Pubdate: Wed, 14 Jul 2004
Source: Times-Advocate (CN ON)
Copyright: 2004 Exeter Times-Advocate
Contact:  http://www.southhuron.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2215
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

TEEN STUDY REVEALING

A recent Health Canada study on teens shows most are not angry,
reactionary and involved in questionable activity, contrary to what
many of the older generation seem to think.

The study revealed most teens are happy, healthy and well-adjusted, as
we've long suspected. Most said they enjoy school, get along with
their parents and don't often get depressed. Almost 60 per cent have
part-time jobs.

Most don't want to disappoint their parents, according to the study,
which was conducted by GPC Research of Ottawa. And more than
two-thirds said their parents or guardians take an interest in their
school work.

Not surprisingly, Canadian youth like to experiment. One third have
tried marijuana, one in ten tried magic mushrooms. One in five drinks
alcohol regularly. Cigarettes are seen as more harmful than marijuana,
alcohol is thought to be the least harmful of all vices.

That doesn't seem all too different than when many of us were teens;
nor does a large percentage saying "I usually go along with my friends
even if it doesn't feel quite right." Didn't we all, at some point?

Some other stats do stand out as being particular to today's young
people. Sixty-three per cent of teens say they worry a lot about their
future. Did we?

Teens of today spend a lot of time with the mass media; 63 per cent
watched two or more hours of television daily and 13 per cent watched
five or more hours daily. About a third of respondents said they
surfed the Internet for an hour a day, 17 per cent said they surfed
two hours, 15 per cent said three or four hours!

Interestingly, more than half said they had a hard time concentrating
. . . obviously concentration isn't a problem for them when sitting at
the computer or in front of the TV.

From the St. Marys Journal-Argus
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin