How to Bridge the Generational Hope Divide

Shane J. Lopez:

Almost all fifth- through 12th-graders -- 95% -- say it is likely they will have a better life than their parents. However, in a separate Gallup poll, half of U.S. adults aged 18 and older say they doubt today's youth will have a better life than their parents.

This hope divide might limit the support that adults are willing to give children to help them reach their full potential. Undoubtedly, some adults will be tempted to explain to children that there are economic and political circumstances in the world that children can't understand -- ones that make their future look less rosy. Adults might even point out that many children are fantasizing about a future that is out of their reach. These cautions are grounded in some wisdom, but they also might be associated with the pessimism adults have about our own future, our personal vulnerabilities, or our profound inability to predict the future.

To bridge the hope divide we have to do three things.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at February 5, 2013 2:07 AM
Subscribe to this site via RSS/Atom: Newsletter signup | Send us your ideas