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Revealed: How much regular sex each generation is having

While it's often seen as a taboo subject, researchers from Kinsey Institute at Indiana University, have just revealed their report on the sex lives of thousands of people around the world and across different generations. The report, titled The State of Dating: How Gen Z is Redefining Sexuality and Relationships is based on data from over 3,310 people of the dating app, Feeld. The participants, who came from 71 different countries and between 18-75 years old, were surveyed about their sex lives and results are not what you'd expect. Gen Z is having less sex, fewer partners and fewer relationships than other generations, reporting that on average they had had sex three times in the last month. "Gen Z and Boomers exhibited nearly identical sexual frequencies, suggesting that both the youngest and oldest adults are having the least sex," the researchers, led by Dr Justin Lehmiller, wrote in the report. Millennials and Gen X reported slightly higher figures, with both groups having sex five times in the last month. "Also, nearly half of Gen Z reported that they were single, compared to only one-ﬁfth of Millennials, Gen X, and Boomers." Despite having the least sex, Gen Z appears to be the most adventurous group in the bedroom, with 55 per cent of them saying they'd discovered a new kink since joining the app compared to 49 per cent of Millennials, 39 per cent of Gen X, and 33 per cent of Boomers. Researchers said there are two possible explanations for this. "One is simply that older adults have had more time to learn and discover what they enjoy about sex, so they may have already uncovered their kinks. "However, the other is that it also appears to be the case that younger adults today have a greater overall interest in kink than older adults, which may create greater openness to exploring and learning about one's kinks." The researchers hope that their findings will help shed new light on the evolution of sex, gender, sexuality and relationships. "Despite the longstanding tendency of humans to narrowly categorize sexuality and relationships, they have always existed on a continuum, and that continuum will only evolve and expand further as Gen Z and future generations continue their pursuit of sexual and relational self-discovery," they wrote. "The more that we can understand and embrace this simple fact of human life, the better suited we will all be to pursuing pleasure and happiness." Images: Shutterstock

