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Pew Research Center study -

A study published by the Pew Research Center in 2024 has highlighted the lifestyle differences of teenagers today compared to in the past.

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Pew Research Center study -

The study found that both teens and adults agree on something about being a teenager today: it's much harder than in the past.

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Harder today than in 2004 -

For parents who took part in the study, 69% who have teens aged 13 to 17 responded that they feel growing up is harder today than it was in 2004.

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Harder today than in 2004 -

Of the participants who responded to the study aged between 13 and 17 years old, 44% also agreed with this sentiment, that life is harder today.

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Why? -

What both groups don’t completely agree on is why it’s more challenging to navigate adolescence now compared to 20 years ago.

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Why? -

Parents blame social media, which is frequently cited as having led to an epidemic of isolation and loneliness among younger people.

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Why? -

But teenagers themselves disagree. They say it's harder nowadays than before due to "more pressures and expectations" being placed on them.

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Generation anxiety -

New York University social psychologist Jonathan Haidt wrote a bestselling book called 'The Anxious Generation.' In it, he examines the role social media has played when it comes to teenage mental health.

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Generation anxiety -

His book focuses on people born after 1995. Haidt says smart phones and social media have damaged teens’ mental health.

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Damaging -

Zach Rausch, who was a lead researcher to Haidt when writing the book, says having a phone while going through puberty can be especially damaging.

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Damaging -

"The biggest effects of social media happened during puberty, especially early puberty," Rausch says. "Ages nine to 15 is where the most significant harm seems to be the clearest."

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Less in-person connection -

A big reason for why social media is so harmful is that it leads to less time spent interacting with others in-person.

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Less in-person connection -

Humans are social beings, and in-person interactions are good for us. These connections play a vital role in ensuring better and sustained happiness.

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A way to facilitate meeting -

In the past, when cell phones first became the norm, "we used flip phones to connect with each other in order to eventually meet in person," Rausch says.

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A way to facilitate meeting -

In contrast, today "the online world is kind of the opposite. We connect in order to stay there. And our argument is that that’s not sufficient."

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Brain chemistry -

Separately, Haidt has made the point that extensive social media use can change young people’s brain chemistry. This is because their young brains are forming new and long-lasting connections.

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Brain chemistry -

"Kids going through puberty online are likely to experience far more social comparison, self-consciousness, public shaming, and chronic anxiety than adolescents in previous generations," Haidt told The Atlantic in an interview.

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Brain chemistry -

What might this look like on a practical, behavioral level? He says it "could potentially set developing brains into a habitual state of defensiveness."

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Teenage years -

In spite of modern concerns, being a teenager has never been easy. In fact, for many it's remembered as one of the most difficult decades of life.

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Teenage years -

Teenagers have a stereotype of being moody, rude, and overly sensitive. It's because they're experiencing changes to hormones and have one foot in childhood while tentatively making their way towards adulthood.

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A dangerous age? -

In her book 'Inventing Ourselves: The Secret Life of the Teenage Brain,' University College London neuroscientist Sarah Jayne Blakemore says that 14–or "14.38 years," to be exact–is the most dangerous age.

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A dangerous age? -

She explains that at this age teen brains are still developing, so impulsiveness is high and rational thinking often doesn’t happen.

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Nurture and celebrate -

However, she also makes the point that "we shouldn’t demonize this period of life. We should understand it, nurture it and celebrate it."

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Not everyone agrees -

Among parents who say it is easier being a teen today, roughly six-in-10 mention technology as a reason. This is because it's seen as opening up avenues for learning and engagement.

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Not everyone agrees -

Of the 18% of parents who say it’s easier being a teen today, they claim there are fewer pressures and expectations on teenagers than in the past.

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Few teens think life is easier -

Fewer teenagers think teens’ lives are easier today than 20 years ago, but those who do largely say technology is a reason.

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Agreement between the generations -

Parents and teens are mostly in agreement on what makes growing up today harder than in the past. Similar shares between teens and adults cite the country or world being worse today (15% each) and violence and drugs (8% each) as reasons life today for teens is harder.

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Is it harder to be a teenager today? -

The teenage years can be a very difficult emotional time for both adolescents and their parents. One of the best ways to navigate them is to build and maintain good communication with your teenager, so they feel supported and seen.

Sources: (CNBC) (Pew Research Center) (The Atlantic) (Science News Explores)

See also: Bad things we've forgotten about the '90s

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