Adolescence has always brought struggles; over generations, there’s been plenty of fluctuation in exactly what those struggles were. Teenagers today, for instance, are typically not expected to drop out of school to work full-time jobs on farms or in factories to feed their families, for example. Nor are they subject to a military draft.
However, that doesn’t mean they don’t have stressors. In fact, while comparisons going back further might be more complicated, teens and parents agree that it’s harder to be a teenager today than it was 20 years ago, at least, according to the latest Pew Research study.
Teen Life Is Stressful No Matter What Generation
We could define stress in many ways, but at its core, it’s the body’s response to struggle or perceived danger. It can even be valuable in some ways. However, when the body suddenly experiences a variety of physical and hormonal changes and starts announcing urges and needs it didn’t have before, there’s inherently going to be some stress.
Other factors change, though, like social environments and physical and academic demands. These days, teens have a lot of exposure to difficult topics like substance abuse, violence, and world changes. They also spend a lot of time online, which is the greatest concern for teens and parents alike.
Many Teens Admit They’re Not Able To Make Comparisons To A Time They Didn’t Know
When asked whether life as a teenager is harder now or twenty years ago, a majority of parents (69%) say that it’s harder now. Nearly half of teens (44%) say the same. However, close to a third (29%) of teens say they can’t be sure whether it’s harder now or when their parents were teens.
A few parents (15%) say being a teenager is easier now than when they were kids, and ironically, they say so for almost the same reason a majority says it’s harder: technology. Okay, fair, tech has increased accessibility of information, created incredible new job markets, and made it possible for kids to attend class from their living room — but it has also dialed up the stress.
The Tech Stress Problem
It seems that almost every time we talk about the increased stress in modern life, technology is a major part of it. Parents are overwhelmed with emails, social media is affecting teens’ self-esteem, phones are keeping us all awake, and we seem to be on call 24-7.
Add to that the very public way we live our lives with social media. Can you imagine if the most embarrassing mistakes you made as a teenager and your cringiest beliefs or ideas (the ones you wish you could forget now that you’ve learned better) were preserved for posterity on social media and screenshots?
Parents & Teens Agree Social Media Is A Stressor
Forty-one percent of parents said they believed social media is stressing kids out. Twenty-six percent cited technology in general or other tech besides social media.
Teens aren’t quite as quick as parents to cite social media and tech as the most significant stressors, but plenty of them still name it. A full quarter of teens said that social media was making life harder for their generation, and another 11% cited tech in general, with an additional 3% naming smartphones as the culprit.
The only factor more teens named than social media as making their lives harder was more pressure and expectations than 20 years ago.
A Changing World Is Another Serious Factor
While teens no longer risk being drafted out of high school like their grandfathers, many still join the military due to a lack (real or perceived) of other viable options or to fund college. Others find themselves without any options.
Even those who don’t join the military can be affected by political upheaval at home and afar, as well as by war and suffering around the globe. Then, there are other aspects of change, like the economy and social changes. One teen said:
“Teenagers are less able to afford vehicles, rent, etc. and basic living necessities, and are therefore not able to move out for years after they graduate high school and even college.”
A father cited school shootings, and a mother expressed the difficulty of instilling positive values.
In fact, many adults also cite a changing world as the reason they chose to be child-free.
Parenting Teens Has Changed, Too
Parents have always worked to raise teens who share at least their core values and who make intelligent and safe decisions that will lead them to be healthy adults who thrive and contribute to society. The challenges involved have shifted, though.
Attempting to keep teens from illicit substances has been part of it for generations, and that hasn’t changed. Worrying about outside influences as teens hit an age where their views and behaviors are influenced more by their peer groups than their families is also a factor.
Now, though, we’ve added worries about what they’re being exposed to on social media and other websites. The internet has brought kids access to amazing things—museum exhibits, live webcams watching endangered species in their natural habitats, and casual chats with strangers around the world, for instance. However, it also gives them access to illegal material, influencers who hope to radicalize a generation in a variety of ways, and other dangerous influences.
If being a teen has become more stressful than a generation ago, parenting one may have, too.
