Modern Media Savvy Teenagers and Their Manners Today

Tired of telling your modern, sophisticated, multi-cultural, multi-media connected, multi-tasking teenagers to do the same things your Mother nagged you to do 40 years ago, like sit up straight and stop fidgeting, or clean your room?
Now, there are the new nags. Worn out warning your teenagers to put down their iPhones and stop texting, stop playing with their iPads and pay attention, or pull those iPod ear plugs out of their ears and listen?
Turns out, your teenagers are listening and paying attention :))

According to a Stage of Life.com study, teenagers are extremely optimistic about their life and optimistic about society and the world in general. Here are listed some of the statistics:

• 97% of teens learn their manners at home.
• 92% of teens say social media contributes to our now less civil society.
• 91% of teens say civility, manners (our behavior) and etiquette (the rules) are "important" in their lives.
• 87.6% of teens feel they have the power to make a difference in the world.
• 87% of teens say they personally practice civility, good manners and polished etiquette either "all" or "most" of the time.
• 80.6% of teens are optimistic or "hopeful" about the future year rather than "fearful."   
• 75% of teens think about the state of our world either "always" or "often."
• 62% of teens feel as though chivalry is still alive and well in society.

Since the Mall is a teenager's world, High School and College students say the following about uncivil behavior:

• 47% witness uncivil behavior from classmates.
• 27% witness uncivil behavior in public places (The Mall).
• 6% witness uncivil behavior at home. 

At the Mall, the behaviors that bother teens the most is:

• 38.9% of teens do not like seeing others being rude to service workers (waiters, cashiers, etc.).
• 18.9% of teens do not like to hear others cursing. 

A mannerly measure of Teenager's extracurricular behavior:

• 70% of teens learn positive behaviors at their place of Worship.
• 65% of teens see bad behavior in school.
• 61.5% of teens see bad behavior through friends.
• 43% of teens said Clubs and Sports had a positive influence on their behavior.

Teenagers in general said family lifestyle during their upbringing was the single greatest influence in their lives, and had the single greatest impact on their behavior. 

Teenagers really do want and appreciate discipline, and the majority of my students enjoy learning new life skills giving them confidence for what is an increasingly smaller and more competitive world.

*Statistics are from the Stage of Life website regarding High School and College students and  "Teenage" Stage of Life. See: www.stageoflife.com.