The youth of today? World-class teenagers who protest in German city centers against climate policy Friday for Friday, exchange views in English with colleagues from all over the world, engage in refugee projects - that is currently the predominant image for many.
But it only seems to show half the truth - this is suggested by the results of the 18th Shell Youth Study, which has now been presented in Berlin.
Between January and March, the researchers around "Youth Explainer" Klaus Hurrelmann from the Berlin Hertie School of Governance interviewed more than 2,500 young people and young adults between the ages of 12 and 27 years. From the answers, they created the portrait of a generation that was not at all uniform.
In the shadow of those involved, a key finding of the study, a group grows that is misunderstood, ignored, and even manipulated by politics - and has inherited parts of the thinking and behavior patterns of populists, the authors write.
- "In Germany, you can not say anything bad about foreigners without immediately being labeled as a racist" - 68 percent of respondents agree with this statement.
- More than half (53 percent) believe "the government is keeping the truth from the people".
- A good third believe that German society is "infiltrated by Islam . "
Statements such as these speak of distrust of the establishment, of political and social elites. They are linked to "latent fears" that "you could be short-circuited yourself". And they testify to intolerance that has settled in part of the otherwise open-minded age group.
Although the majority of young people (57 percent) emphasize that they think it is good that Germany has taken in many refugees. At the same time, one-fifth say they do not think it would be so good if a refugee family moves into the apartment next door. 18 percent refuse to live alongside a Turkish family.
With optimism in the future
The positive developments are almost overshadowed by these trends. For example, young people today are extremely optimistic about their personal future. For the first time since 2006, young people in East and West Germany are here at the same time. In other areas as well, 30 years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, the differences between new and old federal states level off.
The confidence of the younger generation is also fueled by their conviction that things are largely fair in Germany. They believe, according to scientists, that anyone in this country can make a difference when they are ready to perform. 87 percent of apprentices are confident that they will find a job after graduation - more than ever before.
Despite their optimism, young people pay attention to safety when choosing a career. This continues a trend that the authors of the study have been observing for several years - even though the value has slightly decreased since the financial crisis of 2009 and 2010. At the same time, the demands are rising: A broad majority would like to have sufficient leisure time (85 percent) and a high income (77 percent) in addition to the profession.
Politically interested - but still dissatisfied
Many are interested in what's happening in the world around them. In comparison to the predecessor study 2015, the political interest has fallen slightly - from 43 to 41 percent. However, it still far exceeds the values of 2002. At that time, the authors of the Shell study characterized the generation of adolescents as pragmatic and non-ideological.
However, a fundamental interest in politics and society need not mean that the young people are satisfied with the work of the people's representatives. For example, 71 percent of them do not believe that "politicians care about what people like me think." This disenchantment tends to be more prevalent among the lower educated.
Climate change and terror - which scares teenagers
The fears of the young people, as in previous Shell studies, reflect the recent social debates: In 2015, young people were still most afraid of terrorist attacks. Today, environmental pollution comes first. How divided the young generation is in their fears is evident with regard to the subject of immigration: the fear of immigration is increasing, but the fear of xenophobia outweighs it.
Backing in the family
Already in the past Shell studies showed that adolescents and their parents get along well - generation conflicts, as they would have been expected in the face of increasingly heated climate debates, are not abolishing.
Nine out of ten respondents understand themselves as "good" or "best" with their own parents. 74 percent of adolescents would raise their children the way they were raised. At the same time, many companies are struggling with the process of dismantling: three-quarters of apprentices and around 40 percent of students and employees still live at home.