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School, drinking, sex and depression - the average life of your typical Irish teenager

Family and health the most important to teens while religion and politics are largely ignored.

A NEW REPORT launched today has revealed how the average Irish teenager is entering adulthood.

The findings are the first results from interviews with just over 6,000 17/18-year-olds who have been participating in the study since 2007, when they were 9 years old.

The report by the ESRI has showed while most 17 to 18-year-olds are satisfied with their lives, there are still a number of issues facing the typical Irish teen.

Drug use, alcohol consumption and their sex lives were also explored.

The study found:

  • 98% of teens were in some form of education, work or training.
  • The average teenager earns €72 a week from a part-time job.
  • One in five are overweight with girls more likely to struggle.
  • One in ten 17/18-year-olds reported that they had been diagnosed with depression, anxiety or both by a medical professional.
  • Just under 90% said they had drank alcohol with 40% drinking 2-4 times per month.
  • 40% reported that they had had oral sex, while 33% said they had had sexual intercourse.
  • 56% said they always used a condom, although 11% said they never used one.
  • 8% said they smoked every day.
  • Just under 30% had used cannabis in their lives.

The new report also found that the vast majority of young people are happy with their lives. But the levels dips when children from a lower socio-economic background were surveyed.

While most teenagers surveyed said they are happy with their lives, young people from lower socio-economic backgrounds reported being less satisfied.

But one aspect of the study which stayed relatively constant for those from all backgrounds was that family and health were the most important things in life.

Politics and religion scored at the bottom of the pile.

James Williams, research professor at the ESRI, said:

Drinking alcohol or smoking at an early age is associated with more frequent and higher levels of consumption by the age of 17/18, which points to clear ways we can help teenagers to make healthier choices.

Dail returns Minister for Children Katherine Zappone. PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone said the report raises concerns about the effects of economic inequality on people’s lives.

She said: “The key findings however also raise some areas of concern, for example, children from families who are better off educationally or financially continue tend to fare better than those who are less well-off across a range of outcomes.”

Read: Fears up to 100 Yelp jobs will be lost in Dublin >

Read: The Commissioner’s directive and the probationers’ payslips – 48 hours of garda fury >

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12 Comments
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    Mute Angry Gaming
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 9:56 AM

    You forgot to add sitting around outside of shops making fools of themselves for the attention.

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    Mute Eoin Finnega
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 11:52 AM

    Yes Angry, because that is a new phenomenon. Never happened back in your day I’m sure…

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    Mute Greg Blake
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 8:03 PM

    Very negative spin to the list.
    92% non smokers is an amazing improvement from my day.
    Did the survey ask how many were highly involved in sports or activities?
    How much volunteerism is among them?
    How many have never had a police interaction?
    It seems to just focus on the same old wild child type questions to paint a teenager in a wild child kind of way.

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    Mute The_Techno_Mage
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 10:16 AM

    Mine was just school, drinking, smoking and deep depression and just without the friends and sex.

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    Mute Niall C
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 1:38 PM

    I wish I had €72 a week when I was a teenager

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 9:08 PM

    @Niall C: Well, I suppose they have worked for it on lower than the minimum wage so fair play to them!

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    Mute NeilGoochFerriter
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 12:55 PM

    With the advent of social media I’d hate to be a teenager today. Thank god it wasn’t around when I was growing up.

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    Mute OCallaghan TP
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 3:11 PM

    Most teenagers today are lazy ..to wrapped up in social media. And don’t have a clue or interest in what is going on in the real world.

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 9:09 PM

    @OCallaghan TP: that is just so mean – I know lots of adorable teenagers who care far more about society than most older adults.

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    Mute Elizabeth Davenport
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 4:50 PM

    @ Katherine Zappone . . .

    How do you suggest this be reversed, if indeed it CAN be?

    As a rule of thumb it’s always been the case and, I imagine, always will be.

    The opportunities – education – are there for one and all and perceived success, or failure, depends on how they are embraced/executed.

    We can all identify with people from opposite ends of the spectrum who fit this particular mould.

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    Mute Little Diddy No
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    Nov 3rd 2016, 9:10 PM

    @Elizabeth Davenport: Social and emotional education in school – which is what young people (when consulted) have been asking for now for many years. Easy.

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    Mute Elizabeth Davenport
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    Nov 4th 2016, 4:06 AM

    @Little Diddy No:

    And when they enter the world of work they’ll put forward similar requests and expect them to be granted?

    I wonder how the rest of us coped in exactly the same situation?

    Reality check!

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