Teen Trends - Monthly Newsletter from CWK

Is Teen Narcissism on the Rise?

A University of Georgia professor says today’s U.S. high school and college students are more egocentric than previous generations of teens. After examining decades of data on self-esteem, W. Keith Campbell, a psychology professor, says today’s teens hold a pretty high opinion of themselves.

According to his studies, 80 percent of teens in the 1980s agreed with the statement, “I am an important person,” compared with 12 percent of teens in the 1950s. “About every indicator is that people are getting more self-absorbed,” says Campbell. “It’s clear that there’s an age effect, a cultural effect or both.”

But not everyone agrees. William Strauss, co-author of “Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation,” says today’s teens are more community-oriented than preceding teens.

Strauss says teenagers now do more public service work than previous generations – and that crime and birth rates among today’s teens are lower. “Look at every measure of youth, except obesity,” he says, “and it’s improving.”

High Expectations Can Reduce Teen DUIs

A large percentage of teenagers are still taking to the roads either drunk or high. But according to a national survey, parents who make clear the consequences of breaking driving rules can significantly reduce such behavior behind the wheel.

The seventh annual Teens Today driving study polled over 900 licensed teenager drivers at 26 high schools. Nearly one out of every five teens surveyed reported drinking and driving – and 15 percent said they drive under the influence of marijuana.

But the teenagers whose parents had rules about safe driving, and who would follow-up if those rules were broken, were less likely to drive while impaired by alcohol or drugs.

Teasing Shapes Teen Consumer Behavior

Teenagers can be cruel, when it comes to snubbing other teens. But now a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business says adolescent teasing and taunts influence the average teen’s consumer behavior and brand awareness.

David Wooten says being ridiculed teaches teenagers what brands and clothes to wear and which to avoid -- if they want to be accepted by their peers.

“Although teaching is seldom the motive of teasers, learning is often a byproduct of teasing,” he says. “I find that the practice of ridicule both reflects and affects adolescents' perceptions of belongingness, the content of ridicule conveys information about the consumption norms and values of peer groups, and the experience of ridicule influences the acquisition, use and disposition of possessions."

This pressure to fit in, Wooten says, can also play a major role in teen theft and violence – as adolescents who can’t afford expensive status symbols get them by other means.

Teen Unemployment Remains High

The overall teenage unemployment rate for teenagers in the U.S. stands at around 16 percent – more than three times the national jobless rate. And according to the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report, unemployment figures for African-American teens are even higher. Those figures rose sharply in September — to more than 32 percent.

This means about one quarter of a million African-American teenagers are actively seeking employment, without success. The Employment Policies Institute, a non-profit research organization, says the problem is a lack of first-time jobs.

"What these teens need is a healthy entry-level job market where they can start acquiring the skills necessary to move onward and upward in their careers," says the EPI’s Michael Flynn. "Unfortunately, minimum wage hikes put that vital first job even farther out of reach."

connectwithkids.com | 1-888-598-KIDS (5437) | CWK Network, Inc. ©2007
Top
Connect With Kids