1. American Millennials Prefer Experience Over Expertise

2. 2 Introduction A representative sample of American adults born between 1980 and 1991 was surveyed. National sample size was 1,200 people. A demographically balanced online panel was used for the interviewing. Respondents were not informed the research was being conducted on behalf of LifeWay Research. Surveys were conducted during August 2009. At a 95% confidence level and a 50% response distribution, the potential sampling error on this national sample is ±2.8 percentage points.

3. 3 Religious Definitions “Christ as Savior” are those whose belief about life after death is that they will go to heaven because they have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior. “Other than Christ” are those whose belief about life after death is something other than going to heaven because they have accepted Jesus Christ as Savior.

4. 4 Sources of Influence and Guidance Millennials would rather learn from experienced peers than from recognized experts. The strongest influences and sources of advice or guidance are still clearly parents, then friends, then extended family. Those who are married or living with someone have strong influences from their partner. Church is a strong influence for those who attend, but only a moderate source of advice or guidance. The Internet is a source of advice for almost as many as turn to extended family for guidance.

5. 5 Preferences When Learning from Others Just 36% of Millennials said they would rather learn from one recognized expert, while 64% said they would prefer to learn from many individuals who have personal experience, even if they aren’t experts. Q28. When you are looking for information or advice, which one tends to be true about you?

6. 6 Preferences When Learning from Others Men and Asians were more likely than other Millennials to prefer to learn from one recognized expert. Q28. When you are looking for information or advice, which one tends to be true about you?

7. 7 Sources of Influence on Millennials’ Lives Among all Millenials, the biggest sources of influence on their lives continues to be parents, friends, and extended family. Q16. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following?

8. 8 Sources of Influence on Millennials’ Lives Among those who are married or with a domestic partner, that other individual also has a major influence on their lives. Church is also very influential for those who attend. Q16. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following?

9. 9 Sources of Influence: Parents The vast majority of Millennials said their parent/parents remain a positive influence in their lives, including 51% who called them a strongly positive influence. Q16a. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your parent or parents. (Asked of those who have at least one parent still living; N = 1,187)

10. 10 Sources of Influence: Parents Those who trust Christ as Savior, churchgoers, and those who had some sort of religious beliefs were far more likely than others to say their parents are still a strongly positive influence in their lives. Q16a. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your parent or parents. (Asked of those who have at least one parent still living; N = 1,187)

11. 11 Sources of Influence: Your Friends The vast majority of Millennials said their friends are a positive influence in their lives, although only 33% called them a strongly positive influence. Q16d. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your friends.

12. 12 Sources of Influence: Your Friends There were few differences on this question. Higher-income and more educated Millennials were somewhat more likely than others to see their friends as a positive influence in their lives. Q16d. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your friends.

13. 13 Sources of Influence: Extended Family Most Millennials also said their extended family is a positive influence in their lives, although only 33% called them a strongly positive influence. Q16e. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Extended family members (grandparents, siblings, etc.).

14. 14 Sources of Influence: Extended Family What differences existed on this question were relatively small. Millennials who trusted Christ as Savior, churchgoers, and/or religious at all were less likely to see their extended family as a strongly positive influence. Q16e. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Extended family members (grandparents, siblings, etc.).

15. 15 Sources of Influence: Religious Beliefs Thirty-eight percent of Millennials said their religious beliefs have no influence on their life. Thirty-two percent said their religious beliefs have a strongly positive influence, while another 26% called the influence somewhat positive. Q16b. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your religious beliefs.

16. 16 Sources of Influence: Religious Beliefs Blacks, those who trust Christ as Savior, and those who had some sort of religious beliefs were far more likely than others to say those beliefs are a strongly positive influence in their lives. Q16b. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your religious beliefs.

17. 17 Sources of Influence: Music Most Millennials considered music to be a positive influence in their lives, including 24% who called it strongly positive. Music was more likely to be seen as a positive influence than were the Internet or television. Q16k. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Music.

18. 18 Sources of Influence: Music Younger people and the less educated were somewhat more likely than others to name music as a strongly positive influence in their lives. Q16k. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Music.

19. 19 Sources of Influence: Church Half of Millennials said a church or other house of worship has no influence on their life. Twenty-two percent said a church has a strongly positive influence, while another 21% called the influence somewhat positive. Q16c. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: A church or other house of worship.

20. 20 Sources of Influence: Church Blacks, those who trust Christ as Savior, and those who attend worship regularly were far more likely than others to say a church is a strongly positive influence in their lives. Q16c. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: A church or house of worship.

