[lbo-talk] MTV poll: the kids are alright

[Miles Jackson]

Mr. WD wrote:
> On 8/21/07, Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com> wrote:
>   
>> On Aug 21, 2007, at 5:00 PM, Dennis Claxton wrote:
>>
>>     
>>> Earlier this year a friend of 20 years was over and we were drinking
>>> wine.  My daughter, who is 8, out of the blue said "alcohol makes you
>>> lose friends."   We both looked at her, glasses in hand, and said
>>> we've been friends for 20 years and we're drinking.  She said, "well,
>>> that's what they told us at school."
>>>       
>> Maybe they'll rebel against this crap.
>>
>> Among Ivan's earliest words were "beer" and "wine."
>>     
>
> What's disturbing about this survey is that it focused on 13 to 24
> year olds.  This generation just doesn't seem as skeptical as the one
> born between 1965 and 1980.  I'd be curious to know if the educators
> on the list agree.
>
> -WD
>   
As Milgram points out, most people conform most of the time.  That's how 
things work in bureucratic organizations, and it's just as true of teens 
today as in previous generations.  What interested me is the disconnect 
between the anti-drug rhetoric and the actual prevalence of drug use.  
For instance, in 2006, about 45% of 12th graders reported using alcohol 
in the past 30 days, and about 21% reported using any illegal drug in 
the past 30 days (actual prevalences are no doubt higher due to social 
desirability bias in the responses).  Over the past 25 years, illegal 
drug use is up a bit, alcohol use down a bit.  (See data here: 
http://www.monitoringthefuture.org/data/06data/pr06t3.pdf )

Miles