By MANDY WHITE
The USA Weekend's 11th annual special teen report results are back, and
Ashtabula County teens are mostly positive in their responses.
This year's survey, while not scientific, is an attempt by adults to understand
how teens view themselves, whether it be smarts, race or looks. This must
have been the chance many teens were waiting for because the survey got
a record response: 272,400 students.
Apparently teens aren't as bitter and depressed as we thought. One of the
more obvious points the survey makes is that most teens are satisfied with
themselves.
About 100 responses came from Ashtabula County teenagers who had a lot to
say about their self-image. Responses parallel those made nationwide and
it seems that local teens showed an all-round positive attitude.
Local girls answered the most surveys with boys accounting for only 33 percent
of the responses.
More local young people said they felt really good about themselves (52
percent) than teens nationwide (49 percent). Yet when asked to mark qualities
such as "confidence" and "honesty" to describe themselves,
figures were consistently less than national average - except in athletic
ability and a good sense of humor, both 10 percent more than USA Weekend's
results. Only 65 percent of the county's teenagers believed they were smart
- 10 percent less than the reported responses for the country.
Nationwide, 75 percent of teens described themselves as honest; 70 percent
of local teens said the same.
After asking how happy adolescents were with their looks, (Ashtabula County
said 37 percent were "very" happy with looks, and 56 percent were
"somewhat" happy with them,) USA weekend also asked teens how
they felt they'd like to improve themselves.
Getting better grades seemed to be the key for both students in and out
of county borders. Nationwide, 49 percent lusted after a better report card,
with 56 percent agreeing locally. Runners-up were losing weight and toning
up, at 40 percent and 35 percent respectively for area teens, and 38 percent
for both according to USA Weekend. A bit surprising, perhaps, is the fact
that only 6 percent of local teens chose quitting smoking as a life improvement
and only 3 percent chose quitting drugs. Both figure were lower than national
figures.
Race was considered, for the most part, unimportant to teens in regard to
self-image. Seventy-seven percent of local teens said that race made no
difference and only 1 percent felt that race had a negative impact on their
self-image. Twenty-two percent said they felt positive about their race.
Nationwide, 71 percent said it didn't make a difference.
As the survey moved on to discuss trust and where most teens placed it,
it was clear that locally speaking at least, adults were not the winners.
Friends got 32 percent of the vote for someone who understands with boyfriend-girlfriend
accounting for 25 percent. Parents trailed with 23 percent and teachers
and coaches weren't even on the map. USA Weekend's results, however, placed
parents at 28 percent, right after friends.
Yet teenagers generally believed that their opinion was valued by adults
- locally 70 percent felt safe in sharing their opinion and 75 percent had
an adult they felt they could confide in. Teens also felt that adults were
generally supportive of them - 44 percent said an adult had already encouraged
them at least once a day. Dissenters were only 9 percent, saying that they
couldn't remember the last time an adult had a kind word to say to them.
Parents were the most influential people in a teen's life, claiming 61 percent
of the locals surveyed. USA Weekend agreed, with 70 percent saying their
parents had a lot of influence on their lives. Forty-eight percent of local
kids say that TV doesn't affect them at all, and 30 percent agree that their
religion affects them very much.
According to the survey, 35 percent of kids said they got a chance to have
a 15 minute or more conversation with their parents. Twenty-nine percent
said they had one a few times a week and 16 percent said they had a conversation
a few times a month. Fourteen percent said they almost never had a conversation
with their parents.
Perhaps the most startling trend in the survey was how little negative peer
pressure affects teens. USA Weekend asked teens if they ever felt pressured
to drink, smoke, take drugs or have sex. For the most part, teens said no.
Only 2 percent felt very pressured to have sex, although 20 percent said
they felt somewhat pressured. Smoking, thought to be a serious problem among
teens thanks to peer pressure and clever advertising, was said by 70 percent
of area teens to not pressure them at all. Nationwide, 77 percent agreed.
Numbers were a little lower locally for illegal drugs, but comparable at
68 percent who weren't pressured.
One of the survey's focal points was mental health. Fifty-one percent of
students said that they got depressed once in awhile. Another 23 percent
said they never did. Nineteen percent admitted to often feeling bad, but
only 9 percent said they would want to visit a mental health counselor,
while 12 percent had actually seen a counselor at some time. And only 5
percent had taken antidepressants, 3 percent less than the national survey
results.
Here's some statistics from Ashtabula County teens, based on results of
a USA Weekend teen poll that will be officially released in Sunday's Star
Beacon supplement:
48 percent believe that looks have nothing to do with being able to make
friends.
38 percent are involved with a local youth or community group such as the
scouts.
56 percent believe they can excel in sports.
2 percent look to their religious leaders for understanding.
5 percent say they are very affected by advertising, 52 percent say it has
no affect whatsoever.
88 percent say they are healthy.
Attention: Are you a senior, graduating from high school,
or at least junior?
If you had your wish, what would you want as a graduation present?
Let us know what you have in mind. When your suggestion shows up in a future
Teen/Currents, you can always clip it out, circle your entry, write "HINT
HINT" in red marker and leave it on a
parent's pillow.
So fill out our fine survey and e-mail it. (Remember
if you are reading this and graduations are long past, the link probably
won't work)
Snail to Teen/Currents: Ashtabula Star Beacon, P.O. Box 2100, Ashtabula 44005-2100 or e-mail bobleb@suite224.net.
An Amber Thompson column
I had a typical Easter in the Thompson household.
We went to church, found our baskets, had a delicious brunch and then visited
grandma.
Nothing out of the ordinary for that holiday, but prior to that, I got to
celebrate a different holiday.
My boyfriend's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Morris, invited me to celebrate
Passover at his grandparents' home. I was intrigued as to what was done,
what the certain food represented and to learn about new traditions. I've
got to admit, I was nervous, but I knew they'd guide me through it.
The first thing on the schedule was to go to the temple. The majority of
the prayers were in Hebrew. It was kind of like being in Spanish once again,
because the pronunciations were so new to me.
The family gathered around the table, the wine was poured and we each read
a section from the book explaining the bondage of the Israelites, the plagues
God sent down upon Egypt, how he delivered them from Pharaoh and later gave
them the torah.
It was very precisely done and was very nice to take part in, because not
only did I get to experience a religious holiday that was new to me, but
I learned a lot about Matt's background.
I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Goldich for inviting me and to
his family for not laughing when I - whoops! - ate the parsley before everyone
else.
Thompson, a junior at Ashtabula High School, reportedly throws food in
the cafeteria before everyone else starts, too.