Tag: millennials

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Study: 28% Of Millennials Avoid Hugging HIV+ People

The results of a new study by pharmaceutical giant Merck and the Prevention Access Campaign finds many young people today know little about HIV. Survey findings revealed the 1,596 respondents – who either identified as Generation Z (18-22) or millennials (23-36) – are woefully uninformed about HIV and its transmission. From the study: • 41% of Gen Z respondents were either somewhat informed or not at all informed about HIV, compared to 23% of millennials • While 67% said they were most concerned about HIV compared to other STIs, 54% did not report using condoms or PrEP. •  28% of HIV-negative millennials said they have avoided hugging or interacting with HIV-positive people, even though the virus cannot be transmitted through casual contact • 76% of those living with HIV said they were hesitant to share their status for fear of being judged • 90% of those living with HIV said they avoided sharing their status for fear of losing friends or family Bruce Richman, executive director of the Prevention Access Campaign said in a statement, ”Despite scientific advances and decades of HIV advocacy and education, the findings highlight a disturbing trend: young adults overwhelmingly are not being informed effectively about the basics of HIV.”  “These findings are a call to action that the crisis in the United States is far from over,” added Richman. “It’s time to elevate a real conversation about HIV and sexual health among America’s young people, and roll out innovative and engaging initiatives to educate and fight HIV stigma.” As a result of the survey, Merck and Prevention Access Campaign have launched a new project called Owning HIV: Young Adults and the Fight Ahead aimed at educating young Americans about HIV and elevating the urgency around the issue.

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Viral Video: Two 17-Year-Olds Attempt To Dial A Rotary Phone

A little viral video action here as these two 17-year-olds try to figure out how to dial a rotary phone.

A little viral video action here as these two 17-year-olds try to figure out how to dial a rotary phone.

Kevin Bumstead shared this clip on his Facebook which shows his son Jake and nephew Kyle accepting a challenge to successfully dial a number on the phone within four minutes.

Bumstead brought the vintage phone out during the family’s holiday gathering and asked several teams to figure out the antique.

From The Chicago Tribune:

Three relatives in their early 20s quickly figured it out, as did a team of a 14- and 12-year-old girls because they had rotary phone toys when they were younger, Fox reported.

Hilarity ensued when Bumstead’s son, Jake, and nephew, Kyle, attempted the challenge.

They struggled to understand that in order to make a call on a rotary phone, one must first lift the receiver and get a dial tone.

“Wait a minute, are we supposed to pick up the phone and then do it?” one of the boys asked about two and a half minutes into the video.

It’s hilarious that the boys don’t even understand the idea of a dial tone.

“What does a zero sound like?”

Watch them figure it out below.

(h/t Towleroad)

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Poll: Millennials Support LGBTQs But There’s One Surprise In The Results

New polling shows millennials support LGBTQ equality by solid majorities except one surprising result
(Photo by Helena Lopes from Pexels)

A recent nationwide survey of 1,750 millennials (ages 18 to 34) found solid support for LGBTQ rights and protections, with one eyebrow raising piece of data.

Political science professor Cathy Cohen facilitates the bimonthly GenForward poll and focused the June survey on LGBT issues, titled Millennial Views on LGBT Issues: Race, Identity, and Morality.

Cohen shared her thoughts on the results in an essay with The Advocate.

To a great degree, the results were encouraging.

Of those polled, 14% identified as “something other than heterosexual.”

While a majority of respondents say they know someone who is gay, lesbian or bisexual, only 22% of millennials of color and 37% of white millennials say they know someone who is transgender.

As we’ve seen throughout the past few decades, its visibility that helps move LGBTQ rights and respect forward.

When it comes to LGBTQ equality, a majority of millennials either “strongly” or “somewhat” favor adoption by LGBTQ folks, legal protections to prevent discrimination in the workplace, allowing transgender people to serve openly in the military, increasing government spending on HIV/AIDS and accepting more LGBTQ immigrants from countries with hostile policies towards our community.

There was widespread support for reducing violent hate crime and LGBTQ bullying. However, according to the survey, 53% of African-American millennials and 50% of Latinx millennials feel the issues LGBTQ people face today are different than those promoted by mainstream LGBTQ organizations.

Contrast that to white (58%) and Asian-American (50%) millennials who say everyone benefits when mainstream LGBTQ organizations strive for human rights.

The one eyebrow raising piece of data emerged from the question, “Has homosexuality led to a deterioration of morality in this country?”

A majority disagreed with the statement, but a surprising 41% agreed.

Wait, what?

And – 21% of the LGBTQ respondents agreed as well.

So, one-in-five LGBTQ millennials believe their own sexuality is a negative when it comes to morality in the United States?

Is this self-loathing in action?

Cohen noted that that question was the only occurrence of the word “homosexuality” in the survey. She hypothesizes that the word itself is still a trigger in American culture as “something bad and deviant.”

She also wondered if “homosexuality” might hold a different meaning for millennials than LGBTQ which is used more and more in social media.

Cohen concludes by writing, “It should remind us of all the work that remains to be done and how little we should take for granted when it comes to educating young people about the reality of LGBTQ lives, especially the lives of young queers of color.”

Check out the full essay at The Advocate.

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Millennials Support Hillary Clinton By Huge Margin

A new poll by USA Today and Rock The Vote shows Hillary Clinton way ahead of Donald Trump in the hunt for the millennial vote.

Hillary Clinton leads Donald Trump by a huge 48 points (68% vs. 20%). Libertarian Gary Johnson garners 8% of the young vote, and Green Party candidate Jill Stein comes in with 1%.

Trump’s numbers with this vital voting block are the lowest of any modern-day presidential candidate including Bob Dole who hit the low 30% mark back in 1996.

Perhaps most surprising is the data shows it’s not millennial women but the men who are causing the surge in voters 18-34.

Among millennial men, Clinton gets 65% support, with female voters in the same age group at the 47% mark. Trump’s numbers are much lower – 20% for men and 18% for women.

The first two presidential debates seem to have hurt Trump as a majority of those polled viewed him as less presidential and less credible after the face off. Clinton, however, registered “more presidential.”