The State of Our Nation’s Youth: High School Students and What They Think

America’s youth are worried about the economy, the war in Iraq, the environment, and taking on adult responsibilities, an annual telephone survey of more than one thousand 13- to 19-year-olds found. But they’re also enthusiastic and hopeful about their own college and career success, very likely to describe themselves as confident and ambitious, and more likely to name a family member as their primary role model than any public figure.  The survey, The State of Our Nation’s Youth: 2008-2009, was commissioned by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans Inc. and conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates. 

FINDINGS

Politics and National Outlook

• About half of students surveyed (53 percent) feel “hopeful and optimistic” about the nation’s future, while 39 percent are “worried and pessimistic.”
• The most important political issues for 13- to 19-year-olds are the economy and jobs (34 percent), the war in Iraq (31 percent) and the environment and global warming (28 percent).
• Only 12 percent of high school students are following the 2008 presidential election “very closely.” The largest percentage of students (37 percent) is following the election “somewhat closely,” while 24 percent say they are not following the election very closely.
• Students believe that the outcome of the 2008 presidential election is very important: 41 percent think the election results will make “a very large difference” in the country’s direction, while 34 percent say it will make “a fairly large difference.” Only 4 percent say the election outcome will not make any real difference.

High School Life

• When asked to self-report their grades, the largest percentage of respondents (36 percent) say they earn “a mix of A’s and B’s,” followed by “mostly A’s (25 percent) and “a mix of B’s and C’s” (22 percent.)
• Asked to assign a grade to their high school, almost half (46 percent) give it a B. Twenty-five percent of students give their school a C, and 18 percent give it an A. Only 4 percent give their school a failing grade.
• Thirty-eight percent of students say getting good grades is their biggest stressor, followed by getting into a good college (33 percent). Family problems (24 percent) and having enough money (23 percent) are also among top concerns.
• Fifty-seven percent of respondents say they consider a family member to be their primary role model, compared with only 9 percent who cite an entertainment figure as a role model.

College and Career

• Seventy percent of high school students report that they intend to attend a four-year college or university, and 10 percent say they will attend a two-year college. Thirteen percent plan to attend a technical college or community college.
• Almost half of students surveyed (49 percent) have considered being a teacher as a career. Forty-two percent have considered serving in the military, and 33 percent have considered serving in government. Only 20 percent of students have considered running for public office when they are adults.
• Sixty-two percent of students are “very confident” that they will achieve their career goals.

DID YOU KNOW?

• Students spend an average of 6.2 hours on Facebook and other social networking Web sites each week, while they spend an average of 4.5 hours per week using the Internet for homework.
• The academic subject students cite as most important for success in the global economy is science/technology (34 percent), followed by mathematics (26 percent).
• The most common phrase students use to describe themselves is “a good friend” (98 percent). Eighty-seven percent of students say they are “a good student,” 88 percent call themselves “confident,” and 81 percent say they are “ambitious.”