What do 16- to 22-year-olds fear most? The breakdown of the family tops the list, according to a new study.
In the first survey conducted by cell phone, New America Media asked 16- to 22-year-olds what are the biggest challenges facing their generation. Topping the list was breakdown of the traditional family, followed by violence and poverty.
Sandy Close, executive director of New America Media, said teens desire what they don’t have: stable families.
“I think what you see in this poll is a yearning for connection and I don’t mean technology," she said. "I mean by high-touch interaction, conversation, dinner at home, reliability, proximity and predictability.”
Ninety percent of those surveyed expect to be married and have families despite their fears.
“They assume they’re going to be married,” Close told Family News in Focus. “They assume they’re going to be parents. They assume they’re going to own homes, and they express a wonderful confidence.”
Laura Buddenberg with the Center for Adolescent and Family Spirituality at Girls and Boys Town said teens want “Till death do us part.”
“The thing that’s frustrating for them and what comes through when we work with kids is that’s what they want, but they think it’s impossible to get,” she said. “Here’s the deepest desire of your heart, but everywhere you look it doesn’t seem to be coming true. You want it, but you have no idea how to get it. It’s very frustrating.”
