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Generation gap largest since 1960s, study finds

I'm not surprised by the survey results here. What I observe is that many parents fail to talk to their children about their values at all, let alone in a way that applies them to real-life. They fail to give them many guidelines and generally just let society and friends teach. This current generation enjoys an unprecedented level of good living without learning consequences at an early age of their decisions. Furthermore, a surprising number of parents I know like their teenagers to explore areas beyond their own values.

There are many factors for this, but parents are in control and failing to just talk to their kids and stay close. It starts with disinterest at an early age. I see this as a shift that as a societal 'global warming' with far-reaching impact for the children of this generation.

I find these older people to be more respectable than these younger people. They have more experiences going through the years while younger people took a lot of things for granted. I've leaned toward associating with these people so I can benefit how I can live my life. I am grateful for these older people guiding me through life a bit easier.

"18- to 29-year-olds voted for Democrat Barack Obama by a 2-to-1 ratio."
Proof that each generation produces a more liberal generation than the stodgy one before them.

At age 64, I look around at people near my age and see a huge disparity in "apparent age," that is, some 64 year olds look and act much older than other 64 year olds. In general, however, age 64 is much, MUCH younger than I thought it was when I turned 30.

In terms of religion, my own seven children have about the same average dedication to the Mormon faith as my own generation, that is, about the same as the average among my wife and me, my siblings, and my brothers- and sisters-in-law. That observation may or may not be generally true among Mormons.

"If you're not a Democrat at 20, you have no heart. If you're not a Republican at 30, you have no brain."

Of course it would help if our Republican leaders actually had been acting like Republicans, instead of Democrats.

That said, it's still possible to raise conservative children. At age 14 and 11, my kids are very aware of politics and the world, and see things with conservative, religious values.

I don't understand... If you are a republican and conservative you automatically are an upstanding moral person. But if you are Democrat and liberal you're just not moral??? This is what I have been getting from some of these posts

I think some of you people need to get out of your little box...

Thank God these old, traditionalistic views are dieing off. We can now move forward to a more free thinking, accepting, live and let live America. Where all people are free. I love how the older crowd automatically deams us younger people as immoral, misguided sould with no manners or respect. The same can be said to all of you who automatically judge and look down upon us because of our free thinking attitudes. We are seen as immoral because we think it is ok to let the gay couple who loves each other get married and have children??? Maybe you are immoral for trying to force your religion and "values" upon everyone else. Thank God for a new wave of freedom and justice for ALL!!! Not just freedom and justice for all who believe the same religion as me.

As for you senior missionary in Peru... you state "That observation may or may not be generally true among Mormons."

Typical for you to stand on your box and say that these problems don't affect the Mormons. That all is well in la la land... keep thinking that... you will see how wrong you are!

To all other "independent youth": As a teacher of your very age group, (and being only 33 years old myself) I have witnessed the best and worst that this generation has to offer. I have seen rampent apathy on one hand and incredible moral strength, kindness and manners on the other.
However, if I had to make a generalization from my years of being a youth and working with youth, then I would have to say that the moral climate and the free thinking, and the overall manners and entitlement of the youth is reaching empidemic proportions.
I love,honor and admire the aging generation. I not only support their stand on moral issues, but I strive to live them and ingrain them into my students.
The youth of today have so many opportunities at their fingertips. Yet with the attitude that many are taking, many of those opportunities may be taken away because of this attitude of free thinking. This may come from an outside influence, but more likely from an addiction that they have brought upon themselves because of that very attitude.
I love the youth and pray for their success.

The reason there's such a difference between the older and younger generations is simple: The younger generation (of which I am, sadly, a part) are generally idiots.

- We are demanding higher pay while working less hours than any previous generation.
- Key educational metrics (ACT scores, literacy rates) are trending down.
- The amount of wasted time (i.e. time spent watching TV, movies, texting, surfing the web, and playing video games) are trending up.....WAY up.
- The sense of entitlement to have whatever your parents had without having to work for it is also up.
- Poor financial planning/management is worse among the young.

