Over the last several generations, Americans have undergone a stark and profound transformation in their beliefs and values. According to a recent poll, Gen Z — those currently aged 18-26 — are significantly less patriotic, less religious, and less likely to want children than the Baby Boomers who came three generations before them. This historic shift carries significant implications for the future.
The poll, by Public Opinion Strategies on behalf of NBC News, found that just 32 percent of Gen Z think patriotism is very important compared to 76 percent of Baby Boomers, ages 59-76. Only thirty-three percent of Gen Z agree that America is the best place to live, compared to 66 percent of Baby Boomers.
Gen Z is even less religious than it is patriotic. According to the survey, 26 percent of Gen Z say that a belief in God/religion is very important, compared to 65 percent of Baby Boomers. In 2000, just 14 percent of those ages 18-34 never attended a religious service. Today, that number has more than tripled, with 45 percent of those ages 18-34 never attending a religious service.
Similarly, just 23 percent of Gen Z think having children is very important, compared to 52 percent of Baby Boomers.
The poll shows that this seismic shift in core social values has come hand-in-hand with a change in political beliefs. The poll found that whereas just 51 percent of those over the age of 65 favor gay marriage, 84 percent of those ages 18-34 are in favor of it. More than half of those ages 18-34 — 55 percent — think society hasn’t gone far enough to end “gender discrimination,” compared to just 24 percent of those over 65. While 81 percent of those over 65 think America should address immigration with increased border security funding, just 54 percent of those 18-34 think so.
CHANGING VALUES. CHANGING PEOPLE.
Several developments can explain this profound shift in values. Much of America’s transformation into a less traditional, less conservative, and more liberal society began with the Baby Boomers in the 1960s. Three generations on, Gen Z’s beliefs are arguably the natural and inevitable consequence of decades of feminism, the sexual revolution, and anti-Americanism.
Demographic change is also a key factor in explaining these shifts. The Baby Boomer generation was born into an America that was still largely White Ango-Saxon Protestant, both in terms of values and ethnic makeup. But now, Americans’ values may be changing because Americans are changing.
According to a 2020 Pew survey, 22 percent of Gen Z have at least one immigrant parent, compared to 14 percent of Millennials. In both the West and the South, fewer than 50 percent of Gen Z are non-Hispanic white, and according to Census Bureau projections, Gen Z will be majority non-white by 2026.
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