World News and Trends: Goals and problems of the next generation
"The views of young people today on politics, social attitudes and life goals are far different from their baby boomer parents," says the Jan. 9, 2007, USA Today regarding a national survey of 18- to 25-year-olds.
"The views of young people today on politics, social attitudes and life goals are far different from their baby boomer parents," says the Jan. 9, 2007, USA Today regarding a national survey of 18- to 25-year-olds.
"More than two-thirds (67%) believe immigrants strengthen American society; a quarter favor increasing legal immigration," the article continues. In contrast, less than half (47 percent) of those ages 41 to 60 believe immigrants help society and only 16 percent say it should increase.
Younger people are evenly split over gay marriage (47 percent in favor, 46 percent opposed). Yet among those 25 and older, 64 percent are opposed and only 30 percent are in favor of gay marriage.
More than a third of today's 18-to 25-year-olds (36 percent) have a tattoo; almost a third (30 percent) have a nontraditional body piercing (other than in an ear lobe) and a quarter have dyed their hair an unnatural color. Only 32 percent of this younger group attends church once a week, while 20 percent is religiously unaffiliated, atheist or agnostic. Still, 84 percent say their life is really good.
What are their goals compared to earlier generations? Today's 18-to 25-year-olds aspire to be rich (81 percent) and famous (51 percent) contrasted against a 1967 group of college freshmen who thought it essential to develop a meaningful philosophy of life (86 percent).
In short, the younger age group has well absorbed the primary message directed to them in a lifetime of absorbing thousands of hours of popular media—it's all about me. Young people who would like to aim higher in their goals and standards are invited to request a free subscription to Vertical Thought, from the publishers of The Good News, at www.verticalthought.org. (Source: USA Today.)
An Article from:
Good News Magazine: May - June 2007
Course Content
Jerold Aust
Jerold Aust has served in the ministry for 52 years, as a public speaker for 58 years, a published writer for 38 years, and is employed by UCG’s Media and Communications Services. He is a Senior Writer, interviewer, and editor for Beyond Today Magazine and has taught Speech Communication for UCG’s ministerial online program and the Book of Revelation for ABC.
Jerold holds a BA in theology from Ambassador College, Pasadena (1968), an MA in Communication from California State University, Fullerton (1995), a distance-learning Ph.D (2006), and a Famous Writers School diploma in non-fiction writing (1973). Additionally, he studied post-grad communication at University of Southern California (1995), radio, TV, voice-overs, and Public Relations at Fullerton College (1995-1996), and graduate communication at Wichita State University (1978). Jerold has taught communication at the University of South Alabama (7 years) and ABC (17 years). His published works include, Ronald Reagan’s Rhetoric: Metaphor as Persuasion and EZSpeakers: Public Speaking Made Easy in 7 Steps. Jerold's overarching goal is to share with humankind its incredible destiny!
John Ross Schroeder
John died on March 8, 2014, in Oxford, England, four days after suffering cardiac arrest while returning home from a press event in London. John was 77 and still going strong.
Some of John's work for The Good News appeared under his byline, but much didn't. He wrote more than a thousand articles over the years, but also wrote the Questions and Answers section of the magazine, compiled our Letters From Our Readers, and wrote many of the items in the Current Events and Trends section. He also contributed greatly to a number of our study guides and Bible Study Course lessons. His writing has touched the lives of literally millions of people over the years.
John traveled widely over the years as an accredited journalist, especially in Europe. His knowledge of European and Middle East history added a great deal to his articles on history and Bible prophecy.
In his later years he also pastored congregations in Northern Ireland and East Sussex, and that experience added another dimension to his writing. He and his wife Jan were an effective team in our British Isles office near their home.
John was a humble servant who dedicated his life to sharing the gospel—the good news—of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God to all the world, and his work was known to readers in nearly every country of the world.