Relationships

Boomers vs millennials? Free yourself from the phoney generation wars

<div class="theconversation-article-body"><a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bobby-duffy-98570">Bobby Duffy</a>, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kings-college-london-1196">King's College London</a> Generational thinking is a big idea that’s been horribly corrupted and devalued by endless myths and stereotypes. These clichés have fuelled fake battles between “snowflake” millennials and “selfish” baby boomers, with younger generations facing a “war on woke” and older generations accused of “stealing” the future from the young. As I argue in my book, <a href="https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/generations/">Generations</a>, this is a real shame. A more careful understanding of what’s really different between generations is one of the best tools we have to understand change – and predict the future. Some of the great names in sociology and philosophy saw understanding generational change as central to understanding society overall. <a href="http://dhspriory.org/kenny/PhilTexts/Comte/Philosophy2.pdf">Auguste Comte</a>, for example, identified the generation as a key factor in “the basic speed of human development”. He argued that “we should not hide the fact that our social progress rests essentially upon death; which is to say that the successive steps of humanity necessarily require a continuous renovation … from one generation to the next”. We humans get set in our ways once we’re past our formative years, and we need the constant injection of new participants to keep society moving forward. Understanding whether, and how, generations are different is vital to understanding society. The balance between generations is constantly shifting, as older cohorts die out and are replaced by new entrants. If younger generations truly do have different attitudes or behaviours to older generations, this will reshape society, and we can, to some extent, predict how it will develop if we can identify those differences. But in place of this big thinking, today we get clickbait headlines and bad research on millennials “<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/millennials-hate-napkins-2016-3?r=US&IR=T">killing the napkin industry</a>” or on how baby boomers have “<a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/06/boomers-are-blame-aging-america/592336/">ruined everything</a>”. We’ve fallen a long way. <h2>Myth busting</h2> To see the true value of generational thinking, we need to identify and discard the many myths. For example, as I outline in the book, gen Z and millennials are not lazy at work or disloyal to their employers. They’re also no more materialistic than previous generations of young: a focus on being rich is something we tend to grow out of. Old people are not uncaring or unwilling to act on climate change: in fact, they are more likely than young people to boycott products for social purpose reasons. And our current generation of young are not a particularly unusual group of “culture warriors”. Young people are always at the leading edge of change in cultural norms, around race, immigration, sexuality and gender equality. The issues have changed, but the gap between young and old is not greater now than in the past. Meanwhile, there are real, and vitally important, generational differences hidden in this mess. To see them, we need to separate the three effects that explain all change in societies. Some patterns are simple “lifecycle effects”, where attitudes and behaviours are to do with our age, not which generation we are born into. Some are “period effects” – where everyone is affected, such as in a war, economic crisis or a pandemic. And finally, there are “cohort effects”, which is where a new generation is different from others at the same age, and they stay different. It’s impossible to entirely separate these distinct forces, but we can often get some way towards it – and when we do, we can predict the future in a much more meaningful way. There are many real generational differences, in vitally important areas of life. For example, the probability of you owning your own home is hugely affected by when you were born. Millennials are around half as likely to be a homeowner than generations born only a couple of decades earlier. There is also a real cohort effect in experience of mental health disorders, particularly among recent generations of young women. Our relationship with alcohol and likelihood of smoking is also tied to our cohort, with huge generational declines in very regular drinking and smoking. Each of these point to different futures, from increased strain on mental health services to declining alcohol sales. But lifecycle and period effects are vitally important too. For example, there is truth in the idea that we grow more conservative as we age. One analysis suggests that this ageing effect is worth around <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0261379413000875">0.35% to the Conservatives each year</a>, which may not sound like a lot, but is very valuable over the course of a political lifetime. And, of course, the pandemic provides a very powerful example of how period effects can dramatically change things for us all. <h2>Reaching beyond the avocado</h2> When there is such richness in the realities, why are there so many myths? It’s partly down to bad marketing and workplace research – that is, people jumping on the generation bandwagon to get media coverage for their products or to sell consultancy to businesses on how to engage young employees. This has become its own mini-industry. In 2015, US companies spent up to US$70 million (£51 million) on this sort of “advice” <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/helping-bosses-decode-millennialsfor-20-000-an-hour-1463505666">according to the Wall Street Journal</a>, with some experts making as much as US$20,000 an hour. Over 400 LinkedIn users now describe themselves solely as a “millennial expert” or “millennial consultant”. Campaigners and politicians also play to these imagined differences. Our increasing focus on “<a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-institute/assets/culture-wars-in-the-uk.pdf">culture wars</a>” often involves picking out particular incidents in universities, such as the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-45717841">banning of clapping</a> at events or the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-57409743">removal of a portrait of the Queen</a> to exaggerate how culturally different young people today are. Maybe less obviously, politicians such as former US President Barack Obama repeatedly lionise coming generations as more focused on equality, when the evidence shows they’re often not that different. These assertions are not only wrong, but create false expectations and divides. Some have had enough, calling on the Pew Research Center in the US, which has been a champion of generational groups, to <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/07/generation-labels-mean-nothing-retire-them/&data=04%257C01%257C">stop conducting this type of analysis</a>. I think that misses the point: it’s how it’s applied rather than the idea of generations that’s wrong. We should defend the big idea and call out the myths, not abandon the field to the “millennial consultants”.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167138/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/bobby-duffy-98570">Bobby Duffy</a>, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/kings-college-london-1196">King's College London</a> Image credits: Shutterstock This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/boomers-vs-millennials-free-yourself-from-the-phoney-generation-wars-167138">original article</a>. </div>

Mind

Boomer calls out young Aussie's "war on oldies"

A baby boomer has called out Australia's "war on oldies", as millennials have a "growing resentment" to the older generation. Former political reporter David Jones wrote that millennials are making boomers “feel they’re a looming burden” on the country in an opinion piece for The Daily Telegraph, saying they have "drawn the battle lines" in an intergenerational war. Jones, the self-proclaimed boomer, wrote, “Make no mistake, there is a ‘war on oldies’ happening in Australia, with growing resentment directed at the nation’s ageing baby boomer population.” “It is happening in subtle and not-so-subtle ways but the underlying message is the same." “Baby boomers, you’ve had it too good for too long and now that you’ve reached your dotage, it is time to pay for your’ sins’ of affluence – and hard work.” Jones went on to argue that millennials' anger at the older generations is misplaced, especially when they had “actually contributed a lot” to building modern Australia. “Are baby boomers really as bad as people think? No we’re not,” he continued. He wrote that boomers were Australia's "finest generation", and had grown up appreciating the struggles of their childhoods as their parents endured the Great Depression and two world wars. Jones admits his generation was “born into the halcyon days of full employment and a seemingly endless economic boom” when recruitment was easy. Employers “recruited us on the quadrangles of Sydney’s high schools”, Jones said. “The lingering insinuation is that the ‘boomers’ are too self-satisfied and electorally powerful for their own good." “They own too many properties, they’ve occupied too many rungs on the career ladder, they don’t have mortgages and looking after them in their old age will be a burden on the state and the generation to come.” Jones concedes that millennials have “good reason to be resentful about a number of things” – from the cost of living and housing crisis, sky-high interest rates, even stagnant career opportunities – “but the blame doesn’t rest at the feet of baby boomers”, he said. Instead, he said the anger belongs on the shoulders of politicians for making “dumb decisions” in government. “In defence of baby boomers, we shouldn’t be held responsible for the catastrophic failure of all levels of government to allow home housing in sufficient numbers to satisfy demand for purchase and for rent." “We didn’t … feel comfortable about the orgy of government spending and borrowing during Covid that put Australia on the road to high inflation and economy crippling interest rate hikes." “Nor did we have a choice about getting older.” Image credits: Getty Images

