A new research has shown that British teenagers believe that their generation will have a worse life than their parents.
Findings of the study name money, jobs and the climate crisis were named among the concerns of 1,001 teenagers aged 14 to 17 who were questioned by YouGov for the children’s charity Barnardo’s.
When asked to imagine their lives at the age of 30, 55% of teenagers said that they believed their lives would be worse than the previous generation, while another 34% thought the next generation of children’s lives would not be any better.
Out of those surveyed, 9% said they felt “hopeless” about their future.
Reacting, Lynn Perry, the chief executive of Barnardo’s, said that children believing their lives would be harder than their parents’ “is a sign the social contract is broken and we’re at risk of failing the next generation”.
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“It’s our job to make the world better for our children, not worse,” she added.
One teenager said: “Everyone is struggling these days. My mum struggles to pay the bills and she’s a nurse with a master’s degree. I’m not that clever, so imagine my life will be harder than hers. We used to be able to go on holidays but Mum can’t afford it any more.”
Another said: “My parents got their mortgage at 21. I don’t think people my age will be able to do that.”
Money worries were something that 19% felt they would struggle with, as they believed they would not have enough money at 30 to live comfortably. Of the teenagers asked, 10% felt they were unable to change their futures.
Story was adapted from the Guardian.
