Why Today's Teens Don't Act Their Age

Compared to a generation ago, today's young people are dawdling when it comes to experiencing behaviors traditionally seen as precursors to adulthood: drinking, driving, having sex, and joining the workforce. 

As a result, they're often called "lazy"—but that's not exactly accurate. According to researchers, today's 18-year-olds are acting like 15-year-olds of the late 1970s because of the secure environment in which they're raised, per the San Diego Union Tribune

Whereas previous generations enjoyed fewer resources and viewed quickly finding a job and starting a family as necessary for survival, smaller families have fueled "the idea that children need to be carefully nurtured," psychologist Jean Twenge tells the Washington Post.

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