Despite controversial HBO teenage drama "Euphoria" portraying today's youths as more wild than ever, The New York Times reports today's generation of teens are far more tame and safety-conscious than prior ones.
"There is a whole bunch of good news out there," Power to Decide's Bill Albert told the Times. "I think it is fair to call this the cautious generation."
Among the data suggesting this are, per the report:
- Smoke less.
- Use fewer hard drugs.
- Get into fewer car accidents.
- Physical fight less.
- Less likely to drop out.
- More like to stay virgins.
- Less likely to become pregnany.
- Commit fewer crimes.
Despite all that, there are rises in death rates due suicide and drug overdose, even if they use drugs less. Also, there is more evidence of mental health problems, according to the report.
"In the long term, the trends are quite clear," University of New Hampshire professor David Finkelhor told the Times. "But even in the short term, we're undergoing a period of dramatic improvements that have not been widely acknowledged or underlined, and it's too bad."
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