Young people and social issues

Think tank Demos has published Introducing Generation Citizen, a report which states that today’s teenagers are more engaged with social issues than ever before.

Key findings from the report include that:

• 80 percent of respondents thought that their generation was more concerned about social issues than previous generations;
• 56 percent of teachers thought that 14 and 15 year olds were more engaged in social issues than previous generations and 66 percent of teachers thought this about 16 and 17 year olds;
• Teenagers see themselves as less engaged with traditional politics than previous generations, however 84 percent of teenagers said they intended to vote upon turning 18;
• Teenagers see charities, social enterprises and businesses as making a more positive impact in their communities than politicians;
• Over half of teenagers reported that they had raised money for charity, 35 percent had signed a petition to support a local or national issues and a third helped an organisation such as a local charity;
• 87 percent of teenagers agreed that using social media was an effective way to gain momentum behind social issues, while 71 percent believed that social media were just as important as more traditional ways for raising awareness of social issues; and
• 81 percent of teenagers considered that they were negatively presented in the media and this was having an adverse impact on their lives with 85 percent stating that negative stereotypes affected employment opportunities.

To download the full report visit www.demos.co.uk/files/Generation_Citizen_-_web.pdf?1392764120.