With the isolating phase of the COVID-19 pandemic seemingly at an end, young Americans are turning their attention to issues of personal concern, a report from Cause & Social Influence finds.

Based on an online survey of Americans between the ages of 18 and 30 conducted on March 26 and 27, the report, Influencing Young America to Act: Spring 2022 found that mental health (17 percent) and women’s issues (14 percent) topped a list of social interests that also included animal rights (12 percent), COVID-19 (12 percent), the environment (12 percent), and wage increases (12 percent). In 2021, respondents identified animal rights (33 percent) and gun safety (21 percent) as their top concerns.

While gun safety did not make the list of top interests, #MarchforOurLives, the student-led gun control advocacy group, was among the top five movements of interest (13 percent), which also included #BlackLivesMatter (19 percent), #AllLivesMatter (13 percent), #AffordableHousing (12 percent), and #MedicareForAll (12 percent). The report indicated that 16 percent of respondents had no interest in any recent social movements, while human rights, identified by 26 percent in 2021, did not make the new list. For both interests and movements of interest, top responses were all within the survey’s 5 percent margin of error, suggesting no clear focus.

Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the report found that only 9 percent of respondents identified #StandwithUkraine as a movement of interest. Respondents narrowly disapproved of the Biden administration’s handling of the conflict (39 percent disapproval to 34 percent approval), while a plurality favored direct U.S. intervention (42 percent), and a majority (58 percent) favored resettling Ukrainian refugees in the United States. The survey found the most common action respondents took regarding Ukraine was changing their purchase of products or services (29 percent), learning about the issue (26 percent), and signing a petition (23 percent).

For social issues in general, the report indicated the most common action respondents took in support of an issue was learning more about it (34 percent), consistent with results from 2021. Other actions saw modest year-over-year declines, including signing a petition (28 percent, down from 32 percent), purchasing products or services (25 percent, down from 31 percent) or not purchasing (20 percent, down from 23 percent), and posting or sharing content on social media (18 percent, down from 21 percent). Despite variations in the use of purchasing power, the report identified this action as a key tool for how young Americans address issues of interest.

(Photo credit: GettyImages/martin-dm)