Members of the Millennial generation are enthusiastic about the technological and communication advances of the past decade according to a new study by Pew Research Center for the Press. Cell phones where shown as one of the best innovations of the decade.
Innovations in cell phones, email and online shopping are seen as changes for the better by most Americans with positive views reaching well beyond the youngest Millennial generation. These kinds of change are viewed at least as favorably by Americans in their 30s and 40s as they are by those in their late-teens and 20s and, in many cases, it is only those 65 and older who have less enthusiastic views of these innovations.
More than seven-in-ten (72%) among those in the 18-29 age group --
the so-called Millennials -- say that high-tech communications devices
such as Blackberrys and iPhones represent a change for the better. More
than six-in-ten (62%) of those ages 30-49 agree. Not surprisingly,
smaller percentages of those in the 50-64 age bracket (51%) and those
ages 65 and older (33%) see the advances in smart phone technology that
way. For the public as a whole, 56% say these handheld devices are a
change for the better, a quarter see them as a change for the worse and
12% say they have made no difference.
While social networking sites are seen as especially popular among
the young, Millennials are no more likely than the 30-49 age group (45%
each) to say that websites such as Facebook represent a change for the
better. The numbers for the public as a whole indicate greater
ambivalence: 35% of Americans say these sites are a change for the
better, 21% say they are a change for the worse and 31% say they have
made no difference. Older people express greater skepticism. Among
those ages 50-64, 25% say this is a change for the better, while 33%
say it is a change for the worse. Among those ages 65 and older, 21%
say social networking sites are a change for the better, 21% say they
are a change for the worse and 27% say they have made no difference.
About three-in-ten (31%) did not give an answer.
For more on the public's, the Millennials' and other age groups'
views of the past decade including opinion on the most important event
of the 2000s and ratings of other recent decades -- including the one to
come -- see Current Decade Rated as Worst in 50 Years.