Germany needs more confidence. Because the current situation is characterized by a deep loss of trust in many institutions of society – especially politics and media. This lacks positive community experiences. And this leads to a loss of experienced self -efficacy and confidence. This is shown by the depth psychologically well -founded and representative study by Initiative 18, #usethenews and the Rheingold Salon market research agency, which was now presented in Düsseldorf. In it, the majority of the respondents complain of a lack of self -efficacy and expresses themselves skeptically about the future. At the same time, people long for more community and jointly addressed objectives. In the study, the three initiators also see the start of a “project confidence”, with which the media, business and politics gain people again for departure, optimism and social cohesion. The first projects in the three areas have already been initiated.
The study was made possible by well-known associations (GWA, the Media agencies, OWM, Westphalian-Lippischer Agricultural Association), advertisers (Dr. Oetker, REWE) and media houses & marketers (ARD Media, Funke Media Group, Hubert Burda Media, Prisma, ProSiebenSat.1 Media, RMS Radio Marketing Service, RTL Germany and Weischer Media).
The core results of the study
The status quo
# People in Germany see black for their country. Your lack of confidence in the overall perspective is blatant. 78 percent agree with the statement: “We drive the country in front of the wall if we continue as before.” 67 percent feel left alone from the system and politics. The economic and political overall situation is poorly assessed.
# The poorly classified overall situation and the loss of confidence in the institutions of the community lead to a retreat to the personal family environment. Here people set up as well as possible. A large part of the interviewees (85%) indicates that you and your family are in principle well. As a result, there is a peculiar phenomenon: good personal condition is associated with black painting and a lack of confidence for the country.
# The views of the gene Z in relation to Germany are similarly critical, but always a little more positive than those of the older ones.
# On their own, the majority of people lose their feeling of self -efficacy. Only 10 percent believe that they can do something. 50 percent don’t believe it.
# People who have found a form of meaningful community are happy about it and can develop confidence. They report cohesion in the home club, in the theater group, in volunteering and much more.
Wishes for change
# People can (back) gain their own effectiveness through the community. 82 percent would be more confident if society would unite against the great threats of our time.
# 77 percent would be more confident if you could make a difference at least on a small scale. 65 percent tend to be more confident if they had the feeling that they could change something big. Just as many would like to realize projects together with other people. After all, 45 percent would also like to move a little politically.
# Community can best be set up on site and social division is reduced. This shows the relevance of regional media.
# Serious mutual listening is seen as a central measure for more confidence. To do this, rooms must be created and people have to be “trained” for listening.
# Media is challenged by the media. Two thirds state that they tend to be more confident if the media did not always report everything so negatively. The media are quite important to people: 84 percent state that democracy would not work without independent media.
From the study into action: start moving a movement
The initiators share concrete derivations from the study with relevant stakeholders, for example the recommendation to the media, to realize a “listener”, constructive and locally supportive journalism in order to make people more effective on site. A specific work order also comes from the core results of the study. The idea: junior staff and committed representatives from the creative industries, from the field of journalism and politics are given the task of developing concepts in formats such as hackathons or bar camps that manage to create the sense of community and effectiveness that is longed for by people. All three working groups start in a uniform order design. The ideas elaborated then flow into a kind of meta camp in which these three groups come together and discuss how the developed approaches can be interlinked.
Finale is intended to create a concept that can bring Germany back to the base with an offer to each individual. The formats will be initiated in the coming weeks. The first results are to be presented in the second half of the year. Company should also be integrated: With initiatives in your communication, you can help to ensure that more communal experience and community objectives can arise more confidence and self -efficacy. At the same time, forces are to be bundled by networking various existing or prepared initiatives.
Jens Lönneker, founder and managing director Rheingold Salon: “The study is the most important thing in my professional career and a heart project, since it affects the basics of our living together. With the presentation of the results, a concrete task is accompanied by this project. It is so special. It is our explained goal to set something in motion – and at the three different levels that addresses this study: media, advertising and politics.”
Meinolf Ellers, Managing Director #usethenews: “Unlike her parents and grandparents, young people and young adults can no longer trust in the future and prosperity promise that were perceived in German post-war history after 1949 as a matter of course. So that frustration, passivity and democracy allocation are not paralyzed, we need exactly those new forms of social participation and that Heard that is warned in the study. “
Manfred Kluge, Co-Founder & Chairman Initiative 18: “We are experiencing a massive confidence and confidence crisis in our country, which is also fueled by social media. We want to counteract this with clear and effective approaches to media, politics and companies. End of black painting, we can all make a contribution to a better future. In this project and as an initiative, local journalism is particularly important to us as a corrective. Disinformation and as a seismographer, which drives people on site.
Study design
The deep psychological examination is based on 87 deep interviews that the Rheingold Salon market research agency carried out, 40 of them with a media consumer: inside, 15 with young people from East and West Germany. Based on the findings from these depth psychological interviews, in cooperation with the market research company Ominiquest, 1000 people were asked in an online survey in East and West Germany. In addition, 20 journalists from East and West and 12 experts from politics and business interviewed the Rheingold Salon. The researchers’ team is recruited from Eastern and West Germany and different age groups. The aim was to integrate as many perspectives as possible.
#Usethenews: The nationwide project #usethenews gets to the bottom of news and competence from young people and develops new information and educational offers. Together with numerous partners from the media, education and research, answers to the question are being sought, how young people find out and how they can be better achieved with journalistic news. Contact Meinolf Ellers: meinolf@usethenews.info
Initiative 18: Initiative 18 is committed to a diverse, free and sustainable media landscape. Your mission: the protection and strengthening of freedom of the press, the promotion of media diversity, a responsible allocation of advertising budgets and the fight against disinformation. Contact Manfred Kluge: manfred.kluge@omnicommediagroup.com
Rheingold Salon: The Lönneker & Imdahl Rheingold Salon is one of the most renowned market research agencies in Germany based in Cologne. Founders of market and media research have been operating on the basis of cultural and depth psychological analyzes for more than 30 years. Contact Jens Lönneker: Loenneker@rheingold-salon.de