Gen Y 'growing up too fast'

A new survey has revealed that teenagers today are growing up too fast and are battling with adult worries.

The survey conducted over 7000 boys and girls between 10 years and 17 years and 600 teenagers from 14 to 17 from NSW and Victoria showed that youngsters were increasingly plagued by adult worries, such as how to afford a house.

The study led by Dolly Youth Monitor revealed that teenagers today were earning more than twice as much as they did 15 years ago with 76.55 dollars a week in 2007 as compared to 31.60 dollars a week in 1992.

And the biggest worries were personal safety and being able to buy their own home.

For 38 per cent of the respondents 'home affordability' was a major concern, 43 per cent worried about 'getting a job', 44 per cent 'being successful' and 48 per cent worried about 'making money'.

Three in four girls admitted not feeling safe in their own neighbourhoods, while one in three felt unsafe in their own homes at night. The project also found that the teenagers are more stressed.

"Despite financial and material wealth, traditionally 'adult' worries are filtering down to today's teens, with career, finance and housing as paramount concerns," Sydney Morning Herald quoted Dolly editor Gemma Crisp, as saying.

The teenagers, who think drug use is acceptable has also saw a significant drop from 39 per cent in 2003 to 31 per cent in 2007

Though 85 per cent of teenagers believed it is acceptable to regularly use alcohol.

The survey also found that one in three respondents lost their virginity between 13 and 15 years, with 36per cent aged 16 or 17 and 2.5 per cent aged younger than 13.

Almost one in six teenagers had kissed someone of the same sex, while 7 per cent had participated in cyber sex.

More than half believed they were overweight, with 43 per cent hoping that their family ate healthier food and 39 per cent wanting their parents to stop smoking.

More than half of girls aged 14 to 17 used social networking sites MySpace, Bebo or Facebook.

Researchers said the changes could be attributed to a change in the family context over the past two decades, with fewer traditional families, higher divorce rates, more women working, smaller families and older parents.