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

chicagotribune.com

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

#31

Post by WaxProlix »

tomcam wrote: post #23
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."

I don't see where you addressed the substance of the parent post--was your own post truncated?

I don't see where you addressed the substance of the parent post--was your own post truncated?

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

#32

Post by ams6110 »

chewz wrote: post #27
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…

I disagree. Sex puts you through a lot of suffering (disappointment, self-doubt, rejection, bad life decisions etc.) and simply is a great waste of resources (time, money, energy etc.) and in modern times even more so cause it isn't usually leading to procreation or long-term bonding. Yes sex is nice but it has a heavy price.

Random sex with near-strangers can feel that way. In a committed relationship it's quite different.

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

#33

Post by [deleted] »

sp332 wrote: post #13
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.

[deleted]

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

#35

Post by heurist »

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…

Don't worry, kids today are still suffering. Children in America today have a 1 in 5 rate of living in poverty, roughly the same 40 years ago.

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

#36

Post by protomyth »

Jill_the_Pill wrote: post #12

Maybe the anomaly was the phase in the US when they did do these things so young?

If you look at history, the anomaly is today. As one example, not working some job during your teenage years is a recent phenomena (at least the last 20 years maybe 30 years).

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

#37

Post by detaro »

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…

> 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 safe environment to sleep in. Everything else, it was unsaid fact I was going to have to provide myself.

What makes you think that's not the case for many kids today? Are you sure you are where the kids that don't have

> iPods, Mac Book pros, flashy clothes and driving cars all provided by their parents.

are, and that you notice the absence of this when you see them?

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

#38

Post by heurist »

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?

Took how many years for opioids to be considered a crisis? And that had immediately demonstrable, measurable impacts on society. America has a lot of resistance to improvement when it requires giving up any kind of freedom.

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

#39

Post by jsemrau »

My take on it is the absence of role-models.

In the 60's LSD and the Stones, the Doors, the Hippies

In the 70's Hash and David Bowie, Disco, Kiss, Alice Cooper, Pink FLoyd

In the 80's it was Coke and New Wave, Duran Duran, Punk

In the 90's it was Alcohol and Metal, Ecstasy and Raves, Madonna's experimental phase encouraging women to test their limits.

In the 00's there was Marilyn Manson, Nu Metal? But it's already getting fuzzy.

What it is now ? Where are the big stars, i.e. drivers of youth culture. It's the Justin Bieber's and Taylor Swifts 'of this world that have a major impact on youth culture right now.

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

#40

Post by vowelless »

pixl97 wrote: post #15

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 d…

My prior is like yours: There are likely different answers to the various points listed above.

Regarding this one:

> 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.

It's possible that the easy availability of porn has a lot more to do with this than just fear of pregnancy, which is probably why this is seen across the board (urban, rural, ethnicities, etc) and despite apps like Tinder.

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