You wouldn't know it but everybody was a teenager once. And adults seem to quickly forget what it was like for them. BBC survey Now the BBC wants to know what it's like to be a teenager today and they've come up with a questionnaire for teenagers as well as parents to try and get to the bottom of the teenage experience.  | | Relationships with friends can be stronger than with family |
Christian Jenna from the National Families and Parenting Institute said: "In recent decades life has become more pressurised for teenagers, in terms of pear pressure, in terms of advertising, marketing and pressure on them at school. "I think the problems that parents and teenagers have had go back probably beyond time. It's all about a young person becoming an adult, finding their own way in the world, and opinions diverging with their parents, and I don't think that's ever going to change. Communication is the key It appears that the main issue facing teenagers today is being able to talk openly with their parents. Christina said: "There are certain subjects that parents and teenagers are never going to agree and which children will try and establish their independence about. "Sex, drugs, ambition, schoolwork, what to wear, what time to stay out, all those sorts of issues. That's where communication can break down."  | | Issues like smoking and drug taking are common flashpoints in families |
Many teenagers have to overcome the problems of family breakdown. "It's certainly easier if there are two people to deal with a problem," said Christina."But single parents can find their own ways of finding support, from their own parents, or grandparents, or even from friends. Many other factors effect the lives of teenagers today including technology, homework and pressure to achieve academically. Early puberty Also teenage life is beginning much earlier, which according to research is now about 13. Years ago it was more like 17 but now puberty is starting earlier, especially in girls. There are biological reasons for this but despite girls looking like 19-year-olds they aren't changing emotionally and a 13-year-old is still a 13 year old. Christina hopes that more awareness of the issues around teenage will help families to negotiate rather than argue about those textbook flashpoints. "The BBC survey is highlighting the issues that happen between parents and teenagers and families will be able to use there skills to negotiate with their kids rather than argue with them." Check out the BBC survey 
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