British teenagers believe their lives will be harder than their parents’, study finds

British teenagers believe their generation will be worse off than their parents, new research shows.

YouGov asked 1,001 14 to 17-year-olds for children’s charity Barnardo’s about issues they care about including money, jobs and the climate crisis.

When asked to imagine their lives at age 30, 55% of teenagers said they believed their lives would be worse than those of the previous generation, while another 34% believed the next generation of children would have no better lives.

Nine percent of those surveyed said they felt “hopeless” about their future.

Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said children believing their lives would be harder than their parents’ lives “is a sign that the social contract is broken and we risk failing the next generation.” “.

“Our job is to make the world a better place for our children, not worse,” she added.

One teen said, “Everyone is struggling right now. My mom is struggling to pay the bills, and she’s a nurse with a master’s degree. I’m not that smart, so imagine my life would be harder than hers.” We used to be able to go on holiday but mum can’t afford it anymore.”

Another said: “My parents got a mortgage when they were 21. I didn’t think anyone my age could do that.”

19% believe they struggle with money worries because they believe they won’t have enough money to live comfortably by age 30. 10% of teens surveyed believed they could not change their future.

A new Barnardo’s report, Changing Childhoods, Changing Lives, reveals a bleak picture of children’s lives in the UK, which explores the impact of issues such as the cost of living, coronavirus and environmental concerns.

“Children are constantly bombarded with news about the challenges they face – from rising inequality and environmental problems to health concerns and an out-of-control housing market,” Perry said. “None of this is of their making, but it’s important for children to It’s not right to be fearful of the years ahead, rather than excited about the future. We know this is particularly true for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

The charity predicts the situation is likely to become more serious as children’s mental health problems increase, the risk of online exploitation increases and more young people come into care.