One interesting and important trend in the United States has been the decline of trust in others. I often show the figures below in my Introduction courses during units on socialization. I sometimes ask the survey question and students typically fall right on the trend line of Generation Z’ers. I’m posting this in case you’re interested in using these descriptive trends in your courses.

Data come from the General Social Survey. Survey wording and answer choices are included in the figure notes.

The big points:

General trust in others has declined over time. In 1972, about 44% of respondents said you could trust others. In 2018, about 32% of respondents said you could trust others.
Trust has declined across generations. In any year, on average, younger birth cohorts are less trusting of others than older birth cohorts.
This decline is not simply an age effect. At similar ages, younger cohorts tend to be less trusting of others than older cohorts at similar ages.
A large decline in trust occurred between the Baby Boomers and Generation X.
I often find that students are very insightful and creative when hypothesizing about the reasons for this decline.
I find myself to be an unremarkable Millennial. I tend to be less trusting of others compared to older cohorts I know, but more trusting than younger people I encounter. Speaking as a citizen, I find the decline in trust to be understandable and troubling.