TEENS & SELF-IMAGE

11th annual survey results Results roundup: What 272,400 teens said about how they feel about themselves.

Survey results: Complete national survey results.

Faith: Religion plays a powerful role in teens' everyday lives.

Mental health: 37% of teens surveyed have a friend who has considered suicide.

Teen roundtable: Our Teen Panel talks to Tipper Gore about being accepted, sexual pressures and their parents' infuence.

Voices: Advice, insights, questions from students. Respondents who were picked for honors.

Bolster yourself: Learn 10 ways teens and parents can work toward a healthy self-image.

Channel One This survey was conducted in partnership with Channel One. Visit their site and see what teens are saying about the results.

Issue date:
May 1-3, 1998

Teens tackle their identity crisis

USA WEEKEND's exclusive survey of 272,400 students shows teens are riddled with self-doubt about everything from their looks to their relationships with adults -- and determined to find answers.

Nikki Kristoffersen, 18, and Edward Lim, 17, seniors at Lakes High School, outside Tacoma, Wash., have dated since their freshman year. Like 1 in 4 respondents to USA WEEKEND's Teens & Self-Image survey, they chose "girlfriend/boyfriend" in response to the question, "Who understands you the the most?" Nikki says of Edward, "He's a second part of me."

he Teens & Self-Image survey attracted an unprecedented 272,400 students to write in and confess their shortcomings and chronicle their determination to improve themselves. While the survey is non-scientific, its results support and echo those of other recent studies on topics including teens' relationships with their parents, their faith and themselves.

The overwhelming majority of teens who took USA WEEKEND's survey, conducted in partnership with Channel One, say they feel good about themselves. But almost as many express misgivings about who they are -- especially about their appearance in a media-saturated world that emphasizes good looks.

The struggle to carve out an identity and fit in remains the paradox of the teen years. Among the complex issues disclosed by USA WEEKEND's survey on Teens & Self-Image:

Like Drew Vannier, 13, of Auburn, Calif., half of boys surveyed want to be in better shape. Drew bikes to keep pounds off.

Looks are key, and only 4 in 10 respondents consider themselves attractive. Half the girls want to lose weight and, evidence that our culture's obsession with form over content is no longer limited to girls, half the boys want to tone up.

"Our culture is so nuts about this, and it's only getting worse, not better," says Susan Mackey, a therapist with the Family Institute at Northwestern University. "Instead of getting less bad for girls, it's getting worse for boys."

Teens find lots of imperfections. Almost 9 in 10 -- 85 percent -- cite ways they'd like to improve. After losing weight and toning up, the top three are their grades, doing better in sports, and having a better relationship with their parents. Only 15 percent like themselves "the way I am."

Faith is central in many students' everyday lives. When asked the most important influence in their lives, survey respondents picked religion second only to their parents.

Depression is common. More than half say they occasionally are "really depressed"; 1 in 5 often feel despondent. And 1 in 3 have friends who have talked about or actually tried to commit suicide -- the third leading cause of death among 15- to 24-year-olds. (Last year, about 2,000 teens committed suicide, and the rate of adolescent suicide has tripled in the past 10 years, studies show.) "The culture has projected low expectations," says William Damon, director of Stanford University's Center on Adolescence. "There are no heroes anymore. They are very cynical."

"You have to get good grades to do what you want in life," says Christopher Robinson, 14, of Palm Coast, Fla. Half of teens agree.

Families aren't communicating enough. Asked how often they have a conversation that lasts longer than 15 minutes with a parent, only a third say daily. About 1 in 5 -- 17 percent -- say they almost never talk to their parents for more than 15 minutes. Another 17 percent say they do so only a few times a month. And one-third say adults generally don't value their opinion.

Teens show a healthy self-respect. Asked to choose from a list of qualities, 8 in 10 say they are kind, 3 in 4 say they are honest, and 7 in 10 say they have a good sense of humor. Slightly more than 6 in 10 say they are smart, self-confident or creative. Least admired of a dozen qualities they were asked to rank: being popular, rich or tough. "That's a heartening sign," says Rebecca A. Eder, director of psychology for St. Louis Children's Hospital and a specialist in self-concept. "The qualities they picked for being admirable were very human qualities."

