Researchers at the Cultural Research Center (CRC) at Arizona Christian University recently released a study titled "Millennials in America: New Insights into the Generation of Growing Influence," in which they gathered insights from a national sample of 600 millennials aged 18 to 37 through an online survey. The poll's results led researchers to the conclusion that most millenials are generally dissatisfied with their personal relationships and that they tend to evade conflict, and have difficulty trusting others.
According to the Christian Headlines, the study found that up to 54% of millennials admitted to experiencing frequent anxiety, depression, or fear. Millennials also admitted to feeling overwhelmed with self-doubt and having strong desires of belonging to a community that "knows, appreciates, and respects." Researchers found that relational dissatisfaction among millennials were caused by several obstacles, such as "influence of their dysfunctional family of origin, unrealistic relational standards, inadequate communication skills and efforts and identity issues."
Furthermore, the CRC study found that millennials are less likely than their older counterparts to believe they must respect human life or treat it as something valuable. Millennials are also three times more likely than older generations to admit they would try to get back at someone who wronged them.
Researchers found that less millennials are getting married and instead are opting for cohabitation. Millennials who choose to get married however, do it later in life and most millennials want a prenuptial agreement. The report also found that there are "fewer faith-based weddings, fewer young couples having children" among millennials and that more female millennials are having children outside of marriage.
According to the poll, millennials trust their parents more than they trust their friends and almost half or 46% of millennials said they "always or almost always" trust their parents versus 36% who say they "always or almost always" trust their friends. Veteran researcher Dr. George Barna explained that the reason why millennials struggle relationally is because of their worldview, which are highly influenced by worldly philosophies than the Bible.
"So much of a person's life experience and fulfillment is wrapped up in our relationships," Dr. Barna explained. "Millennials desperately want to be in community, but they are having a hard time developing those deeper, positive connections largely due to their ideas about life and humanity."
Dr. Barna criticized millennials for not "[seeing] people the way God does." He argued that most millennials "do not consider human life to have intrinsic value" and that they fail to respect others "because they do not even believe they were created by God, much less made in His likeness or for His purposes." He added that millennials today are "less tolerant of beliefs and behaviors that differ from their own than are older adults."
Dr. Barna concluded that the only way for millennials to find satisfaction in relationships and improve the overall quality of life is through the "adoption of the biblical worldview" that "enables us to experience the power, authority and wisdom to live life to the fullest."
