Millennials Most Likely to Attribute Negative Traits to Their Generation % of each generation overall saying each term describes their generation of generation overall Gen x
While 59% of Millennials describe the members of their generation as self-absorbed, 49% say they are wasteful and 43% describe them as greedy. On all three dimensions, Millennials are significantly more critical of their generation than older age cohorts are of theirs.
And while Silents are more likely than other generations to say that several positive terms describe their generation, they also are less likely to say some negative terms apply. Only about one-in-ten Silents see the people of their generation as self-absorbed (7%), wasteful (10%) and greedy (8%) – by far the lowest shares of any cohort.
There are smaller differences among generations over whether the term “cynical” describes people in their age cohort: 31% of Millennials say it applies, compared with 24% of Gen X, 16% of Boomers and just 7% of Silents. Relatively few across all generations – only about one-in-ten – say the term “rigid” applies.
Millennials Most Likely to Attribute  | Negative Traits to Their Generation  | % of each generation overall saying each term describes their  | generation of generation overall  | Millennia  | 59  | Gen x  | 30  | Self-absorbed  | Boomer  | 20  | Silent  | Millennial  | 49  | Gen x  | 29  | Wasteful  | Boomer  | 20  | Silent 10  | Millennial  | Gen X  | 24  | Greedy  | 19  | Boomer  | Silent  | Millennia  | Gen X  | 24  | Cynical  | 16  | Boomer  | S ilent  | Millennia  | 28  | Gen X  | Idealistic  | 31  | Boomer  | 26  | Silent  | Millennial  | 35  | Gen x  | 33  | Entrepreneurial  | 35  | Boomer  | 32  | Silent  | Millennia  | 40  | Environmentally  | Gen x  | 37  | conscious  | Boomer  | 4.1  | 40  | Silent  | Millennia  | 33  | 33  | Gen x  | Tolerant  | 38  | Boomer  | 36  | Silent  | Millennial  | Gen X  | Rigid  | Boomer  | Silent  | Source: American Trends Panel (wave 10). Survey conducted Mar  | 10 Apr 6, 2015.  | PEW RESEARCH CENTER 