Teens increasingly say having lots of money is important

In 1976, just 36% of 12^th-grade girls said having lots of money was “quite” or “extremely” important in their lives, compared to 55% of teen boys, according to data from the Monitoring the Future study. Over the next 15 years, both boys and girls increasingly reported that being wealthy was important to them. After a plateau through the 2000s, the reported importance of money is again on the rise. In 2024, three-quarters of 12^th-grade boys and girls said having lots of money was important to them. Concern for cash tracks broader life priority shifts among teen girls, who also marked “correcting inequalities” and having time for hobbies as important in their lives at higher rates than past generations of teen girls did.

by Grant Bailey