Tom Slater Tom Slater

What’s up with Generation Sensible?

As Love Island enters its final fortnight and the ink dries on the annual moralising thinkpieces, decrying a younger generation happy to flaunt their bronzed bodies and sex lives before the viewing public, a new survey reminds us of the more depressing reality: that young people are less debauched than ever.

According to the British Pregnancy Advisory Service, teenagers are much less likely to have sex, or drink, and are as happy spending time with their families as with their peers. Of 1,000 16- to 18-year-olds, two-thirds said they had never had sex. And 24 per cent said they had never drunk alcohol. It’s further proof of what has previously been dubbed the ‘rise of the sensible teenager’.

So, what are young people up to if they’re not trying to get off with one another while pickled in Frosty Jack’s? They’re getting serious about their future job prospects, apparently, and spending an awful lot of time on social media.

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