Rise of the YIPs*
*That’s Young Illiberal Progressives who are less sympathetic to the views of others than their elders
YOUNGSTERS are less tolerant of others’ views than their parents or grandparents, research has found.
A study by Channel 4 found that young people could therefore be said to be ‘ less liberal’ than their elders.
The phenomenon has been branded as the ‘rise of the Young Illiberal Progressives’ or ‘Yips’. Channel 4 today published details from the survey it commissioned, called Beyond Z, of the attitudes of the so- called Gen Z audience, covering people aged from 13 to 24.
A quarter of the Gen Z respondents to the survey said they have ‘very little tolerance for people with beliefs I disagree with’.
Channel 4 chief executive Alex Mahon said this group of youngsters ‘don’t believe in unrestrained free speech’. She pointed out they were ‘more censorious than their elders’ about removing offensive material, but did so ‘in support of people they see as vulnerable’.
Nearly half of this Gen Z group had agreed that ‘ some people deserved to be cancelled’.
Social media has been blamed for creating a less tolerant culture among younger people, who are often heavy users of online platforms. The findings come amid concerns about the impact that the rise of cancel culture and socalled woke Left-wing politics are having on freedom of speech.
The research revealed that only 48 per cent of Gen Z respondents felt there were ‘just two genders’, compared with 68 per cent of over-25s. This comes amid hugely polarised debates about trans issues, with the likes of author J K Rowling targeted by activists for her defence of women’s rights.
The research said those in Gen Z ‘care about key emergent social issues’ like Black Lives Matter and transgender rights, which are ‘generation-dividing issues’.
Talking about the concept of Yips, Channel 4 boss Miss Mahon said in a speech yesterday: ‘A quarter of Gen Z say they “have very little tolerance for people with beliefs that they disagree with”. They don’t believe in unrestrained free speech, with nearly half agreeing that “some people deserve to be cancelled”.
‘There is an obvious paradox between this intolerance and their genuinely stated desires for everyone to have their rights and freedoms defended.
‘This is probably a completely rational response to the confusing online world in which they live, but is it either what they want for themselves or what those who love them want on their behalf?’ The survey of 3,000 people also showed that while half of over-25s believed social media was the top cause of stress among the Gen Z group, only 35 per cent of these youngsters identified it as a cause.
The report said this age group was more stressed about things like lack of affordable housing, pressure to be successful and ‘feelings around appearance’.
It also suggested there was less intergenerational conflict than is often believed to be the case, with three out of five 13-24s viewing their parents as role models.
‘Very little tolerance’