Today’s Teenagers Growing up More Slowly 如今的青少年成长更为缓慢

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.

一项新的研究表明现在的青少年相较于以前的几代人成长得更为缓慢。圣地亚哥州立大学的研究调查了从1976年到2016年40年间青少年的行为数据。研究数据来自7个国家的800万青少年。研究者说，相比70、80、90年代的青少年，现在的青少年“在体会成人乐趣以及责任方面花费的时间更长”。珍·温格教授称：“整个发展的历程已经放缓。”并说现在十八岁的孩子生活得像以前十五岁的孩子，现在的孩子比以前需要承担的责任更少了。

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.

研究者说到如今的青少年需要花更多的时间去完成他们父母以及爷爷奶奶曾做的事情。他们在第一次约会的时候年龄更大，不太愿意去做兼职，也不太愿意开车。温格教授把这称为“慢生活策略”。研究员还发现相较于自己租房，更多青少年与父母住在一起的时间更长。其中一个原因是他们花费在网络的时间太多了。网络使他们一直关注社交网络，看视频或玩游戏，而不是生活在一個“真实的世界”。另一个原因是父母想为孩子做更多的事情，给孩子们更多的保护。

Notes：

1. previous adj. 以前的；早先的

2. responsibility n. 责任，职责；义务

3. adulthood n. 成年；成人期

4. developmental adj. 发展的；启发的

5. pathway n. 路，道；途径，路径

6. strategy n. 战略，策略