在人們的一般印象中,年輕人應該是什么樣的?他們思想前衛(wèi),能很快接受社會上涌現的新思潮,行為大膽甚至出格,不斷挑戰(zhàn)老一輩人的傳統(tǒng)價值觀……但現在,英國的一項調查卻顯示出生于1990年代中葉至2000年后的“Z世代”年輕人成了二戰(zhàn)后最保守的一代人。
在歐美,人們用Z世代(Generation Z)來指代在1990年代中葉至2000年后出生的人,相當于中國95后和00后。如今,Z世代也逐漸成長到了進入社會的年紀,人們也開始關注這股社會上的新生力量。
提起嬰兒潮世代(指1945年~1965年出生的人),人們會想起嬉皮士或是迪斯科,而說到嬰兒潮后的X世代(指1966年~1980年出生的人)則會讓人們想起垃圾搖滾和都市美男,Z世代在人們眼里又是怎樣的形象呢?
近日,一家品牌咨詢機構針對Z世代的調查得出了令人驚訝的結果。調查顯示,Z世代是二戰(zhàn)以來最為保守的一代人。在調查中,14%的Z世代年輕人的立場非常保守,而在千禧世代和X世代中這個數字只有2%和1%。調查顯示,Z世代在對毒品、同性戀、紋身等事物的態(tài)度上都比前代人保守。
《泰晤士報》報道稱:
When asked where they judged their opinions on same-sex marriage, transgender rights and marijuana legalisation, on a scale of one to five, from very liberal to quite conservative, 59 per cent of Generation Z respondents said that they were on the conservative end of the spectrum while 83 per cent of Millennials and 85 per cent of Generation X respondents said they were either “quite” or “very liberal”.
當被要求以非常開明到非常保守五個選項來評價他們對于同性婚姻,變性人權力和大麻合法化的態(tài)度時,59%的Z世代受訪者稱他們偏向保守的一方。而83%的千禧世代(指1980年~2000年出生的人)和85%的X世代受訪者稱他們的態(tài)度“比較開明”或“非常開明”。
而據《每日郵報》報道:
As well as being more socially conservative, more than 10 per cent of teenagers were more likely to avoid tattoos.This compared to only two per cent of Millennials and six per cent of Generation X.
保守不只體現在社會問題上。超過10%的年輕人更有可能拒絕紋身。相比之下這一比例在千禧世代中只有2%,在X世代中為6% 。
The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 people, forms parallels with recent evidence that young people are less likely to drink and take drugs than their immediate elders.
這項研究調查了2000余人。最近的跡象表明,年輕人喝酒和吸毒的可能性比他們的上一輩更小。這與該調查得出的結果是一致的。
在如今日趨開放的社會,這樣的調查結果無疑令人驚訝。為什么越來越寬容自由的社會環(huán)境會培養(yǎng)出更加保守的一代人呢?很多人對此發(fā)表了自己的看法。
《泰晤士報》就此問題采訪了英國政府的首席科學顧問:
Sir Mark Walport, the government's chief scientific adviser, said that “digital immersion” had resulted in a rapid societal shift that was having a profound impact on young people.
政府的首席科學顧問Mark Walport爵士稱,“沉浸于數字世界”導致了社會的急速轉變,這對年輕人有著深刻的影響。
He said that the popularity of social media and computer games had left children with “l(fā)ess time and opportunity to participate in traditional risky behaviours” but that it had exposed them to more “hate content” online.
他表示社交媒體和電腦游戲的流行讓孩子們“更少有時間和機會參與傳統(tǒng)意義上的危險行為”,但也使他們更多地接觸到了網絡上的“惡意內容”。
而《電訊報》專欄作者Michael Deacon認為這只是年輕人反叛的一種體現:
Of course, those respondents are little more than children, and their views may change.Even so, I was taken aback.Weren't the young meant to be rebellious? Wasn't it their duty to push against established social norms?
當然,被調查者比孩子大不了多少,他們的觀點還可能變化。但即使是這樣,我也很震驚。難道年輕人不應該是叛逆的嗎?難道反對現有的社會行為規(guī)范不是他們的責任嗎?
But then I realised.That's exactly what today's teenagers are doing.The established social norms are now liberal,which makes conservatism a form of rebellion.If you want to shock your liberal parents, you need to be straitlaced.
但我很快意識到。這恰恰就是今天的年輕人正在做的事。現有的社會行為規(guī)范已經是自由主義的了。因此保守主義就成了一種反叛。如果你想嚇一嚇自由派的父母,那你就要古板一些。
盡管Z世代一反常態(tài)的保守立場令人驚訝,不過就像Michael Deacon說的那樣,Z世代的年紀比孩子大不了多少。因此,現在就給他們下定義為“保守的一代”未免言之過早。但保守思潮在年輕人中普遍出現這一不同尋常的現象也應引起人們的思考。
詞匯總結
millennial[m?'l?n??l]
adj.一千年的;千禧年的
This compared to only two per cent of Millennials and six per cent of Generation X.
相比之下這一比例在千禧世代中只有2%,在X世代中為6% 。
parallel with平行;與…比較
The research, which surveyed more than 2,000 people, forms parallels with recent evidence that young people are less likely to drink and take drugs than their immediate elders.
這項研究調查了2000余人。最近的跡象表明,年輕人喝酒和吸毒的可能性比他們的上一輩更小。這與該調查得出的結果是一致的。
rebellious[r?'belj?s]
adj.反抗的;造反的;難控制的
push against推,推撞;推擠
Weren't the young meant to be rebellious?Wasn't it their duty to push against established social norms?
難道年輕人不應該是叛逆的嗎?難道反對現有的社會行為規(guī)范不是他們的責任嗎?
straitlaced['streit'leist]
adj.嚴格的;固執(zhí)的;刻板的
v.用系帶縛緊(straitlace的過去式)
If you want to shock your liberal parents, you need to be straitlaced.
如果你想嚇一嚇自由派的父母,那你就要古板一些。