Think back to when you were a teenager… were you irritable? Moody? Were you the walking coming-of-age cliché crying ‘no one understands me!’?
As adults it’s easy to look back at some of the most difficult, awkward and confusing moments of puberty and laugh about them. It’s probably why teenagers have been the butt of many jokes since.. well, forever!
They’re always getting stick, but the next time you mock a teen for being emotional or sensitive, bear this in mind. In a recent study, British teens were among the unhappiest youngsters in the world.
The Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development revealed that UK teenagers came 38th of 48 countries in terms of life satisfaction.
According to the information, 72% were worried about exam stress and 24% had felt unhappy at the hands of bullies.
In terms of teen happiness, it puts the UK behind the very happy Mexico and Finland, as well as France, Germany, Spain, Latvia and the US. However, the saddest teens are those in Japan, Turkey and Korea.
Just 28% of pupils in Britain classed themselves as ‘very satisfied’, compared to the 34% average. However, nearly all of those asked said that their parents showed interest in their school work and that they aspired to be the best in their chosen subjects.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Education said: “These findings show young people have the motivation and desire to go as far as their talents can take them and that their parents are supporting their time at school.”
Do you think that there is too much pressure on British teenagers today, and that this could be affecting their happiness? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter.
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