A Surprising Generation Gap

A pretty surprising study has just come out from UCLA. It seems that the generation gap just got wider and not in a way that one would typically expect. College freshmen are actually drinking, partying and even socializing less than the generations that came before them.

In 1987, 74% of college freshmen reported drinking alcohol on a regular basis. Today that number has dropped to 33.5%. The study also showed that students are spending half the time hanging out with friends than students did in 1987. 8.6% of college freshman today say they spend more than 6 hours a week partying. In 1987 that number was 34.5%. Students are now spending more of their time studying than socializing and partying.

There are many explanations that could explain these drastic changes. One being the rise in social media. Students are now spending more time on sites such as twitter and Facebook which takes up much of their free time. Instead of socializing with others in person, students are now using the intranet.

College is also seen as much more serious today than it has in the past. In today’s world we are taught that in order to get a good job you need to not only go to college but you must also go to graduate school. Getting into Graduate school can be very competitive causing students to stress and work extremely hard during their undergraduate years. Graduate school wasn’t seen as necessary in previous generations as it is today. Today students see college as another step in life, not as an end to their education.

More students are also feeling more depressed today than they were only 6 years ago. The number has risen from 6.1 % in 2009 to 9.5% today. This factor may also play a part in the decrease of socializing. Students are too stressed out to socialize.

Possible Research Questions

What is the association between depressed feelings and hours spent socializing in a week?

What is the association between a student’s plan to attend graduate/medical school and time spent socializing in a week?

Sources

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/2/6/college-freshmen-drink-less-and-worry-more.html