Majority (57%) of Teens Believe Their Quality of Life as an Adult Will be Better Than Their Parents, But Two in Three (66%) Feel Highly Pressured About Life After School

Toronto, ON - Although a majority of Canadian teens, aged 16 to 19, believe that their quality of life will be better than their parents, they still deal with adversity and feel pressures about their future after school, according to a new Ipsos Reid survey conducted on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and MasterCard.

Three in five (57%) believe their quality of life as an adult will be `better' (13% much/44% somewhat) than that of their parents. One in three (32%) believe their quality of life as an adult will be about the same as their parents, while only one in ten (11%) believe their quality of life will be `worse' (11% somewhat) than their parents.

Attitudinal statements provided to teens and their resoundingly positive responses only further highlight their positive outlook on the future, although a sizeable portion have a glaring negativity when it comes to surmounting pressures after school and the lack of influence they see themselves having. Two in three (66%) teens `agree' (22% strongly/45% somewhat) that `they feel highly pressured and stressed about life after high school', while one in three (34%) `disagree' (5% strongly/29% somewhat).

Teens believe they have a lot to offer Canada when it comes to making positive changes, but many believe they can't make these changes because no one listens to them. Nine in ten (91%) `agree' (35% strongly/56% somewhat) that `young people have much to offer in terms of influencing positive change', while less one in ten (9%) `disagree' (9% somewhat). Two in five (42%) `agree' (9% strongly/33% somewhat) that `teenagers can't make a difference because no one listens to them', although a majority (58%) `disagree' (18% strongly/40% somewhat) with this sentiment. The following table outlines a diverse array of Canadian teen attitudes when it comes to the future and influencing positive change:

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Half (51%) of older Canadian teens are `optimistic' (12% very/40% somewhat) about Canada's future, while one in three (35% are neutral and only one in ten (14%) are `pessimistic' (3% very/11% somewhat). In fact, two in five (41%) teens are also `optimistic' (10% very/32% somewhat) when it comes to their own ability to influence Canada's future, while a similar proportion (39%) are neutral and only one in five (19%) are `pessimistic' (4% very/15% somewhat) on their ability to influence Canada's future.

Despite their belief that they can and will have a positive impact on Canada's future, Canadian teens don't believe they're most responsible for building a better future for Canadians. Those teens believe are most responsible are governments (90%), educators (90%), and corporations and business leaders (85%). Four in five cite either ordinary people (81%) or themselves (78%) as being responsible for building this better future. The following table outlines in full who Canadian teens cite as being responsible for building a better future for Canadians.

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These are some of the findings of an Ipsos Reid survey conducted between March 5th to March 11th, 2013, on behalf of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada and MasterCard. For this survey, a sample of 502 Canadian teenagers, aged 16-19, from Ipsos' Canadian online panel was interviewed online. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the survey is accurate to within +/- 5 percentage points had all Canadians teenagers, aged 16-19, been polled. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:

Sean Simpson
Associate Vice President
Ipsos Reid Public Affairs
416.572.4474
[email protected]

About Ipsos Reid

Ipsos Reid is Canada's market intelligence leader, the country's leading provider of public opinion research, and research partner for loyalty and forecasting and modelling insights. With operations in eight cities, Ipsos Reid employs more than 600 research professionals and support staff in Canada. The company has the biggest network of telephone call centres in the country, as well as the largest pre-recruited household and online panels. Ipsos Reid's marketing research and public affairs practices offer the premier suite of research vehicles in Canada, all of which provide clients with actionable and relevant information. Staffed with seasoned research consultants with extensive industry-specific backgrounds, Ipsos Reid offers syndicated information or custom solutions across key sectors of the Canadian economy, including consumer packaged goods, financial services, automotive, retail, and technology & telecommunications. Ipsos Reid is an Ipsos company, a leading global survey-based market research group.

To learn more, please visit www.ipsos.ca.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. In October 2011 Ipsos completed the acquisition of Synovate. The combination forms the world's third largest market research company.

With offices in 85 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across six research specializations: advertising, customer loyalty, marketing, media, public affairs research, and survey management.

Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.

Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of e1,789 billion (2.300 billion USD) in 2012.