Retirement Life

Millennials clash with Boomers in the battle of the housing market

A 27-year-old home loan document has reignited debate over which generation had the biggest mountain to climb in their quest to buy a place to call their own. Read more: The document, uploaded to the Facebook group Perth Reflect, outlines ANZ bank’s various interest rates offered on “owner occupied” homes, as well as those available for “investment property loans”, both respectively effective as of February and March 1996. The poster encouraged the group to discuss the find, and to share their experience with their own first home loans, with the caption “found this in our filing cabinet (1996) and was wondering what interest rates others were paying on their first home loan.” In 1996, the East Start loan for a home was 7.95 per cent per annum, and a variable at 10.50 per cent. Fixed rates began at 8.69 per cent for one year term, and went up to 9.69 per cent for five years. Loan terms for homes were offered up to 25 years, and 20 for investment properties. Meanwhile, in 2023, ANZ boasts a variable interest rate of 5.09 per cent per annum. Fixed index rates now begin at 5.69 per cent, 6.59 per cent for five years, and peak at 7.69 per cent for 10 years. This comes after Australia’s Reverse Bank passed down nine consecutive rises, with the cash rate reaching a 10-year high. The reveal came as a surprise to some, with the numbers of paper appearing much worse for those trying to buy a property in the ‘90s. And in the Facebook comment section, some recalled how their actual rates were even higher than the document suggested. “Paid 17.5 per cent initially, but was on variable,” wrote one of a purchase in the late ‘80s. Another noted how those with a fixed term loan believed they had it “much better” at the time. The younger members of the group, however, were quick to point out that while the numbers looked to be in favour of the older generation, the rates for 2023 did not accurately compare with those from 1996. “Houses were a 5th of the price,” one wrote, referencing an old and recurring argument about the disparity in house prices over the years. It was mentioned that while interest rates were high, prices were low, and “everything was affordable”. The discussion over the impact of the cost of living on wages has been covered from all sides on many occasions, but it didn’t stop it from coming up in this debate too, with one commenter writing, “regardless [of] if wages have increased, everything else has increased twice as much.” It led to the older members of the group circling back to a tired argument, too. One was determined to stop that line of argument in its tracks, suggesting that they’d been able to afford their home with the higher rates because they didn’t purchase takeaway coffee and “only ate out occasionally”. This wasn’t to be taken lying down, with the younger generation refusing to allow that buying the occasional little treat was the reason they couldn’t get a foot in the door of their own home. One member, perhaps realising that bickering wasn’t going to get them anywhere, decided to whip out a calculator and get to the bottom of it all. Someone wrote that they paid $44k for a 3 bedroom home in 1986, with a yearly income of $31k behind them, before allowing that “maybe things weren't so tough”. “If adjusted for inflation,” one said in response, before sharing their maths, “your income today would be $92k pa and the price you paid for your house would have been $131k.” While both generations faced struggles with the property market, the challenges faced in 2023 are an entirely new beast, and one member of Perth Reflects shared their sympathy over the situation. After explaining that they struggled through a 17.5 per cent interest rate themselves, they outlined the difference in their situation and their kids’, writing “my home loan was way less than what my kids are paying today”. They bought land and built a house in High Wycombe on a loan of around $130k, and noted that it can be difficult - if not impossible - find a deal like that in even a country town, where prices tend to err on the ‘cheaper’ side of the scale. “Wages are different,” they surmised, “but housing affordability has gone stupid and wages [have] not [been] increased accordingly.” Images: Getty, Facebook

Money & Banking

“Millennials, gym junkies and fitness posers need not apply”

