Young people prioritize careers and travel over starting a family

Starting a family is not a priority for many young people. Most of them believe that it is more difficult to start a family now than in previous generations. According to the survey conducted by the polling firm Análisis e Investigación for Family Watch, less than half of 18-44 year olds believe they will start a family in the next 5 years.

This decision is significantly influenced by the fact that the economic situation in Spain is currently perceived as «fair» or «bad». Young people and women are increasingly critical of the country's politics and economy.

María José Olesti, general director of The Family Watch Foundation, emphasizes that «these 15 years of barometer give us a perspective to take into account when it comes to seeing what the real situation of Spanish families is. It is especially significant that almost 80% of those surveyed consider that today there are greater difficulties in forming a family than in previous generations and that more than half consider that today older people suffer discrimination because of their age».

How to improve the well-being of families

The majority of young people are in favor of promoting work/life balance (work/measure/personal life). The measure that resonates the most is to facilitate access to housing. They also propose fiscal aid, aid to vulnerable families and child and dependent child benefits.

The main priorities of the population are to travel and to prosper in their professional life. The younger profile is the most intense with these priorities in the next 5 years. For many, starting a family is not a current priority.

First cell phone at age 12

In half of the families, the youngest children have a cell phone. The most common age for giving them one (in 62% of the families) is 12 years old. A positive fact to note is that people are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers involved, and families are thinking of giving the cell phone later. Young people are increasingly aware of the risks of social networks and cyberbullying.

The main factor that helps young people to reduce the impact of social networks is the family. In this way, they see the family as a support to detach themselves from how enslaved they can become by social networks.

When faced with a mental health problem, who do young people turn to?

The main triggers of mental health deterioration in young people are social networks (65.3 %), bullying in schools (61.5%) and low self-esteem (52.9%). On the other hand, in adults, the main factors are economic difficulties (80.7%) and loneliness (49.1%).

Mental health is being discussed more and more freely. Over the last few years, awareness has increased in terms of dealing with this issue. Thus, respondents recognize that when faced with a problem related to mental health, they would first turn to professionals (40.8%) and then to their partner (32.2%) and family (16.3%). The survey notes that the older the respondent is, the more he/she relies on professionals. Young people tend to rely less on them.

What about the elderly?

More than half of those surveyed believe that the elderly suffer discrimination because of their age; this percentage rises to 62.8 % if there is an elderly dependent in the household or environment.

Is the culture of caring for the elderly promoted in Spain? 40% believe that it is not encouraged. And the majority of the other 60% believe that it is, but not enough.