Young People: Seriously Green

There’s so much written about young people being the most antisocial of groups – no respect for their elders, community, ‘selves, etc. But we can report that ‘green’ ethical and sustainability issues are high up on their agenda. Indeed, half of 19-25 year-olds said that they would pay more for something that is ethically sound. But they come across as having a wider sense of ‘taking care’, not just of the environment, but of themselves and others. About one quarter of them give money to charity on a daily basis, which considering they are not exactly rolling in it, is pretty impressive stuff. It’s probably for this reason that 27% of 22-25 year-olds give on a daily basis, compared to 24% of 19-21 year-olds. Perhaps even more surprising, is that 24% volunteer as part of the daily lives. It’s quite something that they are both giving in terms of their time and their money. As the plight of the wider world is highlighted more and more, young people get a sense that it is not just ‘out there’ that’s impacted, but much closer to home, too. And, crucially, they want to do something about it.

HEALTH:YOUNG PEOPLE CARE ABOUT IT; ON THE INSIDE AND OUT

Since youth began back in the black and white days of media, it’s been all rock ‘n’ roll rebelliousness, live fast die young and leave a good looking corpse. As Oscar Wilde pointed out, ‘youth is wasted on the young’. When the young are in rude health is precisely the time they’ll be abusing themselves with fast food, drugs, alcohol and the like. But Tech Tribe reveals that today’s youth are more concerned with the way they treat their bodies. A huge 76% of 19-25 year-olds try and watch what they eat on a daily basis. But they don’t just care about what’s on the inside: 51% also have a daily skincare regime. And with brands like King of Shaves and Bulldog it’s not just for girls. There’s a bit of an irony here, in that the under 25s don’t really need a skincare routine, blessed as they are with the elasticity of youth. You can understand more that they care about the exterior, but it’s pretty impressive that they look after themselves from the inside out. What might be the reason for this conscientious approach to their bodies and wellbeing? Well, it’s not always for the best reasons, but a looks-orientated society with a proliferation of media highlighting this and offering solutions, almost certainly increases awareness and activity in this respect.