Chris Hemsworth’s exercise physiologist has opened his own gym banning millennials from joining. Jonathan Freeman founded Club Active in Castle Hill, north-west of Sydney, to help Baby Boomers get fit like the other generations. However, the 35-year-old decided to take it a step further and ban millennials from the gym. “There’s lots of offerings in mainstream fitness, but there’s really no offerings when it comes to the Baby Boomer market,” Mr Freeman told <a href="https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/newslocal/hills-shire-times/club-active-castle-hills-gym-set-up-by-chris-hemsworths-trainer-bans-millennials/news-story/5c42a6367036e2842d51c0fa80a4d731" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Telegraph</a>. “Club Active was born out of a need for those over 50 to exercise in a safe, fun, non-intimidating environment.” “As an exercise physiologist, I’ve just seen so many people over 50 who needed help with exercise, but didn’t want to go into a mainstream gym environment because the support wasn’t there.” He claims the reason why seniors don’t go to the gym is because of the intimidation they’re faced with when going to an all ages/sexes gym. “The majority of Australians, no matter how old they are, know that exercise is important for them to do … and the biggest barrier to a lot of people walking into a gym is the intimidation (relating) to what, in the past, gyms have always been,” he said. “We want Club Active to change the way people think about exercise and to change the way people think about going into a gym.” When the gym opened, a media alert was sent out informing those born after 1970 “need not apply”. “Sydney’s exclusive new fitness club banning all Millennials, gym junkies and fitness posers has opened in Castle Hill and is set to change the way Sydney Boomers view health and fitness,” it read. He argued that the policy was not discriminatory, because all one had to do was read the Club Active website to notice you actually didn’t have to be over 50 to join. “I’m not worried because if you look at (Club Active’s) website, it talks about the over 50s but never says you have to be over 50 to join,” he said. “We’re very comfortable catering towards the Baby Boomer population … but if you want to exercise at any age, Club Active will be able to help — you just might not be around younger people.” Mr Freeman hopes to open 100 clubs across Australia in the next five years, as well as launching overseas. Image: Instagram

Body

Director blames millennials for box office flop

Director Ridley Scott has placed the blame for his latest movie’s poor performance on millennials for a bizarre reason: their mobile phones. Scott’s medieval film, The Last Duel, is based on a real-life ritual duel between knight Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and squire Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) after Jean’s wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer) accuses Jacques of sexually assaulting her. Despite the A-list cast and positive reviews ahead of its release in cinemas, The Last Duel has bombed at the box office after raking in $4.8 million on its opening weekend. It currently has a domestic gross of $10 million, a sliver of its $100 million budget. The 83-year-old director behind hit films like Alien, Gladiator, and Blade Runner first mentioned his gripe with the millennial generation during an appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Today is Ridley Scott day on <a href="https://t.co/KBRiPQLutw">https://t.co/KBRiPQLutw</a>! Blade Runner, historical epics, his secret weapon in filmmaking, House of Gucci! Great talk! Do it up! Episode - <a href="https://t.co/PWcTZfeV3k">https://t.co/PWcTZfeV3k</a> On <a href="https://twitter.com/ApplePodcasts?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ApplePodcasts</a> - <a href="https://t.co/utE9C6ox5Z">https://t.co/utE9C6ox5Z</a> On <a href="https://twitter.com/Stitcher?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Stitcher</a> - <a href="https://t.co/r1E9mtQF2k">https://t.co/r1E9mtQF2k</a> <a href="https://t.co/dPkQXhplgA">pic.twitter.com/dPkQXhplgA</a> — WTF with Marc Maron (@WTFpod) <a href="https://twitter.com/WTFpod/status/1462823039213572100?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 22, 2021</a></blockquote> Though many were expecting Scott to lay the blame on Disney after the entertainment conglomerate snapped up 20th Century Fox and its slate of films, he said Disney was pleased with the movie and he was happy with how they handled its release. “Disney did a fantastic promotion job. The bosses loved the movie because I was concerned it was not for them,” Scott said. “I think what it boils down to - what we’ve got today [are] audiences who were brought up on these f**king cell phones. Scott accused the “millenian” generation of refusing to learn anything unless it was taught through their phone and believed their attitude came from social media. “This is a broad stroke, but I think we’re dealing with it right now with Facebook,” he continued. “This is a misdirection that has happened where it’s given the wrong kind of confidence to this latest generation, I think.” <blockquote style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 540px; min-width: 326px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVd0ZWELMtO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14"> <div style="padding: 16px;"> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #f4f4f4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div> </div> </div> <div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div> <div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div> </div> <p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;"><a style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" rel="noopener" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVd0ZWELMtO/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading" target="_blank">A post shared by 20th Century Studios (@20thcenturystudios)</a> </div> </blockquote> The film’s poor performance could be partially blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic, which would have kept older audiences - the movie’s prime demographic - away from cinemas. Recent box office trends have also found that most audiences have been flocking to superhero, science fiction, and horror films, rather than historical dramas like The Last Duel. Plus, the film has debuted in a bumper month of releases, competing against the likes of superhero film Venom: Let There Be Carnage, sci-fi epic Dune and the long-awaited No Time to Die. The Last Duel’s lacklustre performance could also point to a change in audience expectations, reported by <a rel="noopener" href="https://screenrant.com/last-duel-movie-failure-ridley-scott-millennials-response/" target="_blank">Screen Rant</a>. With audiences coming to cinemas to see epic, blockbuster movies, smaller films and period pieces like The Last Duel have become films audiences will wait to watch until they can be streamed. Image: Getty Images

