Three Observations on Today’s Teenagers

I met up with a friend, a local high school teacher, and I asked him how today’s teens are different from previous generations. Here are his answers:

1. Today’s teenagers are busier than ever before.

While the share of teens with summer jobs has plunged since 2000, the type of work they do has shifted. “Researchers have suggested multiple reasons why fewer young people are working: fewer low-skill, entry-level jobs (such as sales clerks or office assistants) than in decades past; more schools ending in late June and restarting before Labor Day; more students enrolled in high school or college over the summer; more teens doing unpaid community service work as part of their graduation requirements or to burnish their college applications; and more students taking unpaid internships, which the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn’t count as being employed.”

In an Asian-American context, teens will stack their resumes with extra-curricular activities like music performances or youth clubs, as well as extra education such as SAT school. Technology allows for squeezing the most out of a schedule and turbo-charges communication. There is time to fill.

2. Today’s teenagers experience peer pressure 24/7.

YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online ‘almost constantly. Every online interaction is put under the microscope, every post is publicized, and every photo is carefully formatted for maximum impact.

In an Asian-American context, they want their experience to be recognized. The identity of Asian-Americans is often lost in the noise. Some will see peer pressure as a way to be outspoken about their heritage and culture, while others will find it another way to be marginalized.

3. Today’s teenagers have difficulty interacting with each other.

A majority of teens have experienced some form of cyberbullying. “While texting and digital messaging are a central way teens build and maintain relationships, this level of connectivity may lead to potentially troubling and nonconsensual exchanges.” There is a deficit in what is considered acceptable online behavior. 

For Asian-Americans, the Internet could be a way to connect with others with similar lifestyles and backgrounds. But it can also be a way to hide online, while real-life communication gets lost in translation.

Seeking to Understand Today’s Teenagers

As an 11th grade Sunday School teacher, I never want to assume that I know exactly what the students are going through. It’s easy to think that we have the same shared experience of high school, but our situations are very different.

Parents, teachers, and youth leaders must think critically and carefully about the life of their teens, and help them strive to see Christ as sufficient, sovereign, and our supreme treasure. He will prove true.