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There were similar patterns for other responses, such as those who said they:
• Make an effort to turn heat down to save energy: 78 percent (1976-1978); 55 percent (2004-2006); and 63 percent (2008-2010).
• Want a job directly helpful to others: 50 percent (1976-1978); 44 percent (2004-2006); and 47 percent (2008-2010).
• Would eat differently to help the starving: 70 percent (1976-1978); 58 percent (2004-2006); and 61 percent (2008-2010).
Psychologist Patricia Greenfield said the findings fit with other research she’s done that shows people become more community-minded, and less materialistic, when faced with economic hardship.
Still want 'significant' salary
“To me, it’s a silver lining,” says Greenfield, another of the study’s contributors, along with lead author Heejung Park, an advanced doctoral student in psychology at UCLA.
Their analysis found that, of the three groups, the Great Recession group was still most likely to want jobs where they could make a “significant” amount of money. But the authors say that may simply be attributable to the ever-rising cost of day-to-day expenses, from groceries to electric and gas bills.
In comparison, they note that the Great Recession group also showed a bit less interest in luxury items than the students who were surveyed in the mid-2000s.
Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group, which tracks youth trends, says the analysis fits with what she’s seen in her own work.
Many young people, she says, are living in what she calls “millennial purgatory,” unemployed or under-employed, working in jobs below their qualifications, and sometimes still living at home with their parents. During the Great Recession the unemployment rate for 15- to 24-year-olds jumped above 20 percent — more than double the overall rate.
“If you’re 22 and trying to jump-start your life right now, it’s not so easy,” Wells says.
Landed a green job
Miller, the 25-year-old whose dad was laid off, left Ohio when he couldn’t find work there in his field, electrical engineering. He moved to Alexandria, Va., after finding a government contracting job. But he recently decided to take a chance on a new company that’s using “smart technology” to help big corporations cut electrical usage for lighting their spaces.