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Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

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Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#11

Post by eighthnate »

SandersAK wrote: post #6
vparikh wrote: post #3

Because todays kids are coddled and have a 'safety net' of being able to stay home and not join 'adulthood'. I mean when I was a teen ager - my parents couldn't afford to support me. I had no way of staying home and riding it out. If I wanted anything in my late teens (car, fuel, guitar, computer, books, money for dates - etc.) I had to come up with the money for it - my parents provided shelter, food, clothing and a…

Every 10 years someone posts this. The message it sends is this "I don't actually take time to understand the unique situation of being a kid in today's economy and culture. I do not acknowledge that the experience is rapidly changing. I am uncomfortable with this new world and would rather put the blame on kids being 'coddled' without any data to suggest this than confront my own lack of understanding."

Every previous generation thinks the current generation is coddled. When I was a kid, I had to walk through 10 miles of snow to get to school. "Snow day"? Schools are creating sissies I tell ya.

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#13

Post by sp332 »

goodroot wrote: post #4

It's disturbing that, at least in Chicago, there appears to systemic conditioning that's convinced people sex is dangerous and scary. > Among teenagers now, "there is a feeling you're getting of, 'Wow, the world is pretty serious, so why would I rush to immerse myself. . .Why don't I stay with my friends and away from anything that has heavy consequences, like pregnancy or sexually-transmitted diseases?'" Sex is joyf…

According to https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2015/08/tinder-hook-up-cu... Tinder is probably decreasing people's interpersonal skills which makes relationships less appealing.

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#14

Post by monknomo »

vparikh wrote: post #3

Because todays kids are coddled and have a 'safety net' of being able to stay home and not join 'adulthood'. I mean when I was a teen ager - my parents couldn't afford to support me. I had no way of staying home and riding it out. If I wanted anything in my late teens (car, fuel, guitar, computer, books, money for dates - etc.) I had to come up with the money for it - my parents provided shelter, food, clothing and a…

When you were a kid, there were plenty of kids with the totems of success and comfortable lives. It's likely you didn't see them, because we sort by class.

Presumably, you are doing better than when you were a teen, since you're on hn. That means the kids you see probably have pretty well off parents, with the cool new toys and stable homes. You can still find kids with marginal existences and few to no cool toys.

I mean, what's the difference between a pair of Jordans circa '88 and an ipod circa now?

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#15

Post by pixl97 »

There are a pile of different answers to these questions (not question), ones that should be asked separately.

For example, excluding factors that affect all the questions, putting off drinking is likely a combination of consumer education and the difficulty in getting alcohol pre-21. Fewer adults want to provide their younger peers alcohol because of legal risks.

Driving is the combination of increasing expense to drive a car you own, mandatory insurance, services like uber, and the need not to travel that modern technology presents.

Sex probably includes factors of better sexual education. Higher pregnancy rates are seen in populations with no or bad sexual education. Also, you are 'held to the fire' by the state if you get someone pregnant.

But some of the largest ones are teens aren't getting out in the workforce at younger ages. This means less money to spend on sex, drugs, and rock and roll, along with different social implications for the people you do meet.

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#16

Post by QAPereo »

to_bpr wrote: post #10

When one adds these markers of significantly decreased development or preparedness for adulthood with the increase in social isolation being reported, the levels of psychiatric issues such as ADHD and depression being observed, the relentless rate of youth suicides, the obesity epidemic and more... at what point can it be deemed a crisis?

The day that a profit can be turned, or political power gained as a result.

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#17

Post by secfirstmd »

eighthnate wrote: post #11
SandersAK wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Every 10 years someone posts this. The message it sends is this "I don't actually take time to understand the unique situation of being a kid in today's economy and culture. I do not acknowledge that the experience is rapidly changing. I am uncomfortable with this new world and would rather put the blame on kids being 'coddled' without any data to suggest this than confront my own lack of understanding."

Every previous generation thinks the current generation is coddled. When I was a kid, I had to walk through 10 miles of snow to get to school. "Snow day"? Schools are creating sissies I tell ya.

Back in my day, my Mum used to listen to the internet on our house phone!

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#18

Post by sp332 »

vparikh wrote: post #3

Because todays kids are coddled and have a 'safety net' of being able to stay home and not join 'adulthood'. I mean when I was a teen ager - my parents couldn't afford to support me. I had no way of staying home and riding it out. If I wanted anything in my late teens (car, fuel, guitar, computer, books, money for dates - etc.) I had to come up with the money for it - my parents provided shelter, food, clothing and a…

You know a lot of the current generation is going to end up worse off than their parents right? https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2016/11/there-s-a-generation-...

Re: Why are today's teens putting off driving, dating and drinking?

#20

Post by Jill_the_Pill »

bredren wrote: post #7
vparikh wrote: post #3

Because todays kids are coddled and have a 'safety net' of being able to stay home and not join 'adulthood'. I mean when I was a teen ager - my parents couldn't afford to support me. I had no way of staying home and riding it out. If I wanted anything in my late teens (car, fuel, guitar, computer, books, money for dates - etc.) I had to come up with the money for it - my parents provided shelter, food, clothing and a…

> The starting point is so much more comfortable for all of these kids. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. I mean, do we want life to be uncomfortable for young people? It wasn't just your situation with your parents. A lot of adults today grew up with Joe Camel and cartoon ads like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yHsoW6CTjM There was no anti-bullying education. Actually, bullying was basically okay when I was i…

> The starting point is so much more comfortable for all of these kids.

And which kids? My children have classmates who are homeless, who can't afford field trip money, who actually do rely on the free school meals.

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