新奇事件簿 当今青少年成长速度变缓

A new study says today's teenagers are growing up more slowly than previous generations. Research from San Diego State University looked at data on teenage¹ behaviour from the past 40 years, between 1976 and 2016. It looked at surveys on 8 million teens² from seven different countries. Researchers said that compared to teenagers from the 70s, 80s and 90s, today's teens, "are taking longer to engage³ in both the pleasures and the responsibilities⁴ of adulthood⁵". Professor Jean Twenge said: "The whole developmental pathway has slowed down." She said today's 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.

一项新的研究表示，今天的青少年比以前的几代人长大得更慢。来自圣地亚哥州立大学的研究查看了从1976年到2016年期间40年的青少年行为数据。研究查看了来自七个不同的国家800万名青少年进行的调查。研究人员表示，与70年代，80年代和90年代的青少年相比，现在的青少年需要更长的时间才能体会到成年的快乐和责任感。Jean Twenge教授表示：“整个发育过程减缓。”她说，当今18岁的青少年就像过去15岁的青少年的生活状态。她说，青少年比过去经历的风险减少了很多。

The researchers said today's 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 media⁷, 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.

研究人员表示，今天的青少年花费更长的时间做他们的父母和祖父母以前做的事情。第一次约会的年龄增加，做兼职的几率减少，驾车的几率减少。Twenge教授表示，这是“缓慢的生活战略”。研究人员还发现，越来越多青少年跟父母一起住的时间更长了，而不是自己租房屋或公寓。这些行为的其中一个原因就是青少年花费在互联网上的时间增加。互联网让青少年花费更多时间在社交媒体上，寻找视频，或者打游戏，而不是生活在现实世界。另外一个原因是，家长努力为孩子做得更多，对他们进行了过多的保护。

1 teenage   

adj.青少年的；十几岁的

参考例句：

• His voice is very high for a teenage boy.对一个十几岁的男孩来说，他的嗓音很尖。
• He is too old now for teenage parties.他年龄太大了，不适于参加少年聚会。

2 teens   

n.13至19岁的年龄；青少年

参考例句：

• His son is in his teens.他的儿子十几岁。
• She's not yet out of her teens.她还不到二十岁。

3 engage   

vt.使从事于，使忙着；使订婚；雇用，聘；接合，啮合；vi. 从事于，参加

参考例句：

• I have no time to engage in the debate.我没时间参加辩论。
• It is difficult to engage teachers of quality.很难招聘到优秀教师。

4 responsibilities   

责任( responsibility的名词复数 )； 职责； 责任感； 责任心

参考例句：

• the disproportion between the extra responsibilities and the small salary increase 额外的责任与小幅增加的薪金之间的不相称
• The job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. 这项工作涉及的职责范围很广。

5 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

6 strategy   

n.方法，策略，战略

参考例句：

• The only way to take the enemy position is by strategy,not by forceful attack.只可智取，不可强攻。
• Tactics differs from strategy.战术有别于战略。

7 media   

n.(medium的复数)媒体，新闻媒介，传播媒介

参考例句：

• The local media reported rioting across the country.当地媒体报道了全国范围的骚乱。
• His latest movie is being hyped up by the media.他新近的电影正被媒体大肆炒作。