NOVEM B ER 20,2015

40%ofMillennialsOKwithlimiting
speechoffensivetominorities
BYJACOBPOUSHTER (HTTP://WWW.PEWRESEARCH.ORG/AUTHOR/JPOUSHTER/)

AmericanMillennialsarefarmorelikelythanoldergenerationstosaythegovernmentshouldbeabletoprevent
peoplefromsayingoffensivestatementsaboutminoritygroups,accordingtoanewanalysisofPewResearch
Centersurveydata(http://www.pewglobal.org/2015/11/18/globalsupportforprincipleoffreeexpressionbut
oppositiontosomeformsofspeech/)onfreespeechandmediaacrosstheglobe.

(http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2015/11/20/40ofmillennialsokwithlimitingspeechoffensiveto
minorities/ft_151119_speech/)Weaskedwhetherpeoplebelievethatcitizensshouldbeabletomakepublic

statementsthatareoffensivetominoritygroups,orwhetherthegovernmentshouldbeabletopreventpeople
fromsayingthesethings.FourintenMillennialssaythegovernmentshouldbeabletopreventpeoplepublicly
makingstatementsthatareoffensivetominoritygroups,while58%saidsuchspeechisOK.
EventhoughalargershareofMillennialsfavorallowingoffensivespeechagainstminorities,the40%who
opposeitisstrikinggiventhatonlyaroundaquarterofGenXers(27%)andBoomers(24%)androughlyone
intenSilents(12%)saythegovernmentshouldbeabletopreventsuchspeech.
Comparedwithpeoplewesurveyedindozensofnations,Americansasawholearelesslikelytofavorthe
governmentbeingabletopreventspeechofanykind.Thedebateoverwhatkindofspeechshouldbetoleratedin
publichasbecomeamajorstoryaroundtheglobeinrecentweeksfromracialissuesonmanyU.S.college
campuses (http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/09/us/missourifootballplayersprotestpresidentresigns/)toquestions
aboutspeechlaws (http://www.ibtimes.com.au/facebookteamsgermanyquashhatespeech1467313)inEuropein
thewakeofconcernsaboutrefugeesfromtheMiddleEastandtheterroristattacksinParis.
Overall,ourglobalsurveyfoundthatamajorityofAmericanssaythatpeopleshouldbeabletosayoffensive
thingsaboutminoritygroupspublicly.TwothirdsofAmericanssaythis,comparedwithamedianof35%
amongthe38nationswepolled.
IntheU.S.,ourfindingsalsoshowaracialdivideonthisquestion,withnonwhitesmorelikely(38%)to
supportgovernmentpreventionofsuchspeechthannonHispanicwhites(23%).
NearlytwiceasmanyDemocratssaythegovernmentshouldbeabletostopspeechagainstminorities(35%)
comparedwithRepublicans(18%).Independents,asisoftenthecase,findthemselvesinthemiddle.Onethird
ofallwomensaythegovernmentshouldbeabletocurtailspeechthatisoffensivetominoritiesvs.23%ofmen
whosaythesame.
Furthermore,Americanswhohaveahighschooldegreeorlessaremorelikelythanthosewithatleastacollege
degreetosaythatspeechoffensivetominoritygroupsshouldbeabletoberestricted(a9percentagepoint
difference).

(http://www.pewresearch.org/facttank/2015/11/20/40ofmillennialsokwithlimitingspeechoffensiveto
minorities/ft_151119_speecheurope/)InEurope,wherelongsimmeringracialtensionsareofadifferentnature,

compoundedbytherecentflowofmigrantsfromNorthAfricaandtheMiddleEast,peoplearemorewillingthan
Americanstoacceptgovernmentcontrolsonspeechagainstminorities.Amedianof49%acrossthesixEU
nationssurveyedsaythiscomparedwith28%ofAmericans.
AmongEuropeans,thereisawiderangeofopiniononwhetherthegovernmentcanpreventstatementsthatare
offensivetominorities.SevenintenGermanssaythisshouldbethecase(wherethereareclearlaws
(http://europe.newsweek.com/germanyunderpressurecrackdownantirefugeehatespeech335268)againsthate

speech),asdo62%ofItaliansandhalfofPoles.TheFrencharedivided,with48%sayingthatthegovernment
shouldhavetheabilitytopreventspeechthatisoffensivetominoritygroups,while51%saypeopleshouldbe
abletosaythesethingspublicly.Incontrast,thebalanceofopinionintheUKandSpainistoallowpeopleto
saystatementsthatmightoffendminorities.
IncontrastwithAmericanMillennials,thoseages18to34inGermanyandSpainaremorelikelytosaypeople
shouldbeabletosaythingsoffensivetominoritiescomparedwiththoseages35andolder.Ontheotherhand,
intheUK,theyoungergenerationfollowstheleadofAmericanMillennialsbybeinglessopentothisformof
freedomofspeechandmorewillingtoallowgovernmentrestrictions.Therearenosignificantagedifferences
inFrance,ItalyandPolandonthisquestion.

JacobPoushter(http://www.pewresearch.org/author/jpoushter/)isa
seniorresearcherfocusingonglobalattitudesatPewResearchCenter.
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188Comments
6ix Xes 1 month ago (#comment-663292)
Anyone that agrees with limiting of speech , are not Americans . Millions died to protect this basic right . So
these people have no right to identify themselves other than traitorous trash.
Reply

Daniel Fontaine 2 weeks ago (#comment-664002)

Really? Millions?
Reply

Le 1 month ago (#comment-663082)

Im a Millennial. I dont agree with limiting speech at all. Any limitation immediately negates the very
adjective free. Unfortunately people take being for freedom of speech to be approval or standing in
agreement with what is said by an individual using his/her right of freedom of speech. Those who promote
limiting freedom of speech have in effect relinquished their very right. Who decides what is OK and not OK?
If government is to enforce this totalitarian ideology, in what way is it to be enforced (fines, physical harm,
jail time..? )
Reply

DanO 1 month ago (#comment-662713)

The charts may or may not be scary. Without seeing the same cohorts respective views through time, we
can only conclude that freedom of speech (anti-censorship) becomes more important as one ages. Perhaps
one grows wiser as one experiences more of lifes challenges. Also, the further one gets from intense
adolescent peer pressure, the less one fears expressing opinions that differ from others.
Reply

Stewe 1 month ago (#comment-662789)

You can see that the more educated one is the less they wish for censorship
Reply