Question

Do you think teenagers today have fewer responsibilities
than teenagers in the past? And why?

Answer 1

Answer:

No.

Until the start of compulsory education in about the 1930s, teenagers would have been working alongside their elders. They’d have been down mines, in steelworks, in factories, etc.

If you were a teenager in the 1940s or 1910s, you’d be dying for your country

After the 2nd World War, teenage years started becoming more free. There was a bit of rebellion in the 50s and 60s, but after that things have pretty much settled down for the most. From my experience (and my friends’) of the 70s and 80s, and comparing it to those of my teenage children and their friends now, I’d say that the level of responsibilities is pretty much the same now as then on average. There may obviously be individual variations.

That’s not to say that everything is the same: teenagers now (in general) seem to have less respect for authority than we did. Teenagers now sometimes choose to be pressured by social media, whereas in my day, such a thing did not exist. But, this is a choice - no one (not even a teenager) needs to use social media at all. Etc.

Answer 2

Answer:

A psychologist mines big data on teens and finds many ways this generation—the “iGens"—is different from Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials.

Explanation:

In her new book, psychologist Jean Twenge uses large-scale surveys to draw a detailed portrait of ten qualities that make today’s teens unique and the cultural forces shaping them. Her findings are by turn alarming, informative, surprising, and insightful, making the book—iGen:Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood—and What That Means for the Rest of Us—an important read for anyone interested in teens’ lives.