IRISH TEENAGERS feel a deep sense of unease about how their lives will pan out in the future, according to a new study based on how thousands of young people see themselves.
Teenage boys in particular are more likely to be concerned with enjoying life now, rather than having ambitions or hopes about their future life. The trend was similar among teenage girls who are likely to feel that the future looks "scary".
In contrast, the future appears more attractive to younger boys and girls aged between 10 and 12 who feel positive about going to college, their future jobs and getting married.
These are some of the findings of Irish Children and Teenagers in a Changing World, by Pat O'Connor, professor of sociology and social policy at the University of Limerick.
The book, to be published this week, is based on texts written by thousands of young people who were asked to describe their lives in 1999 for a series of millennium books aimed at future generations.
For her research, Prof O'Connor used a random sample of 4,000 texts from a total of more than 33,0000 which provide an insight into how young people view themselves and the world around them.
The sense of unease over the future among teenagers was not surprising given the rapid pace of social change, according to Prof O'Connor.
"When teenagers see adults trying to balance family and work responsibilities in a fairly hectic way, it's natural they don't want to think of themselves in that position 10 years down the road."
She said the emphasis on living for the present helped to explain the actions of teenagers that often seems to confound adults.
"In some ways, it is easy to understand why young people put their own lives at risk, whether through alcohol or suicide when we see the world through their eyes," she said.
"Irish teenagers do not feel in control of life and that is why they want to live in the present and just focus on getting pleasure right now."
The research also shows that despite rapid social changes and greater equality, the differences in attitudes between teenage boys and girls are striking.
While teenage girls are mainly interested in fashion and believe you have to be thin to be "cool", teenage boys believe men are the authority on the economy, politics and our social life.
Prof O'Connor also expressed concern at the lack of reference among teenage boys to relationships or friends. In contrast, teenage girls were much more likely to refer to their close friends and people they can confide in.
She said this apparent isolation of teenage boys was particularly worrying and said it was vital for society to address this.
