Being a teenager today: has it really changed that much?

Today it is common to hear negative criticism, if not outright complaints, about the behavior of the latest wave of adolescents and post-adolescents, the so-called generation Z. Comments like "the zombie generation" are heard, referring to their constant use of electronic devices (even walking! down the street!), the abusive tendency towards hedonism, the constant search for attention through social networks, individualism, etc

To what extent do these opinions correspond to reality? Has what it means to be a teenager really changed that much? It must not be forgotten that in order to see the features of the new batch of young people in perspective, it is not necessary to compare them with today's adults, but rather with minors from at least 15 or 20 years ago.

Let's see what the evolution has been between the adolescence of the 90s and the adolescence of 2020.

• Related article: "The 3 stages of adolescence"

The differences between the new teens and the 90s

This is a brief summary of what is known about the differences between these two generations of adolescents when it comes to their personality and cultural background.

1. They are no less friendly, and they are likely to be more.

There is very little research focused on comparing the personality traits of current adolescents compared to adolescents of the 1990s, so it is difficult to know if it is true that "the youth of yesteryear were more respectful". However, the available evidence suggests that this is not the case.

For example, research focused on following the evolution of the personality traits of successive generations of young people for 25 years from the late 80s to the late 2000s shows that in this period has produced a slight and constant upward trend in the personality trait called "kindness" (agreeableness), and also another personality trait, "scrupulousness" (conscientiousness), which occurs in those who are always motivated to do everything in a planned, orderly manner and in accordance with the rules, "as it should be".

At the same time, the tendency to score high in the trait known as "neuroticism" (neuroticism, in English), which is the sensitivity to possible threats and a tendency to feel anxious and emotionally unstable in ambiguous situations, or to be irritable or impatient with others. setbacks.

Definitely, the idea that teenagers of the new decade are more disrespectful and lacking than 15 or 20 years ago seems to be a myth.

2. tend to perfectionism

One of the characteristics of this generation of adolescents is the fact that, taking into account their age, they tend more towards perfectionism. In fact, this psychological trait has been on the rise since the mid-1980s, and is at its highest levels today.

It is believed that this is due to the pressure to build a professional career and a good education in the face of a in which economic volatility and precarious work prevail, even for those who have studies university students

This finding fits with another: as perfectionism has increased in the new generations, so has its relationship with neuroticism. On the other hand, this rapprochement between perfectionism and neuroticism has come at the price of slightly weakening the link between perfectionism and conscientiousness.

As we have seen, the new generations of young people are more likely to score high on meticulousness and low on neuroticism, which seems to indicate that this increase in perfectionism responds to the need to adapt to a very competitive landscape and in which the family no longer has the same ability to protect as it did in the mid-90s, and not simply because pleasure.

• You may be interested in: "The Big 5 Personality Traits: Sociability, Responsibility, Openness, Kindness, and Neuroticism"

3. They are involved in the protection of vulnerable groups and the environment

Ensuring the protection of minorities victims of discrimination and the preservation of the environment are values ​​that were marginal in the 1990s, and yet today they are widely claimed by the youngest, at least in the countries westerners.

To give an example, both in Spain and in the US, the 18-year-old voter is much more likely to opt for options that emphasize the importance of environmentalism, anti-racism and rejection of discrimination against women and LGTBI groups. In turn, the mobilizations of the International Day of Working Women and the Extinction Rebellion movement have a clear overrepresentation of adolescents and post-adolescents.

4. drink less alcohol

Gen Z youth tend to drink much less alcohol than baby boomers and members of the generation X, and significantly fewer than millennials, a 2018 study by Berenberg shows research. This explains why non-alcoholic beverages have increased their sales in many countries in western countries.

This is highly relevant, taking into account that regular alcohol consumption (to which the adolescent population is especially prone) is linked to many psychological disorders and has a harmful impact on their family and close social environment, in addition to being associated with a lower degree of responsibility.

Regarding the consumption of other drugs, no significant changes have been observed, although it is true that in some countries there have been a substantial drop in the number of adolescents who smoke tobacco... because they switch to electronic cigarettes.

5. closer to science

Many times it is said that in matters of a cultural level there is little or no progress, and that the old erroneous beliefs and superstitions return again and again, always with the same force. However, this does not seem to correspond to reality.

The Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (Fecyt) gives reason to be optimistic, since it shows that the youngest enjoy a greater scientific culture compared to generation X and baby boomers.

The data from this research, analyzed by Materia (El País) show that adolescents and Today's post-adolescents are more likely to correctly answer questions about science in general. In addition, they also appear to rely more on scientific knowledge generation methods, according to research by Maru/VCR&C for Vision Critical.

Conclusion

It is highly debatable that the new generation of adolescents has less to offer to society than the youth of the 1990s and Gen Xers in general. Of course, there have been important changes from one cohort to another, but this does not imply that you have to despise the new culture that these boys and girls bring with them.

In any case, it is worth asking ourselves if this tendency to look askance at the new generations of young people is something unusual, something that has not happened for centuries. The idea of ​​seeing shrillness in the latest waves of teens and young adults doesn't seem overly original, but it has makes sense if we assume that culture shock brings with it misunderstanding at first, until we find new fittings and ways of connect.

Bibliographic references:

• Curran, T. & Hill, A. (2017). Perfectionism Is Increasing Over Time: A Meta-Analysis of Birth Cohort Differences From 1989 to 2016. Psychological Bulletin, 145(4): pp. 410 - 429.
• Smith, M.M.; Sherry, S.B.; Vidovic, V.; Saklofske, D.H.; Stoeber, J.; Benoit A. (2019). Perfectionism and the Five-Factor Model of Personality: A Meta-Analytic Review. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 23(4): pp. 367 - 390.
• Smits, I.A.M.; Dolan, C.; Vorts, H.C.M.; Wicherts, J.; Timmerman, M.E. (2011). Cohort Differences in Big Five Personality Factors Over a Period of 25 Years. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 100(6): pp. 1124 - 1138.