Thought Question: What is something you feel pressured to succeed in, and do you think that pressure helps or hurts your motivation? Girls and boys share a number of the same feelings and experiences about school and teenage life. But there are key differences, as well. For instance, a higher number of teen girls than boys say they are likely to attend college. The findings are from a newly released Pew Research Center survey. It revealed key glimpses into US teenage life. The nonpartisan Washington DC-based think tank surveyed 1,391 teens across the nation last October. Pew found that US teens say they face significant challenges, both inside and outside of school. Anxiety and depression were the two biggest problems teens say they and their friends deal with regularly. Roughly 3 in 10 teens told Pew it’s common or extremely common for them or their peers to suffer from depression. Overall, more than 50% of each gender also said that depression is more common among girls. Yet, they also said that girls are more likely to have friends to seek out for emotional support. Both girl and boy teens said they face significant pressures. But those pressures differ. More girls (55%) than boys (39%) told Pew that they felt pressure to look good and fit in socially (45% vs 37%). A gender gap was most pronounced in academics, Pew found. The study revealed that 42% of all teens say girls at their school get better grades than boys. And just 3% said boys get better grades. About 27% of teens said girls attain more leadership positions at school. Meanwhile, 16% said boys do. One expert suggested girls focus more on academic success. “Boys say they don’t gain status from trying hard and being smart, and girls are much more socialized to do the right thing and not disappoint anybody,” Rebecca Winthrop of the Brookings Institution told The New York Times.