21. 21 Sources of Influence: Your Spouse Among married Millennials, 73% said their spouse is a strongly positive influence in their life. Only 1% counted their spouse as a negative influence. The sample size of married Millennials was too small to allow for substantial further subgroup breakdowns. Q16i. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your spouse. (Asked of those who were married; N = 318)

22. 22 Sources of Influence: The Internet Over half of all Millennials said the Internet is a positive influence in their lives. About four out of ten said it really has no influence on them, but just 8% said it’s a negative influence. Q16g. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: The Internet.

23. 23 Sources of Influence: The Internet Asians, particularly, found the Internet to be a positive influence in their lives. Those who trust Christ as Savior were less likely than others to name the Internet as a positive influence. Q16g. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: The Internet.

24. 24 Sources of Influence: Domestic Partner Among Millennials with a domestic partner, 92% called that person a positive influence in their lives. The subsample of Millennials with a domestic partner was too small to break down into further subgroups. Q16j. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your domestic partner. (Asked of those who had a domestic partner; N = 206)

25. 25 Comparing the Influence of Spouses and Partners Spouses are more likely to be considered a strongly positive influence than are domestic partners in the lives of Millennials. Q16i/16j. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your spouse/Your domestic partner.

26. 26 Sources of Influence: Television Television was much less likely to be considered an influence than was the Internet. A majority of Millennials said TV has no influence on their lives, and 14% said it has a negative influence. Q16h. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Television.

27. 27 Sources of Influence: Television Although there weren’t major differences, women and those who trust Christ as Savior were particularly unlikely to see television as a positive influence in their lives. Q16h. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Television.

28. 28 Sources of Influence: Your Boss Among working Millennials, 44% called their boss a positive influence on their lives, an equal proportion said he/she had no influence, and 12% said their boss is a negative influence on them. Q16f. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your boss. (Asked of those who worked for someone else; N = 578)

29. 29 Sources of Influence: Your Boss The less educated and lower-income Millennials were less likely to see their boss as a positive influence in their lives. Q16f. Right now, how much of an influence on your life is each of the following: Your boss. (Asked of those who worked for someone else; N = 578)

30. 30 Sources of Advice and Guidance Among all Millenials, the biggest sources of advice and guidance continues to be parents, friends, and extended family. Q27. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources?

31. 31 Sources of Advice and Guidance Among those who are married or have a domestic partner, that other person is more likely than anyone else to be a source of guidance or advice. Q27. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources?

32. 32 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Parent(s) More than half of Millennials continue to get a lot of advice and guidance from their parents, and another 31% get some. Q27a. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your parent or parents. (Asked of those who have at least one parent still living; N = 1,178)

33. 33 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Parent(s) Hispanics were especially likely to name their parents as a major source of advice. Those who had no religious preference or who were atheist or agnostic were the least likely to get guidance from their parents. Q27a. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your parent or parents. (Asked of those who have at least one parent still living; N = 1,178)

34. 34 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Friends Friends are a major source of guidance for 30% of respondents; another 49% said they get some advice and guidance from friends. Q27d. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your friends.

35. 35 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Friends Friends were a more likely source of guidance for Whites and Asians than for others. They were also more of a source for unmarried people and for those with more than a high school diploma. Q27d. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your friends.

36. 36 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Extended Family One out of four Millennials got a lot of guidance from extended family members, while another 44% said this is a source of some advice or guidance. Q27e. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Extended family members (grandparents, siblings, etc.).

37. 37 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Extended Family There were few major differences on this measure. Millennials who attend worship services and those who were less educated were somewhat more likely than others to get a lot of guidance from extended family. Q27e. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Extended family members (grandparents, siblings, etc.).

38. 38 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Sacred Writings Only 18% of all Millennials said they get a lot of guidance or advice from sacred texts such as the Bible or Torah, while another 24% get some. The most common answer (37%) was none at all. Q27b. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: The Bible, Torah, Koran, or other sacred writings.

39. 39 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Sacred Writings Blacks were more likely to get advice from sacred texts than were other groups. Twenty-one percent of those who trust Christ as Savior, did not get a lot of advice from sacred texts like the Bible. Q27b. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: The Bible, Torah, Koran, or other sacred writings.

40. 40 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Spouse Two-thirds of married Millennials a lot of advice or guidance from their spouse; just 7% said they get very little or none. Q27h. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your spouse (Asked of those who were married; N = 318).

