O.K. Boomer Where’s Your Facemask?

Younger Americans say older people are not taking the pandemic seriously (53%). Just over half of Americans age 18-49 say older Americans lack concern for the pandemic (52%) and are acting reckless and putting the nation’s health at risk (51%)

• More than 7 in 10 of those 50+ say younger Americans are not taking the pandemic seriously (73%).
• Over 3 in 5 Americans of those 50+ (63%) say younger Americans do not care about the health of older people during the pandemic.

Americans age 65+ are more likely than those age 50-64 to say that younger Americans:

• Are being ignorant by thinking they are less likely to spread Cv19 than others (81% vs. 73%)
• Act as if social distancing restrictions don’t apply to them (79% vs. 72%)
• Are being ignorant by thinking they are less vulnerable to contract Cv19 than others (80% vs. 71%)
• Are not taking the pandemic seriously (78% vs. 70%)
• Lack of concern for the pandemic (78% vs. 69%)
• Are acting reckless and putting the rest of the nation’s health at risk (77% vs. 68%)

When we asked how the American public, in general, is responding to the pandemic, nearly 2 in 5 Americans (37%) say people are overreacting to the pandemic.

• Democrats say stricter enforcements should be made: 74% of Democrats say ‘Stricter enforcements should be made’ (vs. 49% Republicans), and are more likely to say ‘People are not taking the pandemic seriously’ (70% vs. 50%). 

Republicans also say it’s time to get on with life:  Republicans are nearly twice as likely as Democrats to say ‘People should be able to get back to their normal lives’ (67% vs. 37% Democrats) and that ‘It is time to move on’ (65% Republicans vs. 36% Democrats).

Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by The Harris Poll from May 15 – 17 among a nationally representative sample of 1,961 U.S. adults.