In findings from analyses of Monitoring the Future data, researchers report that recent high school grads are more likely to be acquisitive and less likely to want to work hard than young adults in prior generations. They posit that current unemployment rates, divorce, and advertising all have roles in this attitude shift. Jerald Bachman cautions against relying too much on these interpretations: “Many other forces could be in play, and one never is able to control all of those. The best one can do is to try to narrow things down, and be as specific as possible.”

More about Bachman says findings on teens’ greater materialism, slipping work ethic should be interpreted with caution >