November 20, 2025

Individuality and Moral Behavior: A Generational Divide in Moral Judgments and Self-Expression

Daniel A. Cox, Kelsey Eyre Hammond

Introduction

Americans’ attitudes about self-expression, morality, individuality, and religious practice continue to show substantial clefts across generations. Compared with older Americans, young adults (age 18–29) are more likely to embrace unrestrained self-expression and prioritize autonomy in personal behavior, even when it challenges social norms and cohesion. But divisions are increasingly appearing within generations, with young men and young women diverging over certain types of behavior. Young women grant a wider latitude to a variety of personal behaviors than young men do.

Older Americans tend to place greater emphasis on conformity, shared values, and moral restraint. While most young adults report being raised in affirming households by parents who thought they were unique or special, far fewer older Americans share this experience. Half of Americans over 50 say their parents thought of them as “average.”

The generational divide is evident in differing approaches to moral judgment and expressions of faith and spirituality. Younger adults, and particularly young women, are more likely to view behaviors such as abortion, casual sex, and open relationships as morally permissible. Older Americans are far more comfortable expressing disapprobation, including making unequivocal judgments about certain behaviors—condemning them as wrong in any situation. These generational differences are most evident regarding sexual behavior, however. Regarding alcohol consumption, young adults are more likely than older Americans to believe drinking is morally suspect, or wrong in most or all cases.

The growing emphasis on individuality and self-expression is redefining what Americans consider moral behavior while complicating shared understandings of right and wrong in families, schools, and religious communities.

A Generational Gap on Individuality and Self-Expression

Americans generally believe it is more important for children to learn ways they are similar to their peers and classmates to help them better get along with others than to emphasize how they are different. More than two-thirds (68 percent) of Americans say it is better for children to learn about their similarities to others to foster social connection. Just 30 percent of Americans say it is more important for children to learn how they are different from others so they can focus on developing their unique talents and abilities.

There is widespread agreement on this point among the public, but younger Americans are much more likely to say emphasizing areas of difference should be prioritized. Young adults are roughly twice as likely as seniors to say it is more important for children to learn how they are different from others to foster their sense of individuality (37 percent vs. 19 percent).

Americans are more closely divided over whether it is more important to express your views when it might make others uncomfortable or to keep your opinions to yourself. Forty-six percent of Americans say expressing yourself is more important, while slightly more (52 percent) say keeping silent is better if it might discomfort the people around you. Young adults are more likely than seniors to prioritize self-expression regardless of the social costs. More than half (53 percent) of young adults say speaking your mind is more important regardless of the consequences.

The generational gap is even more pronounced among women. A majority (55 percent) of young women believe it is more important to share their views even if it makes people around them uncomfortable. Only about one in three (34 percent) senior women embrace this view. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of older women say that if your opinions would make the people around you uncomfortable, it is better to keep them to yourself.

Simultaneously, young adults are often more hesitant to engage with people they do not know well for fear the experience will leave them feeling stressed or anxious. Overall, Americans are more likely to say talking to strangers and casual acquaintances is energizing and informative (58 percent) rather than exhausting and often uncomfortable (40 percent). For young adults, the reverse is true. Most young adults (53 percent) find the experience of interacting with people they do not know well exhausting and frequently uncomfortable. This attitude is shared by fewer than one in four seniors (24 percent).

An Above-Average Generation?

There is a stark generational divide in how Americans were brought up to think about themselves. A majority (54 percent) of seniors agree with the statement: “Growing up, my parents thought I was mostly average.” Forty-five percent disagree. Young adults are far less likely to believe this: only 36 percent grew up believing their parents thought they were average, while 60 percent say they did not think their parents viewed them as average.

Perhaps relatedly, young adults are far more likely than older Americans to have ever believed they were meant to do something great with their life. Two-thirds (67 percent) of young adults say that at some point in their life, they felt they were “meant to do great things.” This view is shared by only 32 percent of seniors. Roughly two in three seniors say that at no time in their life did they ever feel they were meant to accomplish something great.

