Teen attitudes and outlooks

Research confirms what some parents might have already suspected: kids really are ruder and more belligerent than previous generations. (Twenge & Im, 2006)

A new study shows that adolescents today often have an overinflated self-esteem. While high self-esteem is normally a good thing, too much of it, or the wrong kind of it, can spell disaster. "Their narcissism could be a recipe for depression later when things don't work out as well as they expected," says psychologist Jean Twenge, author of the study. (Elias, 11-19-08) Some children, who've grown up in small families and have been pampered often, assume they're God's gift to the world, which leaves them more vulnerable to criticism and potential failure.

75% of high-schoolers expect to receive a college degree, yet only 30% are on a preparatory track to accomplish it. They also expect to make lots, yet don't have a plan for how. They merely expect it to happen. (Walsh, 2007, p. 25-16)

20% of teens think they'll be famous someday, according to Teenage Research Unlimited, a survey group. (Murphy, 8-31-07)

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Careers that kids say their parents encourage them to consider:

Boys Girls
Engineer: 31% Doctor: 33%
Doctor: 24% Teacher: 31%
Businessman: 23% Lawyer: 25%
Lawyer: 20% Veterinarian: 23%
Teacher: 11% Acting: 21%
(USA Today, 3-12-09)

7,882 breast-augmentation surgeries were performed on American teens in 2007, around half for non-medical (cosmetic) reasons.

Statistics from the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery show that cosmetic-surgery procedures performed on those 18 and younger have nearly doubled over the last decade. (Bennett, 4-6-09)

"Happiness, creativity, and the innovative spirit are crushed when kids believe they need to fit into the perfect box." -Kenneth Ginsburg, an adolescent medicine specialist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and author of 'A Parent's Guide to Building Resilience in Children & Teens, (in Lyon, 02/2009)