Movies

68% of millennials earn more than their parents, but boomers had it better

A lot of us are pessimistic about our children’s future. According to the most recent data from the Pew Global Attitudes Survey (in 2019), just 29% of Australians believe today’s children will be <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/global/question-search/?qid=1625&cntIDs=&stdIDs=">better off financially</a> than their parents. Such pessimism is common in many developed nations. In Japan, just 13% believe children will be better off, in France 16%, in Britain 22%. Australians are still marginally less optimistic than Canadians (30%) and Americans (31%), and significantly less optimistic than Swedes (40%) and Germans (48%). <a href="https://www.lifecoursecentre.org.au/research/journal-articles/working-paper-series/are-we-richer-than-our-parents-were-absolute-income-mobility-in-australia/">Our research shows</a> things aren’t as bad as many fear, with 68% of millennials (those born between 1981 and 1987 for our research) earning more income than their parents did at the same age. This is close to the highest percentage <a href="https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/13456/trends-in-absolute-income-mobility-in-north-america-and-europe">among countries</a> for which estimates are available. The experience of gen-Xers (born from the early 1960s to late 1970s) has been similar. But it’s not all good news. That percentage is lower than the upward mobility enjoyed by baby boomers (born from 1946 to the early 1960s). For those born around 1950, 84% earned more at age 30-34 than their own parents did at the same age. There are two prime reasons for this decline in absolute mobility since the 1980s. Lower economic growth leading to average incomes growing more slowly; and growing income inequality. How we did our research The share of people whose income is higher than their parents at the same age is known as “absolute income mobility”. It is an appealing indicator of economic progress because it captures aspirations for our children. It reflects economic growth, inequality and opportunity. Estimating absolute mobility, though, is quite hard. The data we need to measure it directly – information about what people earned at a particular age compared to their own parents – does not exist for Australia. To do this exercise, therefore, we’ve applied <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/356/6336/398">new statistical methods</a> that have been developed in recent years to estimate absolute mobility without linked parent-child data. These methods, using separate generational data on income distribution, have been verified in research published <a href="https://4a2bc32e-a967-44a4-9e23-f2b3b9cf578e.usrfiles.com/ugd/4a2bc3_10d644c7d36c42eba03136cca93e56fc.pdf">in 2018</a> and <a href="https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/13456/trends-in-absolute-income-mobility-in-north-america-and-europe">in 2020</a>. Our own approach closely follows leading international studies. We used sources of data including the Melbourne Institute’s Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey, data from Australian Bureau of Statistics surveys and income tax records. What our research shows The main results are below. Of people born in 1950, 84% had higher household incomes than their parents. This fell to about 68% for those born since the early 1960s. It has stayed roughly constant for gen-Xers and millennials. <hr /> <iframe id="CxoOP" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/CxoOP/3/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none;" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> The main driver of this change is slower economic growth. Boomers’ incomes were much higher than their parents particularly due to decades of uninterrupted economic growth from World War II to the mid-1970s. <hr /> <iframe id="qjHQt" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/qjHQt/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none;" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> The other driver has been rising income inequality over the past 40 years, after falling in earlier decades, as the next chart shows. The relationship between inequality and mobility is complicated, because high inequality for either generation lowers the rate of mobility. <hr /> <iframe id="8bQEW" class="tc-infographic-datawrapper" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8bQEW/1/" height="400px" width="100%" style="border: none;" frameborder="0"></iframe> <hr /> Absolute mobility would be higher if income was adjusted for family size – 78% for millennials, because the younger generation have smaller families than their parents did at the same age. Complicating factors Our results are for income earned in a single year (at about age 32). We have also found similar results when looking at income at around age 37. Ideally, we’d like to calculate absolute mobility of lifetime income. But methods to do this have not yet been developed. So we don’t know what mobility in lifetime income is. The same could be said for indicators of income inequality, which mostly use single-year income measures as well. You also might be wondering about how the cost of housing fits in – an important issue given the escalating cost of a home compared to the median wage. In all the results shown, income is adjusted for inflation using the Consumer Price Index. Housing is a big part of the index though costs such as the price of land and mortgage interest payments are <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/6467.0Feature+Article1Mar+2017">not included</a>. The ABS does factor mortgage debts into its “Selected Living Cost Indices”, but these only go back to 1998, so couldn’t be used in these calculations. However, the changes in the CPI and the SLCI over the past 20 years are similar, which gives us some assurance our estimates account for the cost of housing. Further work could explore this in more detail. Valid concerns Australia has achieved high levels of absolute income mobility for all generations since at least the 1950s. This is still the case. But the pessimism about our children’s financial future is rooted in some valid concerns. Wage growth has been <a href="https://www.rba.gov.au/publications/bulletin/2017/mar/2.html">slow for years</a>. Income inequality has been <a href="https://wid.world/country/australia/">increasing for decades</a>. So has the gap <a href="https://grattan.edu.au/report/generation-gap/">between young and old</a>. So there are clear threats for the prosperity of today’s children – even without factoring in concerns such as climate change.<img style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important;" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/161647/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/peter-siminski-250958">Peter Siminski</a>, Professor of Economics, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/university-of-technology-sydney-936">University of Technology Sydney</a> This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel="noopener" href="https://theconversation.com/68-of-millennials-earn-more-than-their-parents-but-boomers-had-it-better-161647" target="_blank">original article</a>.

