Teen girls and boys in the U.S. face different pressures and have different experiences at school but want the same things out of life
American teens face a host of challenges these days – both inside and outside the classroom. A new Pew Research Center survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 finds that, while there is some common ground, many of the problems and pressure points teens are dealing with differ significantly for boys and girls. In addition, many teens see imbalances in how boys and girls are experiencing school and how they’re performing academically.
Anxiety and depression tops the list of problems teens say their peers at school are dealing with, of the issues we asked about. Three-in-ten teens say it’s extremely or very common among their fellow students. And on balance, teens say anxiety and depression is more common among girls at their school than among boys. At the same time, majorities of teen boys and girls alike say girls have it easier when it comes to having friends they can turn to for emotional support.
Academics are the biggest source of pressure for teens today. Roughly seven-in-ten (68%) say they personally feel a great deal or fair amount of pressure to get good grades. Girls and boys are about equally likely to say this (71% vs. 65%).
Girls are significantly more likely than boys to say they face at least a fair amount of pressure to:
- Look good (55% vs. 39%)
- Fit in socially (45% vs. 37%)
Greater shares of boys than girls say they face pressure to:
- Be physically strong (43% vs. 23%)
- Be good at sports (36% vs. 27%)
Teens’ plans for the future
Looking ahead, boys and girls want many of the same things out of life. Majorities of teens say it’s extremely or very important to them that as adults they have a job or career they enjoy (86%), have close friends (69%) and have a lot of money (58%).
But they may take different paths to get there. Teen girls are significantly more likely than teen boys to say they plan to attend a four-year college after they graduate from high school (60% vs. 46%).
In turn, boys are more likely than girls to say they’ll go to a vocational school (11% vs. 7%), work full time (9% vs. 3%) or join the military (5% vs. 1%) after high school.
This survey – conducted Sept. 18-Oct. 10, 2024, among 1,391 teens ages 13 to 17 – focused on school experiences, friendships and future plans.
Other key findings
- 42% of teens say girls at their school get better grades than boys. Only 3% say boys get better grades than girls, and 55% say things are about equal. Additionally, about one-in-four teens (27%) say girls at their school get more leadership positions than boys, while 16% say boys get more of these positions; 56% say there’s no differences.
- 63% of teens say boys are more disruptive in class than girls. Only 4% say girls are more disruptive, and 32% say there’s no difference. Inversely, teens are more likely to say girls speak up more in class than to say the same about boys (34% vs. 18%). Roughly half (48%) say there’s no difference.
- Almost all teens (98%) say they have at least one close friend, with 34% saying they have five or more. Boys and girls are equally likely to say they have at least one close friend. We also asked whether they think one group has it easier when it comes to having friends they can turn to for emotional support: A 58% majority of teens say girls do. Very few say boys have an easier time (7%), and 35% say it’s about the same for both.
- Thinking ahead to their adult lives, teens place less importance on getting married or having children than they do on job satisfaction, friendship and financial success. Republican teens and those who lean to the Republican Party are more likely than Democrats and Democratic leaners to say marriage and parenthood are important to them.
