Bored Teenagers

What is the single most commonly shared feeling among today's teens? Boredom, according to a Pew Research Center survey. Fully 40 percent of teens aged 13 to 17 say they feel bored every day or almost every day. Another 44 percent say they feel bored "sometimes." Boredom is far more common among teens than feeling tense or nervous, with a smaller 29 percent of teens saying they feel tense or nervous every day or almost every day.

When teens are asked about the personal pressures they face, the biggest by far is pressure to get good grades. The 61 percent majority of teens say they feel a lot of pressure to do well in school. Few teens feel pressure to be sexually active, drink alcohol, or use drugs. In fact, most teens say they feel no pressure at all to engage in those activities.

Percent of teens who feel "a lot" of pressure
61% to get good grades
29% to look good
28% to fit in socially
21% to be involved in extracurricular activities
13% to help family financially
8% to participation in religious activities
8% to be sexually active
6% to drink alcohol
4% to use drugs

Source: Pew Research Center, Most U.S. Teens See Anxiety and Depression as a Major Problem among Their Peers