disagree
“If other people are offended by my behaviour that is their problem…”
Source: Ipsos MORI, Real Trends 2008 Base: Self-completion and online, 2,019 British adults 16+ 9 May – 5 June 2008
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80% of young people intend to go into higher education – a rise since 2003
Source: Ipsos MORI/ Sutton Trust, Young People Omnibus 2010 (Wave 16), 2010 Base: c. 2,500 young people aged 11-16 each year
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Q How proud do you feel of the area where you live, or do you not feel proud of it at all?
Base: 2757 11-16 year olds Source: Ipsos MORI Young People Omnibus (January – April 2012)
Very proud
A bit proud
Not that proud
Not proud at all
Not stated
Proud 71% Not proud 27%
They’re proud of where they come from
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Q Do you think young people are treated fairly or unfairly….
Base: 2757 11-16 year olds Source: Ipsos MORI Young People Omnibus (January – April 2012)
They think they’re treated fairly
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Q Which one of these sentences do you agree with the most?
It doesn’t matter what background you’re from, anyone can be a success in life if they try
hard enough
It doesn’t matter how hard you try, you’ll only be
successful in life if you’re from the right background
Not stated
Neither of these
Base: 2757 11-16 year olds Source: Ipsos MORI Young People Omnibus (January – April 2012)
Success can be theirs!
Final thoughts
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• To first connect with young people, you need to give the ‘objects in cases’ status or credibility that relates to them. Inspire motivation
• Remember the importance of technology (but remember the attention span…) • Don’t assume they’re disengaged
and don’t care. They’re an aspirational bunch, and recognize the importance of education.