Teenagers Are Now Growing Up Slower than Before

Teenagers are less interested than ever in engaging in adult activities

(Mirror Daily, United States) – Excessively worried parents might think their children are doing things ahead of their age, but a recent research proves the opposite. It seems it takes a little more for teenagers to do things they used to do at earlier ages. Nowadays, they are less interested in romantic and sexual relationships, partying, or going out.

Teenagers don’t grow up too fast

The research, published in the journal Child Development, studied around 8.3 million teenagers over the past 40 years. These participants, aged between 13 and 19, were monitored from 1976 and 2016, and researchers analyzed what activities they enjoyed the most. What they found out came as a surprise for many.

Today’s teenagers are not so eager to perform adult activities. This means they are no longer interested in going out for drinks, dating or having sex, driving, or getting ready for a job. In fact, kids aged 18 today act similar to how 15-year-olds behaved several decades ago, and this result was uniform across all participants.

The situation has both a good and a bad side

Other studies and papers also analyzed this situation, and some saw it as a good thing. Less drinking and sex among teenagers might make us think they have chosen other interests, which is true, but these interests are not always better. A wider access to internet, gadgets, and smartphones might have made teens less interested about the real world, making them spend so much time inside, without any interaction.

Also, these results might mean they are not ready to start their own life. Instead of thinking about college and getting ready for a job, they still depend way too much on their parents. However, parents can’t help rejoicing about the positive aspects of the situation.

Teenage birth rates are now incredibly low, and staying away from alcohol and unprotected sex keeps kids healthy. Therefore, the situation has both advantages and disadvantages, and teenagers should find a balance between more adult activities and spending time doing things they are comfortable with.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons

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Melissa Gansler

Melissa calls herself Poet, essayist, and naturalist. Graduated from the University of Michigan, Melissa holds a degree in Literature. Besides English, she can also speak Chinese, German, French.