It’s only been 50 years since American astronauts took humanity’s first steps on the moon, but that event is so far removed from today’s kids that being an astronaut themselves isn’t even a thought.
And it wasn’t only astronauts — young Americans all over the country were so inspired by the Apollo missions that many of them would eventually join an array of science and math fields. It was “one of the most powerful lasting legacies” of that era, according to Ars Technica.
But American kids today want nothing to do with space and are instead leaning towards internet-based careers, like being on YouTube. That’s the finding of a new Harris Poll that asked 3,000 kids from America, China and the U.K. which out of five jobs — teacher, YouTuber, astronaut, professional athlete or musician — they would want for themselves when they grow up.
In America, astronaut placed dead last with only 11 percent of the vote. YouTuber finished first with 29 percent, followed by teacher (26), athlete (23), and musician (19). The results from the U.K. were largely similar. In China, however, astronaut was the favorite, and won 56 percent of kids’ dreams. Teacher placed second, again, with 52 percent of the vote, before musician (47), athlete (37) and YouTuber (18).
Part of the problem, as Ars Technica points out, may be that American astronauts haven’t been into deep space in 50 years, since those first steps on the moon, and an underfunded NASA isn’t going to help garner their interest.
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