In recent years, Diaz said, parents have become much more 'child-centric,' compared with the days when parents would send their kids outside with instructions to be back by dinner.Īnd while that is well-intended, Diaz said, kids today may have few chances to deal with relationships, work through their own problems - and otherwise 'stand on their own two feet.' 'So they may be spending less time actually socializing, face-to-face,' she said.Īnd then there's the 'hovering' parent syndrome. But, she added, it's obvious that technology is a vital part of how kids socialize. But, she pointed out, the patterns seen in this study began before widespread internet use - so it's not clear how much of a role technology has played.ĭiaz agreed that it's unclear. Twenge found that by the early 2010s, high school seniors were online for an average of 11 hours per week. Over those years, the study found, teenagers gradually became less likely to try 'adult' activities - including drinking, having sex, working, driving, dating and simply going out (with or without their parents). Together, they involved over 8 million U.S. 19 in the journal Child Development, are based on nationally representative surveys done between 19. 'It's like going into the heavy lifting of adulthood without having exercised the necessary muscles,' Diaz said. The problem arises when kids have no experience with adult-like responsibilities, or spend little time navigating relationships with their peers. That's not to say teens should be rushing into adulthood, she stressed.

Today's students may be sharp academically, Diaz said - but they often have trouble with basics like planning, time management and problem-solving. Diaz, who was not involved in the study, is a clinical assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at NYU Langone Medical Center, in New York City.

Teens growing up too fast