Study finds young Irish teenagers have fewer friends than a decade ago

The new research, published by the ESRI in partnership with the Department for Children, Equality, Disability, Inclusion and Youth, examined how the lives of 13-year-olds have changed over the of a decade in terms of relationships with their family and friends. their daily activities and school experiences.

It draws on data from the Growing Up in Ireland (GUI) study, comparing 13-year-olds in 2011/12 and 2021/22.

These were children born in 1998 and 2008, which the study said was a period of considerable social and political change, “including the disruptions of the pandemic, increasing digitalization and junior cycle reform” .

Dr Emer Smyth, author of the report, said: “There are very encouraging findings showing better quality relationships between adolescents and their parents, with less conflict and more discussion. However, financial pressures continue to be a source of friction within families.

“In addition, young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds are less likely to participate in extracurricular activities (such as strenuous exercise and cultural engagement) that promote their development.

(This highlights) the need for subsidized activities in communities and support for schools to provide access to a range of out-of-school options.

Mothers and fathers report significantly lower levels of conflict with their adolescents over time and mothers are more responsive to young people's needs than before.

When discussing their behavior, parents are now more likely to explain what the young person did wrong: 63% versus 49% always do so.

They are also much less likely to use punitive approaches such as not punishing the young person (69% compared to 59% never doing so) or yelling at the young person, 41% compared to 28% never doing this.

Young people report having smaller friendship groups than before, with 53% of them having three or fewer close friends, compared to 41% a decade ago. Additionally, mothers are more likely to report that their 13-year-old children have difficulty interacting with peers.

Extra-curricular activities

There was an increase in weekly participation in organized sports, from 65% to 70%, as well as a reduction in the proportion of 13-year-olds with very low levels of engagement in both intense and light exercise. .

Levels of engagement in cultural activities, such as theater and dance, have remained stable or even increasing, with more than a third of young people involved in these activities.

It also appears that a significant number of young people rarely read for pleasure. Nearly half (48%) of boys from working-class or unemployed homes say they read less than once a week, if ever.

It's no surprise that there has been a shift away from television and computer games to other screen time on a phone or other device, with high levels of screen time generally associated with lower participation sporting and cultural activities.

Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman said: “I hope this report will inform policy development within government in areas such as highlighting the importance of physical exercise among young people, the effects of restrictions linked to the pandemic as well as the impact of time spent in front of a screen on their lives. psychosocial development.