The majority of young people in the UK are in favour of turning the country into a dictatorship, according to the results of a new survey that say Gen Z are simultaneously the “most authoritarian and liberal generation”.
More than half (52 per cent) of Gen Z – those aged between 13 and 27 – think the UK would be a better place if a strong leader “who does not have to bother with parliament and elections” was in charge.
A third of Gen Z also believed that “the UK would be a be a better place if the army was in charge”, according to the research carried out by polling company Craft for Channel 4.
Alex Mahon, CEO of Channel 4, said the results of the survey exposed some “deeply worrying issues”.
“There is clear evidence of disengagement from democracy – fuelled by the online pied pipers who wilfully subvert truths – and a growing gender divide that should concern us all,” she said.
The findings will be presented at a Royal Television Society event on Thursday as part of Channel 4’s report titled Gen Z: Trends, Truth and Trust.
The survey of 3,000 adults of all ages, further found 47 per cent of Gen Z agree that “the entire way our society is organised must be radically changed through revolution” – compared to just 33 per cent of 45 to 65-year-olds.
The report also found a stark divide in opinions over gender equality, with 45 per cent of male respondents aged 13-27 agreeing that “we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men”. A further 44 per cent agreed that “when it comes to giving women equal rights, things have gone far enough”.
Younger respondents were more likely to consider social media as a trusted form of news rather than mainstream media. The study found Gen Z faces growing uncertainty about who and what to trust.
Controversial influencers Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson were among those to command similar trust by 42 per cent of men.
A 21-year-old male participant from Maidenhead told the pollsters Tate is “empowering”. “A lot of boys my age don’t have the same drive, men are lonely at my age,” he added.
“People need that push. There are not many people to look up to, no one is saying go and work hard.”
Another 25-year-old male participant from Penryn, Cornwall said he felt “targeted” because he was a “regular straight white man who has had a cultural advantage in the past. It’s swinging back the other way, to a point where we potentially risk discriminating against us in favour of people in minority groups.”
An 18-year-old from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, said: “I believe the man has to be the provider. And he has to provide for the family. I see in my life around me, a lot of people are just not into that anymore. I personally think that a man has to provide, regardless.
“Same with woman nowadays, I suppose. I believe that it’s a woman’s choice. They shouldn’t be discouraged from being a housewife.”
Ms Mahon said Gen Z was media savvy, switched on and smart, “but have been exposed to the full force of the polarising, confusing and sometimes wilfully misleading nature of social media since they were born.”
“They face growing uncertainty in who and what to trust and, with equal confidence in traditional and alternative media sources, Gen Z curate their own understanding of ‘the truth’. For many, this is exacerbating societal tensions and undermining the value of democracy,” she said.
