Non-religious but moral, what really drives the young.
Laurie Penny has written a great piece on the Guardian Comment is Free about the motivations of the Millennials, those born between 1980 and 1999. She says that the millennial generation is typecast as a narcissistic, shallow, carefree generation, not nearly as worthy or spiritual as Gen X or baby boomers. This seems to be justified by the rapid decline of millennials attendance at churches and other religious organisations. However, she clams this marks something else. Speaking about Tasmin Omond, a trainee Anglican priest turned political activist, she says:
“Like many young people, Omond has a deep sense of moral and social justice, but does not trust ancient spiritual and political institutions to deliver the change she wants. That change is specific and, compared with the ambitions of previous generations, surprisingly restrained: most millennials do not dream of vast riches or a utopian new world order, but of the chance to hold down a decent job in a world that isn’t on fire.”
Maybe part of what is going on here is the youths movement towards politics as a way to make the world a better place.
“Godless though we are, the millennial generation is far from degenerate: we are driven by an urgent impulse to stabilise society. Given the opportunity, we may yet save the world – and like the war generation before us, we are also destined to be the next great generation of squares, the solid, conventional adults who future generations will grow up to rebel against. My generation’s ambitions, like our pop stars, are ambitious, bland and bourgeois. But with the world falling down around our ears, can anyone blame us?”
Read Laurie’s full article here.