A Generational Gap in Moral Judgments

Abortion: Young Women’s Opinions on Morality Differ from the General Population’s

Americans are pretty evenly divided in their opinions on the morality of abortion. Half of Americans say having an abortion is morally wrong at least most of the time, including roughly one in five who say it is always wrong. Close to half of Americans believe having an abortion is morally acceptable at least most of the time (25 percent) or say it is not a moral issue at all (23 percent). Only 7 percent of Americans believe abortion is always morally acceptable.

Overall, men and women do not differ widely in their views about the morality of having an abortion. Fifty-one percent of men and 49 percent of women believe abortion is morally wrong. However, among young adults, there is a notable gender divide. More than half (52 percent) of young men believe abortion is morally wrong at least most of the time, compared to only 36 percent of young women. More than half of young women believe abortion is either morally acceptable (35 percent) or say it is not a moral issue at all (23 percent).

The generational divide in views of abortion is modest. Young people generally are only slightly more likely than older people to believe getting an abortion is morally acceptable. Forty-four percent of young adults (under age 30) say getting an abortion is morally wrong at least most of the time, compared with 52 percent of seniors. However, the generation divide is much larger among women. Just over half (51 percent) of senior women say having an abortion is morally wrong, meaning there is a 15-point generational gap in women’s views. There is no significant difference between the views of the youngest and oldest men.

Pornography: Watching and Making

Despite the widespread consumption of pornography in American society, most Americans say it is morally wrong to watch pornographic videos. Fifty-six percent of Americans say watching pornography is morally wrong, while roughly four in 10 say it is either morally acceptable (18 percent) or do not consider it a moral issue (24 percent).

Women generally express stronger moral objections to consuming pornography than men do. Fewer than half (49 percent) of men say watching pornography is morally wrong, compared with 61 percent of women. Notably, young men and young women largely agree on the morality of pornography consumption. A majority of young men (53 percent) and young women (55 percent) say watching pornography is morally wrong. Among seniors, women are far more likely to express moral reservations about watching pornography than men are (74 percent vs. 58 percent).

If watching pornography engenders considerable moral objections from the public, producing pornography is judged even more harshly. More than seven in 10 Americans (71 percent) say “creating sexually explicit images of yourself to sell online” is morally wrong, including 56 percent who say it is always wrong. Just 12 percent of Americans believe it is not morally wrong, and 15 percent say it is not a moral issue.

Women are more likely than men to morally object to selling sexually explicit material online. According to 76 percent of women and two-thirds (67 percent) of men, selling sexually explicit images of yourself is morally wrong. There is one exception to this overall pattern: Among young adults, it is men rather than women who are more likely to take exception to producing and selling sexually explicit material online. Two-thirds of young men say this is morally wrong, compared with 58 percent of young women. Additionally, the generational divide among women is massive. Ninety-two percent of senior women say creating sexually explicit images to sell online is morally wrong, resulting in a 34-point gap between the oldest and youngest women.

Open Relationships and Sex with Strangers

American attitudes about premarital sex have transformed dramatically over the past few decades. Today, most Americans believe premarital sex is morally acceptable, but they are not nearly as accepting of casual sex among people who do not know each other well[i]. Only four in 10 Americans say sex between people who do not know each other well is either morally acceptable (17 percent) or not a moral issue at all (23 percent). A majority (56 percent) say having a sexual relationship with someone you do not know well is morally wrong.

Young adults are more accepting of sexual relationships between people who are not well acquainted, but the generational gap exists only among women. About half (51 percent) of young women believe that sex between people who do not know each other well is morally wrong, while nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of senior women say the same. In contrast, views among men vary little across age groups. According to 57 percent of young men and 56 percent of senior men, sex between people who do not know each other well is morally wrong.

Americans express similar views on open sexual relationships. Most Americans (56 percent) say “being in an open sexual relationship” is morally wrong most or all the time. Roughly four in 10 Americans (41 percent) say it is morally acceptable or not a moral issue.

