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Teens Are Growing Up More Slowly Than Past Generations, Study Says

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Is your teen taking longer to grow up than you did? They probably aren't the only one.

A new study says teenagers are taking longer to stop being kids and take on the responsibilities of adulthood.

As CBS2's Elise Finch reported, the study found that compared to teens in the 1970s, 80s and 90s, today's teenagers are growing up more slowly.

"With the internet and all the stuff that's available to them, it's quite surprising actually," East Rockaway resident Larry Miller said.

In the most recent issue of the journal Child Development, two psychologist revealed what they found when the reviewed the results of seven surveys that were completed by teenagers between 1976 and 2016. More than eight million teens, ages 13 to 19, responded over the years.

Among 12th graders, 63 percent percent said they dated, which is down from 86 percent; 67 percent admitted to drinking alcohol, down from 93 percent; and 62 percent said they had sex, down from 68 percent.

"I'm certainly encouraged to hear they're putting off unsafe practices until later in life -- is a great thing, but the other stuff does disturb me," Ossing resident Brian Scholl said.

That "other stuff," refers to the 55 percent of 12th graders who had paying jobs, which is down from 76 percent; and the 73 percent who had drivers' licenses, down from 88 percent.

"I don't think the positives outweigh the negatives," one woman said.

"We did more adult things, because you had to," a man added.

"I think it's always about balance," another woman said.

The authors of the study said the "slower life strategy" may be a bit safer but also produces young people who are unprepared for college or the workforce.

"We go to Google… There is an answer for everything readily available, and you don't have to figure it out for yourself anymore," psychologist Dr. Sanam Hafeez told Finch. "What it does, it actually debilitates your natural problem solving skills."

Dr. Hafeez said the way to encourage more problem solving and independent behavior is to ration screen time on computers, tablets and smartphones and insist on activities outside the home.

It's thought that teens are growing up more slowly in large part because parents have fewer children, so they're able to monitor their kids' activities more closely, and because kids spend so much time on the internet

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