We are used to criticizing gerontocracy, often with good reason. Older generations are accused of conservatism, being out of touch with reality, and an inability to adapt to change. But this critique has a blind spot: the automatic assumption that younger people are, by definition, more open-minded, more rational, and more democratic. Recent data from the United States calls this into question.
A study conducted as part of the National Speech Index asks a simple question: is it acceptable to use physical violence to prevent someone from speaking within their community? The responses reveal a clear values gap between generations. Generation Z appears significantly more tolerant of violence as a tool to suppress opposing views. In relative terms, “zoomers” are nearly ten times more likely than baby boomers, and twenty-five times more likely than members of the “silent generation,” to consider the use of force against a speaker acceptable.
Notably, the study finds that the key factor is generational identity rather than ideology. While intolerance is somewhat higher among more liberal-leaning zoomers, the phenomenon characterizes the generation as a whole.