A generational rift is evident in views on open relationships, but it is primarily among women that age differences emerge. No group is less likely to condemn open relationships than young women are. Fewer than half (46 percent) of young women say being in an open sexual relationship is morally wrong most or all of the time. In contrast, a majority (57 percent) of young men say this is morally wrong at least most of the time, a rate 11 points higher than their female peers. Senior women take the opposite side, expressing the strongest objections to open relationships. Roughly two-thirds (66 percent) of women age 65 or older say being in an open relationship is morally wrong.

Alcohol, Marijuana, and Internet Gambling

Americans have generally permissive attitudes about alcohol consumption. Collectively, roughly eight in 10 Americans say drinking alcohol is either morally acceptable (37 percent) or not a moral issue (41 percent). Fewer than one in five (19 percent) say drinking alcohol is morally wrong.

Young adults express greater moral reservations about alcohol consumption. More than one in four (26 percent) believe drinking alcohol is morally wrong, compared with only 15 percent of seniors. Young men are nearly twice as likely to say alcohol consumption is morally wrong as senior men are (27 percent vs. 14 percent).

Americans are broadly accepting of marijuana use, though slightly less than they are of alcohol consumption. Roughly two-thirds of Americans say marijuana use is acceptable (25 percent) or not a moral issue (40 percent). About one in three Americans (32 percent) believe marijuana use is morally wrong.

Americans express few moral reservations about internet gambling, perhaps reflecting its growing popularity. Six in 10 Americans believe internet gambling is morally acceptable (20 percent) or not a moral issue (40 percent). About four in 10 (38 percent) say it is morally wrong. Young adults are somewhat more likely than older Americans to believe internet gambling is morally wrong. Forty-five percent of young adults say it is morally wrong, compared with 36 percent of seniors.

Few of these behaviors elicit categorical moral judgments—deeming something to be universally wrong in every case. Rather, Americans express flexibility in making moral judgments, acknowledging that what counts as ethical behavior can depend on the particular situation.

Identifying Right from Wrong

Helping children and young people understand the difference between right and wrong has typically been a communal responsibility shared among families, educators, and religious leaders. Whether there is less agreement about what constitutes morals or are fewer institutions willing to instruct young people about them, Americans today generally believe it has become more difficult for young adults to discern the difference between moral and immoral behavior. According to 70 percent of Americans, it has become more difficult for young adults to appreciate the difference between right and wrong. Fewer than one in four say things are not any different than they used to be, and only 6 percent say it is easier for young people today to discern right from wrong.

A Changing Approach to Prayer

Americans engage in a variety of religious activities, even if not as often today as they once did. Praying is one of the most common types of religious activity: Less than half of Americans report praying at least once a day.[ii] But what or whom do Americans pray for? It turns out that Americans pray for others and themselves, and they do so at roughly similar rates. However, there are signs that Americans’ approach to prayer is changing.

A majority of Americans report that over the past month, they prayed at least a few times for help with a personal problem. Seven percent report that they prayed just once or twice, and 38 percent report not praying at all in the past 30 days, including 19 percent of those who have never prayed. There is a nearly identical pattern in praying for others. A majority (55 percent) of Americans say they have prayed on behalf of someone else at least a few times in the past month. Meanwhile, 9 percent report doing so only once or twice, and 34 percent report not praying at all in the past month, including 17 percent who have never prayed at all.

How Americans understand the function of prayer may be undergoing a generational shift. When it comes to praying on behalf of other people, there is a considerable generational gap, with young adults reporting praying for others less frequently. Only 44 percent of young adults report regularly praying on behalf of other people, compared with nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of seniors. The generational gap is much smaller regarding praying for help with a personal problem. Half of young adults report they regularly pray for help with a personal problem, as do roughly six in 10 seniors (58 percent). Put another way, young adults are 6 points more likely to pray for themselves than for other people, whereas seniors are 7 points more likely to pray for others than they are for themselves.

