Young people are strongly performance-oriented, have a pronounced awareness of social relationships, are pragmatic when it comes to everyday challenges and have an optimistic attitude to life. This is how Germany’s younger generation sees itself, according to the 16th Shell Youth Study, which appeared in mid-September. Published every four years and funded by the Shell energy company in Germany, the study has been regarded as the most important barometer of youth opinion in Germany for almost 60 years. It presents young people’s ideas, desires, hopes and fears.
What do today’s youngsters consider “in” and what’s “out”? How do they imagine their own futures? Are they interested in politics? Do they personally do anything for climate protection? For the 2010 study, social researchers at Bielefeld University and the institute of TNS Infratest Sozialforschung interviewed more than 2,500 young people between the ages of 12 and 25 at the beginning of this year, asking them a number of questions about their living situation and their beliefs and values. The current study focused especially on the question of how young people reacted to the financial and economic crisis. The answer is that the majority have remained optimistic despite the times of crisis and uncertain employment prospects. Positive thinking is “in”: compared to 2006, young people’s optimism has actually increased. Some 59% (2006: 50%) look to the future with confidence. Education, primarily the school-leaving qualification, is considered the decisive factor here. The family, which is seen as an important base and emotional support, has also gained in significance, as has young people’s desire to have children themselves. Interest in politics has also risen slightly, while distinct disapproval is shown towards the world of business and finance. There has been an increase in social commitment: 39% regularly support neighbourhood and social causes. One subject that concerns young people particularly strongly is climate change: 76% consider it a great or even very great problem.
Young people in 2010 combine classic values such as personal fulfilment with conservative attitudes to the family and friendship. They do not believe in a closed value system and attempt to assert themselves within society, sums up Bielefeld-based social researcher Professor Mathias Albert.////
