Today’s Teenagers Growing up More Slowly 如今的青少年成長更為緩慢

肖雅琪

A new study says todays teenagers are growing up more slowly than previous1 generations. Research from San Diego State University looked at data on teenage behaviour from the past 40 years， between 1976 and 2016. It looked at surveys on 8 million teens from seven different countries. Researchers said that compared to teenagers from the 70s， 80s and 90s， todays teens， “...are taking longer to engage in both the pleasures and the responsibilities2 of adulthood3”. Professor Jean Twenge said， “The whole developmental4 pathway5 has slowed down.” She said todays 18-year-olds are living more like 15-year-olds used to live. She said teenagers are taking far fewer risks than they did before.

一項新的研究表明現在的青少年相較于以前的幾代人成長得更為緩慢。圣地亞哥州立大學的研究調查了從1976年到2016年40年間青少年的行為數據。研究數據來自7個國家的800萬青少年。研究者說，相比70、80、90年代的青少年，現在的青少年“在體會成人樂趣以及責任方面花費的時間更長”。珍·溫格教授稱：“整個發展的歷程已經放緩。”并說現在十八歲的孩子生活得像以前十五歲的孩子，現在的孩子比以前需要承擔的責任更少了。

The researchers said todays teenagers are taking longer to do things their parents and grandparents did. They are older when they go on their first date， less likely to have a part-time job， and are less likely to drive. Professor Twenge said this is a “slow life strategy6”. Researchers also found that more teenagers are spending longer living with their parents instead of renting their own room or apartment. One of the reasons for these behaviours is how much time teenagers spend online. The Internet is keeping teens on social media， looking at videos or playing games instead of living in the “real world”. Another reason was parents who try and do too much for their children and protect them too much.

研究者說到如今的青少年需要花更多的時間去完成他們父母以及爺爺奶奶曾做的事情。他們在第一次約會的時候年齡更大，不太愿意去做兼職，也不太愿意開車。溫格教授把這稱為“慢生活策略”。研究員還發現相較于自己租房，更多青少年與父母住在一起的時間更長。其中一個原因是他們花費在網絡的時間太多了。網絡使他們一直關注社交網絡，看視頻或玩游戲，而不是生活在一個“真實的世界”。另一個原因是父母想為孩子做更多的事情，給孩子們更多的保護。

Notes：

1. previous adj. 以前的；早先的

2. responsibility n. 責任，職責；義務

3. adulthood n. 成年；成人期

4. developmental adj. 發展的；啟發的

5. pathway n. 路，道；途徑，路徑

6. strategy n. 戰略，策略