Retirement Income

Ita Buttrose says millennials lack resilience and “need hugging”

ABC chairwoman Ita Buttrose has said young workers lack resilience and “almost need hugging”. Speaking at the Australia-United Kingdom Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Buttrose said the younger generation has grown more demanding of the office culture. “The younger workers like more transparency,” she said, as reported by the <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/buttrose-says-millennial-workers-lack-resilience-and-need-hugging-20200722-p55ekh.html">Sydney Morning Herald and The Age</a>. “It seems to me that today’s younger workers, they need much more reassurance and they need to be thanked, which is something many companies don’t do. “They’re very keen on being thanked and they almost need hugging – that’s before COVID of course, we can’t hug any more – but they almost need hugging.” The 78-year-old media figure said younger workers “seem to lack the resilience that I remember from my younger days” and suggested it might have resulted from “bad parenting”. “We older parents have very set views about resilience and, you know, I think it’s something we need to foster in everybody from a very young age,” she said. The comments were made under Chatham House Rule, which is meant to prevent the identification of the person, and were relayed to the outlets by sources attending the event. Buttrose has received backlash over the comments, citing the lack of secure employment in recent years. Former ABC’s Four Corners journalist Sophie McNeill wrote on Twitter: “Lack resilience? How insulting. Us millennials at the ABC were usually paid less but expected to do so much more than many of our older colleagues, plus many are on insecure contracts for years – [Buttrose] clearly needs to go and meet more of them.” “Strange thing to say in the middle of ABC job losses, while youth unemployment is at a 23 year high,” posted Shalailah Medhora, journalist at ABC’s national youth broadcaster Triple J. Fellow Triple J journalist Avani Dias said Buttrose declined her team’s invitation to speak with “young workers … the very young people who are more likely to have lost work during the pandemic and be in unstable jobs than older Australians”.

News

Outrage as millennials have shocking new term for coronavirus

<div class="post_body_wrapper"> <div class="post_body"> <div class="body_text "> Millennials have created a new hashtag for coronavirus that has caused a lot of anger with the older generation. The younger generation has attached the hashtag “boomer remover” to coronavirus posts on Instagram, Tik Tok and Twitter during the coronavirus pandemic. As the pandemic has killed more than 30,000 people worldwide so far, these posts have been met with outrage. <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> So young kids are hoping their parents and grandparents die? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoomerRemover?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoomerRemover</a> Is that so they can finally move out of the basement and upstairs? — That Girl (@whoulooknat) <a href="https://twitter.com/whoulooknat/status/1238433449364594694?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 13, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> God Answers Many with Coronavirus <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronapartys?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronapartys</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoomerRemover?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoomerRemover</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/coronavirus?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#coronavirus</a> <a href="https://t.co/g6D3zyGdNN">pic.twitter.com/g6D3zyGdNN</a> — cdnpolitoon (@cdnpolitoon) <a href="https://twitter.com/cdnpolitoon/status/1242455970241851393?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 24, 2020</a></blockquote> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"> Again, it really is the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BoomerRemover?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BoomerRemover</a> <a href="https://t.co/lZcDB4Dm8M">https://t.co/lZcDB4Dm8M</a> — Matt Maggio (@MaggioMatt) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaggioMatt/status/1241879743898750976?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2020</a></blockquote> Many people have been prompted to say it was a joke after being met with anger. However, others have said it’s not the time for black humour. “Your sense of humour is considerably in question. The mother of a friend of mine (she is 79) died last week. Screw your joke,” <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/StewartCBryson2" target="_blank">Stewart C Bryson replied on Twitter</a>. “Genuine question ... would you still think it was funny though if it was actually your parents or grandparents who died in this way?”, <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/rebecca_voices" target="_blank">Rebecca Courtney wrote on Twitter</a>. Experts have said that the popularity of the meme is only going to “further divide us”. “It’s only going to further divide us,” said Cort Rudolph, 35, who submitted a paper this week on how the virus could shape today’s young people as they come of age. “I think what you need to refocus the attention on is that this is not an older versus a younger thing, but this is an issue for everyone. We all have a certain responsibility to each other and not just to our generational group,” he said to <a rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-03-21/covid-19-divides-u-s-society-by-race-class-and-age" target="_blank">Bloomberg</a>. </div> </div> </div>

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William Shatner hits out at millennials in Twitter feud

