Younger Americans report declining national pride as the United States faces a 'reckoning': report

On Friday, Newsweek reported that new polling reveals a decline in pride to be American among younger generations — and explored some of the factors driving this phenomenon.

"Ipsos polling of 1,026 people between June 25 and 28 showed a similar pattern. Overall, 69 percent said they were proud to be American. This figure was boosted by Gen X and Baby Boomers, with 71 percent and 84 percent respectively saying they were," reported Jacob Jarvis. "Among Millennials, however, just 52 percent said the same. Of those in Gen Z, 58 percent were proud to be American. It is a majority in both younger brackets, but there is a clear generational divide."

According to the report, one reason is that the country is facing a "racial reckoning" — driven by recent police killings like the murder of George Floyd and educational revolutions like the 1619 Project that center the role of slavery in the founding of America — which has set off a right-wing panic over what is being taught to children.

But these are not the only reasons for the shift.

The report also notes that younger Americans are experiencing an unprecedented generational wealth divide: "According to a Bloomberg report last year, Millennials own just 4.2 percent of the nation's wealth. Boomers hold some 10 times that and controlled substantially more—21 percent—when they were the same age as Millennials are now," said the report. "Underlining this generational wealth divide is sharply rising living costs, with the average apartment rental price surpassing $1,200 for the first time after a 10 percent increase in the first half of 2021 alone."

On top of that, the report also suggested that this generation has had fewer events of national pride to rally around, and access to social media that gives them more insight into how other cultures live their lives.

"Ultimately, the notion of patriotism itself — of tying yourself emotionally to one place and making it a definitive characteristic of your personality — is something younger people are less beholden to than those born before them," concluded the report.

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