The findings of a recent crucial study, published on Tuesday, reveal that today’s young teenagers experience increased issues with peers and a decline in friendship circles, compared to those from a decade earlier. This trend has been found to be more pronounced amongst girls who exhibit elevated emotional problems.
The study, issued by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and named ‘The Changing Social Worlds of 13-Year-Olds’, highlights the fact that these heightened emotional challenges amongst teenage girls are adversely affecting their relationships with both peers and parents, in particular their mothers. This is also having a negative impact on their engagement in educational activities.
The research also points to an increased usage of online platforms by girls, a shift from a decade prior when boys tended to spend more time online.
Drawing upon data from the longitudinal Growing Up in Ireland study, which involved two groups of children born in 1998 and 2008, the study explores their respective circumstances at the age of 13 in 2011/12 and 2021/22. It highlights considerable societal and policy shifts during the decade in question, including junior cycle reforms, increased digitisation, and the profound influence of the pandemic.
On an encouraging note, the report reveals decreased levels of discord between the current group of teenagers and their parents. Parents were found less likely to employ punitive tactics such as grounding or shouting to manage behavioural concerns and more inclined to explain the error of their child’s ways.
That being said, a surge was identified in the level of mother-daughter conflict, attributed to the amplified emotional challenges experienced by girls, even as disputes between mothers and sons lessened. Emotional difficulties were found to be responsible for roughly two-thirds of the increased mother-daughter conflict over time.
In addition, the study also pinpointed a heightened likelihood of conflict in cases involving single-parent families, households residing in rented properties, financially strained families, and families with a disabled child.
Moreover, the recent cohort of teenagers has been found to maintain smaller friend groups and have fewer close connections. As per the report, the quality of interaction with peers, as described by mothers, has deteriorated over the decade, with intensified peer issues becoming apparent.
In British English, the text suggests that the percentage of individuals who have two or less friends increased from 8.1% to 12.4% in a latter group compared to a 1998 cohort. Additionally, 6.4% from the earlier group reported having none or just one close pal, a figure that expanded to 7.5% in the subsequent group.
The report also highlights an appreciable change over time regarding time spent in front of screens such as phones and tablets. Whilst around 46% of the 1998 group reported having no screen time to speak of, the figure dropped to a mere 10% in the latter group. Plus, those spending three or more hours on screens rose from 15% to 31%.
Interestingly enough, the dynamics of girls and boys’ screen time also shifted over this period. As opposed to the 1998 cohort where girls spent less time online than boys, 10 years later, girls were the majority, with 38% spending two or more hours online, compared to just a quarter of boys.
In relation to sentiments regarding school, the number of students expressing a deep fondness for school dropped from 29% to 21%. Simultaneously, a moderate increase was observed in those professing they liked it ‘quite a bit’ or ‘a bit’. Dislike or intense aversion towards school remained consistent around 11%. Though girls generally exhibited a more optimistic attitude to school, the gender gap has seen a significant reduction. The report also mentioned a link between emotional difficulties and a decrease in school engagement, particularly among the young female cohort.
Feelings towards school were noted to be less optimistic amongst young individuals from single-parent homes, rented accommodation and especially those living with a disability.
The majority of 13-year-olds partake in a weekly activity, however, between a fifth and a quarter did not participate. This non-participation rate was higher among families who found it difficult to make ends meet and highest amongst disabled young individuals.
Consequently, the study, which was not aimed at assessing the influence of the Covid-19 pandemic and school closures on the mentioned groups, showed declining peer relations and heightened emotional difficulties among the latter cohort. Preliminary findings suggest this could stem from increased familial conflict and less favourable views of school, particularly among girls.