William Shatner has hit out at millennials after being called a “boomer” on Twitter. The Star Trek actor waded into a intergenerational row after one Twitter user replied to his post with “OK Boomer”. According to the <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-07/how-the-phrase-ok-boomer-suddenly-went-all-over-the-internet/11680868">ABC</a>, the popular catchphrase is generally used to respond to “what’s perceived to be some older people’s sense of entitlement, outdated ways of thinking, or condescending attitudes towards younger generations”. The 88-year-old actor does not fall into the baby boomer generation, which includes people being born between 1946 and 1964. Shatner responded to the “Boomer” comment: “Sweetheart, that’s a compliment for me.” “I’m not really into pejoratives, but what’s the term for people when they can’t interpret a joke?” the user replied. “Millennial?” Shatner hit back. Shatner wrote on another post, “I feel it’s like one of those childish insults in fandom that seem to affect the delicate types to the point they meltdown and go over the rest of our heads as something ridiculous.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> Sweetheart, that’s a compliment for me. 😘 <a href="https://t.co/djCtjiGBwr">https://t.co/djCtjiGBwr</a> — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1192087298877247488?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote> One user explained that the line was directed at “boomers who don’t realise that the hardships that the millennials inherited are not their fault”, and that the younger generation “are trying to survive a world that has all but been destroyed and that doesn’t make them lazy”. Shatner replied, “And the meek shall inherit... is that all your generation does is point fingers and blame others for their pity parties? You don’t get a participation trophy for life; you take what you get and play your best hand. It’s been that way since forever.” <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"> 🤣👇🏻 And the meek shall inherit... is that all your generation does is point fingers and blame others for their pity parties? You don’t get a participation trophy for life; you take what you get and play your best hand. It’s been that way since forever. 🙄 <a href="https://t.co/aUyVVUIfTK">https://t.co/aUyVVUIfTK</a> — William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) <a href="https://twitter.com/WilliamShatner/status/1192115660131713025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 6, 2019</a></blockquote> The phrase “OK Boomer”, which has been widely used on the internet, gained greater public recognition after 25-year-old MP Chloe Swarbick used the line in New Zealand parliament when speaking in support of the Jacinda Ardern government’s Zero Carbon Bill. "In the year 2050, I will be 56 years old. Yet, right now, the average age of this 52nd Parliament is 49 years old,” she said. "Mr Speaker, how many world leaders, for how many decades have seen and known what is coming but have decided that it is more politically expedient to keep it behind closed doors. My generation and the generations after me do not have that luxury.”

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"They're still going overseas and buying leather couches": Kochie and Sam hit out at millennials on home ownership

David Koch and Samantha Armytage have taken a dig at millennials, suggesting they do not need any help to buy their own houses. The two presenters hit out at young people during a discussion about whether it is harder to buy a first house now than in the past on Sunrise Tuesday morning. In the segment, where the hosts talked with social commentator Jane Caro and Seven broadcaster Ben Davis, Armytage questioned whether the Coalition’s first homebuyer relief policy is necessary. “I’m not sure about this assumption that all 20-year-olds need their own houses,” said Armytage. “I didn't own a house at 20. You’re kind of meant to be a little bit broke at 20 if you’re at uni or you’re working your first job.” Caro explained that growing HECS debts and high rents make it “much more expensive now to be a young person”. She said, “It takes 10 years to save [for a house deposit] whereas it took our generation six years.” Koch responded, “They’re still going overseas and buying leather couches.” Armytage agreed, saying, “When I was 20 to 24, I was broke and paying off a HECS debt and paying rent … I paid my student debt, and it took me to my 30s.” She added, “It worries me when I agree with Kochie.” According to the morning show, 43 per cent of Aussies aged 20 to 24 and 17 per cent of those aged 25 to 29 are still living at their parents’ home. “It’s no surprise that some people are voting for first homebuyer relief, part of the Coalition policy,” said Davis. “It is harder to get ahead, whether you’re in your 20s or 30s or even 40s.” Ahead of the federal election on Saturday, the Coalition and Labor have promised to help out 10,000 first home buyers by guaranteeing a 15 per cent loan deposit from the government, making it easier for prospective buyers to reach the usual minimum of 20 per cent deposit. In the Liberal campaign launch on Sunday, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the program is not “free money” and that “they would still do all the normal checks on the borrowers to make sure they can meet their repayments”. Morrison told Channel Nine, “What I know is it will help first-home buyers into the market. Having to get only as little as a 5 per cent deposit rather than 20 per cent deposit, particularly for low- and middle-income earners, is a great assistance. “What it does is makes it that bit easier, ensures they can get into the market and once they do that they’re off and away.” Some commentators said the scheme would be <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-13/federal-election-2019-morrison-government-labor-first-home-buyer/11105806">ease the financial burden</a> for many first-home buyers, while others were more wary that debt would grow due to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/13/first-homebuyers-scheme-who-gets-it-and-will-it-work-explainer">bigger interest payments</a> over time.

