Young People's Fears for the Future: Less Global, More Personal

摘要

Anew study in Finland casts fascinating light on changes in young people's world and well-being ("Fears for the future among Finnish adolescents in 1983-2007," Journal of Adolescence, August 2012). It assessed changes in fears for the future of Finnish youth, based on adolescent health and lifestyle surveys carried out in 1983,1997, and 2007. A total of 17,750 students aged 12-18 were asked an open question: "When you think about your life and the future in general, what three things do you fear the most?" Surprisingly, fear of war and terrorism fell, from 81% in 1983 to 56% in 1997 and 11% in 2007, as did fear of environmental disasters (11%, 31%, 7%).