For years, the American Dream – the idea that anyone who works hard and has the will to succeed can attain upward mobility and success – has been a core tenet of American society.
A new poll by YouGov suggests that, for Gen Z, the glitter of the American Dream is fading.
Respondents were asked “Is there such a thing as ‘The American Dream’?” Overall, 60 percent of the 1,119U.S. adult citizens who were consulted for the poll answered: “Yes, there is.” The rest were either unsure or did not believe there was.
Nearly one in three (30 percent) of 18-29-year-olds said: “No, there is not.” 17 percent were unsure, but 52 percent still believed in the concept.
In contrast, the older generation was much more likely to put their faith in the idea. 66 percent were believers in the dream, versus just 17 percent who did not, and 18 percent who said they were not sure.
The ever-increasing cost of both education and housing, as well as worsening inequality in the United States may be some of the underlying factors behind the disillusionment of America’s younger generations.
“The skyrocketing costs of college, the difficulty of climbing onto the property ladder, and surging economic inequality all contribute to the notion that the American dream is dying or dead,” Thomas Gift, associate professor of political science at University College London told Newsweek.
“Data on economic mobility suggest that the correlation between parental income and children’s income is higher in the U.S. than in almost any other advanced, Western democracy.
“That means that the possibilities and rewards for living out the American dream have never been greater for children born into the top percentage of households.
“But for everyone else, attaining economic security looks more challenging for millennials and Generation Z than it has in the past,” he added.
Source: https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-losing-faith-american-dream-july-4th-poll-1920497