The young generation tends to have a more positive view of several institutions that play an important role in American society than their elderly counterparts but for certain institutions, namely religious organizations and the news media, millennials’ opinions have become increasingly negative over the last five years.

According to a new study, millennials have continued to rate churches and other religious organizations 18 percentage points lower since 2010, with 55 percent currently saying that churches have a positive impact on Americans as opposed to five years ago, when approximately 73 percent said the same. Opinions among the older generation seemed to have changed a little over this period. Consequently, the older generation is now more likely than millennials, who are far less likely than their elders to be religious, to see religious organizations positively.

Millennials’ opinion of national news media also seemed to have grown more negative over the last five years. In 2010, four in ten millennials believed that national news media was having a positive impact on Americans, which is a far more positive view than those shared by the older generation. However currently, millennials’ evaluation of news media has become far more critical and it is at par with the older generation.

Photo Credits: Salon