The Rising Gen Z Tide: Barnes & Noble Education Survey Finds 94% of Currently & Soon-to-Be Registered College Students Plan t...
September 23 2020 - 8:30AM
Business Wire
Nearly Half Inspired by Recent Events Such as
the Pandemic and Black Lives Matter Protests
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED), a leading
solutions provider for the education industry, today announced
findings from Conversations with Gen Z®: The 2020 Election Report,
Second Edition. Conducted by Barnes & Noble College Insights™,
the report looks at the attitudes and perspectives of Gen Z college
students across the U.S. as they plan for the 2020 presidential
election. The 2020 Election Report, First Edition, was released in
June 2019.
Early and Mail-in Voting Lead with Gen Z Students
This year’s report shows that, while the majority (94%) of
registered and soon-to-be registered Gen Z students plan to vote,
the COVID-19 pandemic has had a notable impact on how and why they
plan to do so. One third (32%) of surveyed students report feeling
nervous about voting in-person due to COVID-19, and more than half
(60%) say they plan to vote early or by mail-in/absentee ballot in
the 2020 election, compared to just 27% the year before. Among this
group, 60% say these plans were a direct result of the pandemic.
Despite the fact that early and mail-in voting plans lead with Gen
Z students, almost half (42%) say they are concerned about the
accuracy and trustworthiness of mail-in ballots.
The report shows that there is also voter registration confusion
among Gen Z students, even as registration deadlines approach for
many states. Of those students who are planning to register, 39%
say they feel uncertain about where and how to register to vote.
For the majority (81%) who have registered, there are concerns
about the impact of possible campus closures as 15% say they will
have to change their registration due to the pandemic.
Inspired by Recent Events, COVID-19 and Racial Justice Top
Gen Z Concerns
Already an active and engaged generation, the events of the past
six months have inspired more members of Gen Z to get involved.
Nearly half (45%) feel that recent events such as the pandemic,
Black Lives Matter protests and others have inspired them to become
more politically active. It has also shifted the issues they feel
are most important for presidential candidates to address, with
COVID-19 response and management and racial injustice and
inequality rising to the top of the list for 74% and 67% of Gen Z
students, respectively. While more than half (59%) identified last
year’s top issue of gun violence/mass shootings as important to
address, the 12% drop took it out of the top five issues for Gen Z
students this year. Addressing the health of the environment – last
year’s second-most important issue – dropped to the fourth, with
62% of students identifying it as a top issue. Police/criminal
justice reform (63%) and healthcare reform (60%) rounded out the
list.
Trust Deficit: Media Bias and the Search for
Solutions
While Gen Z wants to stay well-informed on the political issues
driving the 2020 presidential race, the report shows that concerns
regarding disinformation have increased since last year and are
influencing how students view media. Written news publications
(such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times), were
designated as trustworthy by just over half (52%) of Gen Z
students, down from 62% in 2019. These publications were followed
by rallies or political events (44%) and podcasts (41%), both of
which saw similar drops in trustworthiness compared to 2019. Word
of mouth remained the least trustworthy source of information
according to almost half (47%) of students, while radio discussions
and social media generated the most "not sure" responses. While
just 23% say social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube
and TikTok are trustworthy sources of information, nearly half
(48%) are not sure.
Despite these concerns, they continue to rely largely on social
media platforms (67%) and major news networks (62%) to research
candidates, taking potential biases into account in their approach.
Most (84%) feel it is important to get information from unbiased
sources, and 66% actively try to learn about opposing viewpoints on
political issues. The challenge is that many (69%) find it hard to
find unbiased informative sources, and most (70%) are not
subscribed to any media outlet, limiting their options.
“For many college students, this November will mark their first
time voting in a presidential election. If Gen Z turnout in the
2018 midterm election is any indication, college students are
positioned to be a critical demographic in deciding the future of
our country,” said Michael P. Huseby, CEO and Chairman, BNED. “Gen
Z students have demonstrated that they are politically engaged and
thoughtful about the issues of the day. Like many though, they may
need additional support in navigating the unique challenges this
year has presented. As members of the higher education industry,
it’s important that we all work together to support and educate
students in the weeks ahead, ensuring they are well-prepared to
safely engage in this year’s election.”
To access the full report, please visit
http://partners.bncollege.com/the2020electionpart2. For more
information on Barnes & Noble Education, visit:
https://www.bned.com.
Survey Methodology
Barnes & Noble College Insights™ conducted an online
quantitative survey of 2,832 Gen Z college students across the U.S.
this August, asking about election voting, their preferred methods
for researching candidates, and the political issues that are most
important to them.
About Barnes & Noble Education
Barnes & Noble Education, Inc. (NYSE: BNED) is a leading
solutions provider for the education industry, driving
affordability, access, and achievement at hundreds of academic
institutions nationwide and ensuring millions of students are
equipped for success in the classroom and beyond. Through its
family of brands, BNED offers campus retail services and academic
solutions, a digital direct-to-student learning ecosystem,
wholesale capabilities and more. BNED is a company serving all who
work to elevate their lives through education, supporting students,
faculty, and institutions as they make tomorrow a better, more
inclusive and smarter world. For more information, visit
www.bned.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200923005186/en/
Media Contact: Carolyn J.
Brown Senior Vice President Corporate Communications & Public
Affairs 908-991-2967 cbrown@bned.com
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