Looking at these facts, it's easy to see why my generation are electing people like Obama - promises of getting something for nothing, removal of personal responsibility, etc. I take that back....we're not as idiotic as I stated previously.

Umm, maybe you need to re-take biology? Gays can't have children, unless they have other people's children. Whether you look at it from a religious standpoint, a legal standpoint, or a biological one, gay marriage doesn't make sense. The whole reason for legal marriage is not to validate feelings. It's to protect the potential children that may result, and the wife, who as the child bearer and usually the caregiver is in a weaker economic position. Neither situation is applicable in a gay relationship.

Every society that has ever let traditional morality fall apart has fallen itself. Children need both fathers and mothers, and suffer from the lack of either one. Plenty of social research backs this up.

It is so ridiculous watching liberals talk out of both sides of their mouths - on the one hand they say that it doesn't matter the gender of parents, and then you get female politicians and judges - who "bring something totally different" to their positions. How is it that gender matters in politics, business and the judicial system, but not in parenting?

I guess if you think that you have more free thinking, and acually it seems that each new generation votes in more government with more control.

I was raised as conservative as they come. To this day, my siblings are among the most conservative people you could ever meet. I completed a bachelor's degree. My views were even more conservative! I completed a Master's Degree. My views began to get radical. Now I bristle when I talk to my siblings because their views are so out of touch and simple-minded. I am liberal now, and it took education and many years to get that way. Funny thing is, my children are peers and colleagues in the liberal camp! We have no generation gap.

Don't pride yourself on how conservative you children are at the ripe old ages of 11 or 14 or even 18, 20, or 30. At the age of 30 I was a conservative monster! Now I cringe when I think of those dogmatic, ignorant times!

Parents have to learn the truth that YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OR INFLUENCE ON YOUR CHILDREN'S ULTIMATE POLITICAL BELIEFS! As much as you try to indoctrinate them, they will be more persuaded by contemporaries rather than you. Get used to it. Your religion and your politics are one generation from extinction.

This might be mean; I look at the older generations as dinosaurs. With any generation you can find the strong parts and pick apart their short comings. Lets look at the past 30 years. Right now heath care is unaffordable. Public education has been knowingly broken for some time now, and still is. The average house price went from 20,000 in 1970 to 230,000 in 2007. We have been in some kind of war for over 30 years now (and were a peaceful nation?). You have let congress be filled with greedy people that have no character or who want to help America. I bet the older generations have NO IDEA who owns/runs the Federal Reserve (they control our money if you didnt know). The worst of all. Is our economy, the US economy is crippled. Why should we follow your lead generations of the past? All of this makes me a little angry. But more, it makes me truly disappointed. It really hurts when you look at your father disappointed that he didnt take more actions to guarantee the quality of America. Respectfully written by the younger generation, I am 23.

@ Teacher of Youth...

I completely agree with you that with every generation there are good and bad. I am not saying that all the youth of today are amazing, wonderful people, and that the older generation is full of closed minded, bigots! I know many, many people of the older generation, who I look up to an admire. All I am saying is that this new generation has all of these oppurtunities because of our free thinking. Imagine how it would be if the free thinkers of the past just sat aside and put racial rights and womens rights on the back burner??? Imagine what the older generations of Great Britian thought of the younger, free thinking people who sailed across the Atlantic in search of religous freedom??? The point is, great things happen, when people learn from the fathers, and their fathers before them, and dare to change things for the better! Of course my generation has things it needs to work on, but we will dare to push the envelope and bring freedom and free thinking to all. And it will be good!

God bless our young people.
If it weren't for them, we would see no progress whatsoever.
And this is the way it has been since time began.

To the younger generation, "angry" about what has happened - I simply say "HARD WORK IS THE ANSWER".

dont assume this "younger" generation doesnt know what hard work is. Who do you think will be putting roofs on house for the next decade? The young generation. Plus parents lead by example! its called parenting

To anonymous 9:53, It seems a though you are intelligent, but maybe the change in you was not because of education but indoctrination.

the legal voting age should be raised to 40. I'm not kidding.

To "in my opinion"

How old are you? I think the legal voting age should be raised to one year older than whatever your age is!