41. 41 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Spouse Married Millennials who were religious (broadly Christian or attend worship) were more likely to get a lot of advice or guidance from their spouse than were other respondents. Q27h. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your spouse (Asked of those who were married; N = 318).

42. 42 Sources of Advice/Guidance: The Internet Almost two-thirds of all Millennials get at least some advice or guidance from the Internet, including 17% who said they get a lot from this source. Q27g. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: The Internet.

43. 43 Sources of Advice/Guidance: The Internet There were few major differences on this measure. Asians were much more likely than other groups to get a lot of advice or guidance online. Q27g. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: The Internet.

44. 44 Sources of Advice/Guidance: House of Worship Just 13% of all Millennials said they get a lot of guidance or advice from a church or house of worship, while another 21% get some. The most common answer (42%) was none at all. Q27c. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: A church or other house of worship.

45. 45 Sources of Advice/Guidance: House of Worship Blacks were more likely to get advice from church than were other groups. Seventy- one percent of those who trust Christ as Savior, and 66% of those who attend worship did not get a lot of advice or guidance from church. Q27c. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: A church or other house of worship.

46. 46 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Domestic Partner Six out of ten Millennials with a domestic partner said they get a lot of advice or guidance from this person (compared to 66% of married Millennials who said this about their spouse). There were not enough respondents with a domestic partner to compare subgroups. Q27i. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your domestic partner (Asked of those who had a domestic partner; N = 206).

47. 47 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Boss Among working Millennials, only 7% said their boss is the source of a lot of advice and guidance for them (although another 36% said the boss gives them some of this). Q27f. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your boss. (Asked of those who work for someone; N = 578)

48. 48 Sources of Advice/Guidance: Your Boss There were few measurable subgroup differences on this question, although there were a few slight differences based on education level. Q27f. How much advice and guidance do you tend to get from each of the following sources: Your boss. (Asked of those who work for someone; N = 578)

49. 49 Seeking Guidance Most Millennials said they try to figure things out on their own rather than seek guidance, including one-third who felt this way strongly. Only 15% said they tend to seek guidance rather than taking care of it themselves. Q26f. How much would you agree or disagree with each statement: In general, I try to figure things out on my own rather than seek guidance.

50. 50 Seeking Guidance Those who trust Christ as Savior were more likely than others to seek guidance (although still a minority did so). This was also true of Whites; minorities were more likely to figure things out on their own. Q26f. How much would you agree or disagree with each statement: In general, I try to figure things out on my own rather than seek guidance.

51. 51 Asking Parents for Advice Most Millennials (77%) agreed that they still ask their parent/parents for advice on a regular basis; just 5% disagreed strongly with this. Q14f. How much would you agree or disagree with each statement: I seek advice from my parent or parents on a regular basis. (Among those with at least one parent still living; N = 1,187)

52. 52 Asking Parents for Advice Those who trust Christ as Savior, women, and churchgoers were more likely than others to ask advice of their parents still. Q14f. How much would you agree or disagree with each statement: I seek advice from my parent or parents on a regular basis. (Among those with at least one parent still living; N = 1,187

53. 53 Marriage, Family, and Religious Preference Most Millennials are single and almost all have living parents. About two-thirds called themselves Christian, with 14% atheist or agnostic, and 14% having no religious preference. Only 26% trust Jesus Christ as Savior.

54. 54 Marital Status Most respondents were single, but 55% had no domestic partner while another 17% did. Twenty-six percent were married, with 2% already divorced or separated. Most married respondents were 24 or older. Q12. What is your current marital status?

55. 55 Are Parents Still Living? Nine out of ten Millennials had both parents still living. Q13. Are your parents still living (if you’re adopted, please answer regarding your adoptive parents)?

56. 56 Religious Preference Only 65% of Millennials were willing to call themselves Christian in even the broadest sense. Q24. What is your religious preference?

57. 57 Making a Commitment to Christ One-third of all Millennials agreed strongly that they have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ; another 24% agreed somewhat with this. Q35h. How much would you agree or disagree with each statement: You have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today.

58. 58 Making a Commitment to Christ Sixteen percent of those who do not trust Christ as Savior still strongly claimed a personal commitment to Christ, as did 10% of those who affiliated with a non-Christian religion (demonstrating how much syncretism there is). Q35h. How much would you agree or disagree with each statement: You have made a personal commitment to Jesus Christ that is still important in your life today.

59. 59 Beliefs about Life after Death The most common belief about life after death is that no one really knows. Q36. There are many beliefs about life after death. Which of the following statements is closest to your own beliefs?

60. American Millennials Prefer Experience Over Expertise