In many ways, young people in Britain today are the luckiest people to have ever lived. They enjoy a standard of living and access to scientific and technological advancements our ancestors could only have imagined. They are generally a healthy bunch, who exercise regularly, eat healthily, and consequently will enjoy a long life expectancy. Almost half of us will attend university, with the education and unique life experience it offers. Even if we don’t, internet access and the cheap cost of travel has made us the most intelligent and globally aware generation. Living, working and studying abroad has never been easier. Youth unemployment, while still a problem, is far lower than most of Europe- particularly for those who only need part time work. Young Britons demand high wages and reasonable hours, which means that many low-skilled jobs have to be done by immigrants. For the most part, globalisation has been a huge boon to the British youth, which is why a large majority of us voted to remain in the EU. In this respect, we could be considered to be less disillusioned with the present state of affairs than the older generations.

Yet speak to most young people in Britain, and their outlook is often a pessimistic one. Although wages are going up, house prices are increasing faster, making finding affordable accommodation more difficult. More of us may be at university, but mass access to higher education has decreased the wage premium a degree offers. To be truly distinguished in the job market, many believe they have to attain professional work experience prior to finishing their degree; this often comes in the form of low-paid if not unpaid internships, which are hard to come by and can involve long hours. While I personally find university a lot of fun, many students are not suited to a high degree of academic rigour- they simply put up with it because they know their jobs prospects will improve. On top of all this, Brexit threatens to reduce our freedom to live, work and study in Europe. Higher inflation and a worsening economy will reduce our future prospects; this is particularly the case for finance graduates, who are faced with a banking sector which is beginning to move jobs to the EU27. The government’s commitment to reduce immigration to the “tens of thousands” will inevitably involve a considerable reduction in foreign student numbers, decreasing funding for universities. Future undergraduates will be faced with ever-higher fees, since they are now allowed to rise with inflation. Higher education may be the best in Europe (and the second best in the world), but it is also the most expensive.

Here are a few hot-button issues, and the stance of most young people in Britain on them. Bearing in mind I am generalising here, so there will be exceptions as there is with most things. It’s also probably worth bearing in mind that I’m from West Sussex, and attend Exeter University. The young people I know are richer, better educated, and as a result, probably more optimistic and confident than young Britons generally.

Religion: most young Britons are non-religious. Britain is one of the world’s least religious countries, for young people especially. A minority identify as being a part of religion, but only a very small number are practising. This is true across the country, the only exception being ethnic minorities. Having said that, most people are not anti-religion. They may enjoy a carol service, classical music composed for the church, or a choir. They largely regard religion as an outdated belief system as far as morality is concerned, but still appreciate the cultural contributions of religion, as well as its ability to bring people together.

Social attitudes: the vast majority of young Britons are socially liberal, even the religious ones. Gay marriage is accepted, abortion is generally seen as a woman’s choice, most support cannabis legalisation, and religion is not seen as a pre-requisite for leading a moral life. Sex between consenting adults is usually viewed as moral, even if it isn’t always advisable. Young people are also the most passionate about the rights of the transgendered, and removing the stigma surrounding mental health. Some young people are more conservative on crime, immigration and multiculturalism, partly because resistance to social liberalism is strongest amongst ethnic and religious minorities. That said, overtly racist attitudes are rare. Political correctness, while dominant amongst the National Union of Students, does not play a significant role in day-to-day youth culture. As a general rule, British people are far less sensitive than their American counterparts. On a positive note, young Britons today are less likely to have sex, get pregnant as a teenager, get an abortion, smoke, binge drink or take drugs than our parents when they were our age. We may be socially liberal, but many choose to live relatively conservative lives.

Science and technology: nearly all young Britons love science and technology, even if they weren’t very good at science at school. They embrace the contributions science and technology have made to the modern world. Climate change denial, anti-vaccine sentiment and anti-GMO scaremongering are all virtually unheard of. But we also recognise the need to balance utilisation of our scientific knowledge with environmental conservation.

Politics: unlike British people as a whole, most young Britons are on the left of the political spectrum. Labour normally wins a plurality of the youth vote. Until 2015, the Liberal Democrats were also popular with more middle class youth. But their popularity has since fallen due to the Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition raising university tuition fees. The Liberals’ anti-Brexit stance has thus far, not helped them regain any significant support. A sizeable minority of young people vote Conservative, particularly those from the rural South East of England. In this election, the Conservatives have not made any overt appeals to the youth vote, unlike Labour’s promise to abolish tuition fees entirely. Young people are also far less likely to vote than their elders. This isn’t because of principled non-participation or even apathy, it’s simply because most young people aren’t interested in politics and so wouldn’t know who to vote for. Unlike the elderly, we don’t regard it as a moral duty to vote. This means that politicians simply aren’t incentivised to court the youth vote specifically.

Economics: just as most young Britons are apolitical, even fewer have a view on how the economy should be run. Economics isn’t taught in schools until A-level, so most don’t end up knowing about it. Amongst those who do express an interest in economics, most reject both Communism and free-market capitalism. The mixed economy supported by Labour and the Celtic nationalist parties is embraced, with private enterprise for consumer goods, supported by state investments in infrastructure and education. The NHS enjoys strong cross-generational support. Interestingly, the only young people I know who explicitly reject social democracy are men. The right wing societies at university are overwhelmingly male-dominated; Labour is also majority-male, but to a lesser degree. (The university as a whole is 55% female.) Like with Britain as a whole, there is very little appetite for the free-market amongst the young. Those do who vote Conservative do so for cultural and social reasons, or simply because they value the strong leadership they perceive the Conservatives provide.

Social media: most young Britons are avid users of online social media. Everyone I know is on Facebook. Many are also on Instagram, and to a lesser extent Snapchat, Twitter and WhatsApp. Social media is as much of a curse as it is a blessing. It is an incredibly convenient means of communicating and organising events. It allows information to be shared widely and rapidly. It can even be used to transfer money. But it’s also very hard to get away from, should you choose to have a break. As Bill Maher recently pointed out, social media is designed to be addictive. Many simply can’t break the habit. As far as politics is concerned, social media can be a bit of an echo chamber. Because most young people are on the left, those who express right wing views are often shouted down. Overt abuse is sadly all too common. Many use Facebook to get their news, but will only ‘like’ news sources whose views concur with their own. As a result, I’ve chosen to eschew discussing politics on social media, even privately. I never share news articles. Online debates are unproductive and simply aren’t worth having.

Patriotism: Most young people feel a sense of patriotism, even if they don’t explicitly identify as being patriotic. The vast majority reject outright nationalism because of its divisive and bloody effects throughout history. Unlike in America, there’s no sense of British exceptionalism. Young Britons are a cosmopolitan bunch, who embrace other cultures, and often go abroad when given the opportunity. Many students will choose to spend an extra year studying abroad (this is normally done in the third year.) Patriotism is seen as a nice thing, but it ought not to come above basic human decency.

Finally, I must stress that I don’t agree with a lot of what young people say and do. I don’t like the ‘lad culture’ amongst a prominent minority of young men, with its emphasis on physical prowess and crass misogyny. I don’t approve of the laziness and apathy of many people people- we could really learn from the American can-do spirit. At the same time, many young people work far too hard and don’t know how to relax. I don’t share the gloomy and pessimistic attitude many young people have, though perhaps that’s because I’m in a far more privileged position than they are. Like all other generations, the youth treat the government like a cash machine, and simply want as many benefits from it as possible, without thinking about fiscal responsibility or generational fairness. There isn’t an understanding that if we are to get more from the state, others must get less. I’m not a big fan of the Conservative Party, but least it cares about balancing the budget- something the young could learn from.