Identity crises aren't limited to girls. "Sure, the adolescent years are hard on girls' self-esteem, but they're hard on boys, too," says Stanford teen expert Damon. Adds St. Louis psychologist Eder: "Now, it's not just important for girls to look like Barbie, but for boys to look like Arnold Schwarzenegger."

The survey results confirm findings that problems typically associated with girls are now becoming more visible in boys. Teen respondents across the board, and minority teens slightly more so, believe good looks matter when it comes to personal achievement, specifically making friends, winning the respect of others, and succeeding in life.

Even at 13. Says Drew Vannier, a seventh-grader from Auburn, Calif.: "What you look like is what your reputation is." Drew already knows a life of dieting and exercise. "Kids called me names like fatso and tub of lard." Now, he lifts weights every day, plays indoor soccer and rides his bike a lot. At 5 feet 4 inches and 140 pounds, "I don't get called fatso anymore."

Sarah Freshley, 17, a 10th-grader in Louisville, despairs of her 5-foot-9, 150-pound frame. "When I see myself in the mirror, I don't like my body. I go to school and see these skinny girls. The guys give them more attention."

1 in 2 teens participate in sports, including Carrie Marchenkoff, 16, of Adams, N.Y. She hopes basketball will help her get into college.

When it comes to looks, minorities' self-image is healthiest. Non-white adolescents tend to feel better about themselves physically than whites, something experts say reflects a different set of values. Asked how satisfied they are with their looks, almost 4 in 10 minority teens answer "very," compared with 3 in 10 whites.

"African Americans have a more flexible view of beauty -- the whole notion that beauty is just not skin deep," says Mark Nichter, of the University of Arizona. In a three-year study of 300 girls ages 14-17, Nichter found that "African-American girls were notably less concerned with standards for an 'ideal girl' depicted in the media." Explains Sharon Ames-Dennard of the Association of Black Psychologists, "Black children are not so hung up on [weight] because they've accentuated other aspects of themselves."

Not only are there notable differences among teens, but survey results also point to conflicts within individual teens -- conflicts emblematic of adolescence, experts say. "Overall, most adolescents will tell you things are fine, particularly to adults and authority figures," says Mackey, the therapist at Northwestern. "But that doesn't mean there aren't issues."

Photo Credit: Nikki Kristoffersen/Edward Lim by REX RYSTEDT FOR USA WEEKEND;
Drew Vannier by EDWARD CALDWELL FOR USA WEEKEND;
Christopher Robinson by BOBBY SANCHEZ FOR USA WEEKEND;
Carrie Marchenkoff by FOREST MCMULLIN FOR USA WEEKEND

This is the 11th time USA WEEKEND has published a Special Teen Report on a subject of importance in the lives of teenagers. This year, the topic is Teens & Self-Image. Last fall, we published a survey for students in grades 6-12 that appeared in the magazine, online and through Channel One, our partner in this special report. A record 272,400 students responded.

WHAT 272,400 TEENS SAY The overwhelming majority of survey respondents -- 9 in 10 -- feel good about themselves. Boys, minorities and students with strong religious beliefs feel best. Nearly as many say they feel healthy. Still, 7 in 10 say they've been depressed. Girls are more likely than boys to feel depressed ... And nearly 1 in 3 say they have a friend who has discussed or attempted suicide. 1 in 3 say they rarely or never have a conversation with a parent that lasts longer than 15 minutes. Only 1 in 3 converse daily with a parent for at least 15 minutes. Just 3 in 10 are very satisfied with their looks. And boys are as obsessed with having a perfect body as girls are. Half of boys say they want to bulk or tone up, while half of girls want to lose weight. 1 in 3 teen respondents say adults don't value their opinions. Friends, they say, are the most understanding.