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Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

arstechnica.com

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Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#181
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Teens aren't ... having sex. Nor are people in their 20s (that is, both groups are having much less sex). That is the most worrying thing to me. People are not even engaging in the most fundamental, unavoidable, pleasurable human drive. They seem very much like traumatized people, on a massive scale, just trying to survive.

[flagged]

Disregarding the weird response, you do know 20-29 year olds have the lowest average BMI for adult age groups right?

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#182
post #114

Teens aren't doing drugs, smoking, drinking, or having sex. And the suicide rate has never been higher.

> Teens aren't ... having sex. Nor are people in their 20s (that is, both groups are having much less sex). That is the most worrying thing to me. People are not even engaging in the most fundamental, unavoidable, pleasurable human drive. They seem very much like traumatized people, on a massive scale, just trying to survive.

I think we all realize deep down there are too many humans on this planet.

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#183

I wonder if the new drug of choice is actually technology. In some ways I think that the addiction to technology has some similar mellowing effects as drugs. Some research indicates that smartphone addiction is also related to low self-esteem and avoidant attachment [1] and that smartphones can become an object of attachment [2]. The replacement of drugs by technology is not surprising as it significantly strengthens…

I wonder if it is like facebook.

The next generation weren't interested in facebook, because "that's what moms use" and figured out something different.

As to drugs, now many are legal, so parents can now partake in what used to be illegal for them. Or for harder drugs, "Uncle Bob does drugs, and he's always in trouble".

So one generation of parents acts as a negative example for the next generation to reject.

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#185

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At what? This is clearly true by experience. As long as you remember it’s a rate and not an absolute statement. Cool kids still go to more parties and are less terminally online than their lamer peers, but it’s a lot less parties and a lot more screen time for the cool kid as well.

I think the eyebrow raise is due to the fact that nobody cool uses Snapchat anymore. It’s like Facebook now.

For millenials and older gen z yeah, but it's my understanding (and my complete surprise as a millenial) that snapchat is actually big again amongst actual children.

Can anyone who better knows the reality here chime in?

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#187
post #181

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Disregarding the weird response, you do know 20-29 year olds have the lowest average BMI for adult age groups right?

Higher than the 40-50 year olds when I was that age.

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#188
post #114

Teens aren't doing drugs, smoking, drinking, or having sex. And the suicide rate has never been higher.

> Teens aren't ... having sex. Nor are people in their 20s (that is, both groups are having much less sex). That is the most worrying thing to me. People are not even engaging in the most fundamental, unavoidable, pleasurable human drive. They seem very much like traumatized people, on a massive scale, just trying to survive.

When you don't get matches, it's pretty easy to avoid sex.

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#189

I wonder if the new drug of choice is actually technology. In some ways I think that the addiction to technology has some similar mellowing effects as drugs. Some research indicates that smartphone addiction is also related to low self-esteem and avoidant attachment [1] and that smartphones can become an object of attachment [2]. The replacement of drugs by technology is not surprising as it significantly strengthens…

Suddenly I remember this movie from the 90s where people drugged themself with some kind of minidisc. “Strange Days”, maybe? Anyhow, I always found the plot weird, but maybe they actually were onto something…

In Serial Experiments Lain, they have a drug that makes your brain think really fast.

Re: Decline in teen drug use continues, surprising experts

#190
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Teens aren't ... having sex. Nor are people in their 20s (that is, both groups are having much less sex). That is the most worrying thing to me. People are not even engaging in the most fundamental, unavoidable, pleasurable human drive. They seem very much like traumatized people, on a massive scale, just trying to survive.

When you don't get matches, it's pretty easy to avoid sex.

... and if everyone is always on screens it's hard to avoid the dating apps where they're not getting matches.
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