Americans are much more optimistic about prospects for their own children than all children, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Only 34 percent of the public thinks the "next generation" will be the same or better off than its parents. But a much larger 61 percent of the public thinks "my kids" will be the same or better off. The more pessimistic response to general questions about the state of things (from children's prospects to crime to the quality of public schools) is a pattern that emerges repeatedly in attitudinal surveys.
Every age group is pessimistic about the prospects for the "next generation." Among adults under age 50, only 38 to 40 percent think the next generation will be at least as well off as its parents. The figure is an even smaller 26 to 27 percent among people aged 50 or older.
Every age group feels much more optimistic about the prospects for "my kids." The youngest adults are most optimistic, but the majority of the older age groups share that optimism. Here are the percentages by age...
My kids will be same/better off
Aged 18 to 29: 77%
Aged 30 to 49: 61%
Aged 50 to 64: 53%
Aged 65-plus: 54%
Source: Pew Research Center, What Will Become of America's Kids?
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