40 things people over the age of 55 do better than millennials

There are some things in life when no amount of youthful enthusiasm can trump the expertise of an old hand. Whether it’s working out the number of feet in a yard or doing multiplication without a calculator, there are just some things seniors do better than their millennial counterparts. And now we’ve got the stats to back it up! Bupa has released a study, ahead of the <a href="http://www.carehomeopenday.org.uk/" target="_blank">UK’s National Care Home Open Day 2018</a>, which is designed to refute the idea of a generational lack of superiority, by proving all the things seniors do just as well (and in some cases better) than the younger generation. Joan Elliott, Managing Director at Bupa Care Homes, said: “There's so much we can learn from our older generations, but there's a real danger that we're losing valuable life skills and pastimes. “Thankfully these things are easy to pass between generations, we just need to find time to start the conversations. “Over 100 of our care homes will open their doors this weekend, hosting parties for their local communities. “It's a great chance to meet new faces and share stories. You might even learn something new.” The poll of 2,000 adults had some interesting results, and shows just how many skills are being lost between generations. Here are 40 things people over the age of 55 do better than millennials: <ul> <li>The number of pounds in a stone - 90% of seniors can 52% of millennials can</li> <li>How to read the time on an analogue clock - 90% of seniors can 61% of millennials can</li> <li>The number of feet in a yard - 90% of seniors can 21% of millennials can</li> <li>How to manage money - 86% of seniors can 52% of millennials can</li> <li>How to iron a shirt - 84% of seniors can 51% of millennials can</li> <li>How to sew on a button - 81% of seniors can 41% of millennials can</li> <li>How to do times tables, without using a calculator - 79% of seniors can 41% of millennials can</li> <li>How to use an index - 77% of seniors can 35% of millennials can</li> <li>How to properly polish shoes - 77% of seniors can 28% of millennials can</li> <li>How to use cutlery in the right order - 77% of seniors can 39% of millennials can</li> <li>How to write a formal letter - 77% of seniors can 43% of millennials can</li> <li>How to wire a plug - 73% of seniors can 21% of millennials can</li> <li>How to spell without using spellcheck - 72% of seniors can 39% of millennials can</li> <li>How to lay a table properly - 70% of seniors can 39% of millennials can</li> <li>How and when to use correct grammar - 67% of seniors can 39% of millennials can</li> <li>How to garden - 66% of seniors can 22% of millennials can</li> <li>How long fresh foods keep for - 63% of seniors can 28% of millennials can</li> <li>How to treat a burn - 62% of seniors can 32% of millennials can</li> <li>How to get stains out of clothes - 58% of seniors can 31% of millennials can</li> <li>How to read an ordnance survey map - 58% of seniors can 24% of millennials can</li> <li>The number of centimetres in an inch - 57% of seniors can 33% of millennials can</li> <li>The collection times for your local post box - 54% of seniors can 18% of millennials can</li> <li>The names of different birds - 48% of seniors can 17% of millennials can</li> <li>How to repair worn or broken clothing - 47% of seniors can 17% of millennials can</li> <li>How to tie a sling or bandage - 45% of seniors can 18% of millennials can</li> <li>How to play chess - 44% of seniors can 27% of millennials can</li> <li>How to administer first aid - 43% of seniors can 30% of millennials can</li> <li>How to change a car tyre - 43% of seniors can 24% of millennials can</li> <li>How to make a cake without following a recipe - 43% of seniors can 27% of millennials can</li> <li>The price of a first class stamp - 41% of seniors can 20% of millennials can</li> <li>The number of kilometres in a mile - 37% of seniors can 25% of millennials can</li> <li>How to identify plants and flowers by name - 37% of seniors can 13% of millennials can</li> <li>How to arrange flowers - 34% of seniors can 16% of millennials can</li> <li>How to fix a bike chain - 34% of seniors can 21% of millennials can</li> <li>How to start a campfire - 33% of seniors can 19% of millennials can</li> <li>How to make marmalade or jam - 31% of seniors can 16% of millennials can</li> <li>How to guess the weight of ingredients by looking at them - 25% of seniors can 17% of millennials can</li> <li>How to crochet - 23% of seniors can 4% of millennials can</li> <li>How to ballroom dance e.g. Waltz or Tango - 15% of seniors can 4% of millennials can</li> <li>The names of different constellations of stars - 15% of seniors can 11% of millennials can</li> <li>How to mend a car engine - 10% of seniors can 5% of millennials can</li> </ul> What are your thoughts?

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Outrage as millennials have shocking new term for coronavirus

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"They're still going overseas and buying leather couches": Kochie and Sam hit out at millennials on home ownership

40 things people over the age of 55 do better than millennials

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