Women are more likely than men to pray for help with a personal problem and on behalf of others. The gap between praying about personal problems and praying for others is largest among young women. Fifty-five percent of young women report praying for help with a personal problem, while 46 percent say they regularly pray for others. Young men are about equally likely to report regularly praying for themselves (45 percent) as for others (41 percent).

Conclusion

These findings suggest an ongoing generational friction in America’s moral landscape. Many young adults are recasting morality as a matter of personal preference and autonomy rather than a series of collective obligations and responsibilities. Older Americans continue to approach moral questions through a more traditional lens, emphasizing shared norms, restraint, and the moral guidance of community and faith.

However, young adults are not speaking in unison regarding judgments of certain behaviors. Abortion is a prime example. Young men’s attitudes on abortion are indistinguishable from those of older men. Young women, by contrast, are far more likely than older women to believe having an abortion is morally permissible. On this question, the generational gap exists among members of one gender.

As these younger cohorts age and assume greater cultural and political influence, the moral landscape of the United States will continue to evolve. The shifting moral terrain highlights the fragility of shared ethical frameworks, and it invites the possibility of emerging or expanding clefts between (and within) different generations of Americans. Whether these shifts lead to further moral fragmentation will depend on how individuals, families, and institutions navigate the tension between personal freedom and collective moral responsibility.

About the Authors

Daniel A. Cox is the director of the Survey Center on American Life and a senior fellow in polling and public opinion at AEI. Under his leadership, the center performs public opinion and survey research on a variety of topics, including the emerging gender divide among young adults, dating and relationships, and social connection.

Kelsey Eyre Hammond is a Program Associate and Researcher at AEI’s the Survey Center on American Life.

Methodology

AEI’s Survey Center on American Life designed and conducted the survey. Interviews were conducted among a random sample of 5,451 adults (age 18 and up). All interviews were conducted among participants in the Ipsos KnowledgePanel, a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the US general population, not just the online population. Interviews were conducted in Spanish and English between July 25 and August 1, 2025.

The Ipsos KnowledgePanel recruitment process employs a scientifically developed address-based sampling methodology using the US Postal Service’s latest Delivery Sequence File—a database that fully covers all delivery points in the US. Households invited to join the panel are randomly selected from all available US households. Persons in the sampled households are invited to join and participate in the panel. Those selected who do not already have internet access are provided a tablet and internet connection at no cost to the panel member. Those who join the panel and who are selected to participate in a survey are sent a unique password-protected log-in to complete surveys online.

Because of these recruitment and sampling methodologies, samples from KnowledgePanel cover all households regardless of their phone or internet status, and findings can be reported with a margin of sampling error and projected to the general population. KnowledgePanel members receive a per-survey incentive, usually the equivalent of $1 (though for some, it is $2) in points, that can be redeemed for cash or prizes. Panelists receive a unique log-in to the survey and can complete it only once. Two reminder emails were sent for this study.

The data were weighted to adjust for gender, race and ethnicity, education, census region, household income, language dominance, race by age, race by education, and 2024 presidential vote. The sample weighting was accomplished using an iterative proportional fitting process that simultaneously balances the distributions of all variables. The use of survey weights in statistical analyses ensures that the demographic characteristics of the sample closely approximate those of the target population. The margin of sampling error for the qualified survey sample is +/–1.59 percentage points at the 95 percent level of confidence. The design effect for the survey is 1.29.

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Notes

[i] Brenan, Megan. “Adultery, Cloning Still Seen as Most Immoral Behaviors.” Gallup, July 22, 2025. https://news.gallup.com/poll/692801/adultery-cloning-seen-immoral-behaviors.aspx

[ii] Gregory A. Smith et al., Decline of Christianity in the U.S. Has Slowed, May Have Leveled Off: Findings from the 2023–24 Religious Landscape Study, Pew Research Center, February 26, 2025, 180–205, https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2025/02/26/prayer-and-other-religious-practices/.