Today's teenagers are less likely to get pregnant at a young age and are turning away from drink, drugs and cigarettes -but are increasingly engaging in self-harm, suffering from eating disorders and not getting enough sleep, according to a government paper.
The findings, published by a group of Britain's most senior civil servants, suggest that the pervasion of the internet and social media, coupled with better parental monitoring and supervision, has prompted major changes in the behaviour of the country's youth.
At a meeting chaired by the UK government's chief scientific adviser, experts told the group that "digital immersion" had resulted in a "rapid and dramatic societal shift" which was already having a profound impact on young people.
While some said that the popularity of social media and computer games had left children with "less time and opportunity to participate in traditional risk behaviours" such as underage drinking, others pointed out that the anonymity of the internet had made obtaining “legal highs“ and "designer drugs" much easier for them.
For many , the internet provided a valuable source of information and could help them answer questions about mental or sexual health, the paper said.
(Source: Chris Green, THE INDEPENDENT)
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