ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN — The next generation of American men and women are heading in opposite directions on the political spectrum, a new poll suggests.
The University of Michigan’s “Monitoring the Future” survey of high school seniors revealed that the young men are almost twice as likely to identify themselves as “conservative” than “liberal.” Conversely, the young women were close to three times as likely to do the opposite. The survey has been tracking teen sentiments for nearly half a century, dating back to 1975.
As recently as 2009, young men were more likely to identify as liberal (21 percent) than conservative (20 percent). Over the last 14 years, however, they have trended sharply in opposite directions. For the past three years, only 13 percent of young men identified as liberal, compared to those who lean right – between 23 and 26 percent during that same time period.
Meanwhile, the Left’s message has appealed to more and more young women over the past decade, jumping 12 points since 2014. For the past two years, three in ten young women surveyed identified as liberal. This increase has coincided with a steady decline in 12th grade women who identify as conservative – dropping from 16 percent in 2014 to 12 percent in 2023.
The shift is likely to impact elections, as voter turnout among women aged 18–24 was over four percentage points higher than their male peers during both the 2020 and 2022 elections.
SOCIAL MEDIA REACTIONS
The news attracted a flurry of interest on social media, with many opining about the cause of this shift in young men.
“They grew up in a cesspool of CRT Marxism, queer pseudoscience, and anti-white male hatred,” Joel Berry, managing editor of the Babylon Bee, wrote in a tweet that garnered nearly 1 million views.
They grew up in a cesspool of CRT Marxism, queer pseudoscience, and anti-white male hatred.
— Joel Berry (@JoelWBerry) July 31, 2023
Prepare for the most angry, dangerous right-wingers you’ve ever seen pic.twitter.com/ZtAjYCmK0m
“Our generation of young men have grown up entirely within a declining society,” tweeted University of Dayton GOP President Gabe Guidarini.
“They have been told to hate themselves based on their race and gender. They’ve been subjected to lockdowns, and ghoulish ideas being pushed on them. They never got to experience America when it was great, when it was something to be respected. The new generation of right-wingers will be the most extreme, intelligent, and ruthless in history.”
