Gen Z’s ’90s revival and a crisis of trust in leaders

The latest trends in society and culture from The Harris Poll

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One Interesting Stat: 95. MIT’s latest bombshell: (95%) of generative AI pilots are failing to deliver meaningful ROI to their companies. However, this isn’t a tech problem, but an execution problem, according to our research. Read why the panic headlines miss the point about what’s actually happening in organizations here.

We have four new stories from our polling this week:

1. In its love for vintage, Gen Z also shows a disdain for modern technology, according to data from the Harris Poll in The New York Times.
2. America is primarily fed up with business leaders (and that’s before we get to the elected ones), according to U.S. News & World Report.
3. Trees help our mental health, but half of Americans have to drive to get to them (in Forbes)
4. The hiring time is lengthening, say hiring managers, in new Harris data with Indeed.

Why Gen Z Is Resurrecting The 90s: New York Times-Harris Poll

New York Times-Harris Poll From cassettes to the currently chart-topping Goo Goo Dolls, Dr. Clay Routledge, using our data, explores Gen Z’s fixation on the past. Full story published in the NYT.

• Anti-digital roots: Back in 2023, we found that (60%) of Gen Z wished they could return to a time before everyone was “plugged in.”
• (80%) of Gen Z adults — those born after 1997 — worry that their generation was too dependent on technology.
• (75%) have concerns about social media’s impact on young people’s mental health, and (58%) said that new technologies were more likely to drive people apart than bring them together.
• Drawn to simpler times? Even today, (68%) of people feel nostalgic for eras before their lifetime, while (73%) like the media, styles, and hobbies of those eras, and (78%) want new tech and products that incorporate elements from these times.
• Moreover, (66%) say that exploring these eras helps them when they are stressed out about modern life or anxious about the future.

Takeaway: “Nostalgia gets a bad rap. It is often characterized as an unproductive fixation on an idealized past, one that prevents people from living in the present and planning for the future,” writes Routledge. “In reality, though, nostalgia helps people thrive in the present and build a better future.”

Leadership Now & Then: U.S. News-Harris Poll

U.S. News-Harris Poll Speaking of nostalgia, Americans also wish we had better leaders than we do today, according to our latest Best Leaders survey, conducted in partnership with U.S. News & World Report.

• Leadership freefall: (72%) of Americans say the business sector is in a leadership crisis. While this is down slightly from (78%) in 2023, political/public service leaders saw a 3%-pt increase (87% from 84%).
• Similar to 2023, Americans don’t feel the values of national leaders today match those of everyday Americans (80% v. 2023: 77%).
• Today’s crises dampen confidence: Three-quarters (77%) today say leaders aren’t prepared to adequately respond to the latest crises of today, up from (69%) two years ago.
• Top Leader Qualities: Trustworthiness remains steady as the top quality Americans want in a leader. In 2023, Americans identified trustworthiness as the top trait for a successful modern leader, followed by honesty and a strong work ethic. In 2025, respondents identified trustworthiness as the top trait for a leader, with honesty and ethical behavior ranking second and third, respectively.

Takeaway: From the White House to the courthouse, the emergency room, and the classroom, Americans are continuing to question their trust in leadership today – illuminating a leadership crisis that remains essentially unchanged from 2023. Enlightened companies will demonstrate their differentiation through trust and transparency. Anything scarce inevitably becomes more valuable.

Trees Help Our Mental Health, But For Most Are a Drive to Get To: Arbor Day Foundation-Harris Poll

Do you see red? You may need more green! We have just released a survey tracing the impact of green spaces on mental well-being in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation, featured in Forbes.

• Nearly nine in ten (87%) believe that trees and green spaces have a noticeable, positive impact on their mental well-being; (89%) consider trees a valuable public health tool.
• However, half of Americans (50%) reported that they need to drive to access the nearest natural green area.
• There’s a role for business: (85%) believe companies should be engaged in planting and reforestation, with (77%) being more likely to support companies that reduce or offset their carbon footprint.

Takeaway: The Arbor Day Foundation’s chief executive officer, Dan Lambe, said trees are “the one thing that everybody recognizes can add so much value to their lives” in an interview. “We’ve grown to understand that trees just make our communities more livable and more enjoyable,” he added.

Hiring Takes Forever: Indeed-Harris Poll

A new Indeed-Harris Poll in Business Insider reveals that high-salary market employers and job seekers alike are feeling the pain of overextended hiring processes.

• Longer hiring times: (42%) of (high-salary market) employers and (57%) of job seekers agree that time to hire is growing.
• And too many candidates: More than half of employers (56%) say it’s because there are too many candidates, something (51%) of job seekers attest to, with too few roles amplifying the “too many candidates” problem. Article content
• Mismatched expectations: Whereas (55%) of employers think candidates would be willing to accept a lower salary, only (37%) of job seekers would take a pay cut to get hired in today’s market.

Takeaway: “Employers simply have not updated their philosophy on hiring,” said Kyle M.K., senior talent strategy advisor at Indeed. “We’re on a completely different planet than we were five years ago, but for some reason, we’re still using the same operations. It’s causing much stress on both sides.”