Teens are partying less than ever, according to new survey

Kids these days.
 By 
Sasha Lekach
 on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Teens are supposed to be wild and rebellious, experimenting with everything they can get their hands on and making dumb decisions.

Society and "kids these days" have been in on this tacit agreement forever. Get it all out of your system now, before we need you to be functioning members of society.

But instead, the next generation is calming down and maybe even getting ... boring.

The National Institute of Health's annual "Monitoring the Future" survey released this week found teens aren't using drugs, drinking or even smoking weed as much as the teens that came before them.

In fact, the use of illicit drugs was the lowest in the survey's 40-year history. Marijuana use also was down, with some age groups getting high at the lowest levels in more than 20 years.

Drinking, the tempting vice of teen partiers everywhere, was down too. The number of teens that reported they'd "been drunk" was way down. Only about 37 percent of high school seniors said they'd gotten drunk. Back in 2001 that was at more than 50 percent.

What's going on?

This is the same generation that reportedly prefers staying in and watching Netflix than going out to party.

Binge drinking is also at record lows -- back in the 1980s, 41 percent of high schoolers said they got wasted. Last year, Child Trends Databank found something closer to only 30 percent of high school students drank too much.

Even sneaking past parents to have sex isn't happening as much, according to a study released in 2015. Teens were having way more sex in the 1980s, making the teens of the 2000s look much more prudish.

Kids these days.

Mashable Image
Sasha Lekach

Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.

Mashable Potato

Recommended For You
Study: Teens spend hour-plus on their phones at school
Teen girl looks down at phone she'd hiding in schoolwork.

How teens really feel about AI and their future
A teen holds a phone in their hand and consults an AI for help while writing in a notebook.

Some AI users are starting to consider themselves 'AI-sexual'
man on bed looking at computer screen

Scammers are increasingly posing as loved ones, survey suggests
smart phone with text reading 'i love you can you send me some money'

Doomsday Clock now closest to midnight ever
A photograph of the Doomsday Clock, stating "It is 85 seconds to midnight."

Trending on Mashable
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for April 3, 2026
Connections game on a smartphone

Wordle today: Answer, hints for April 3, 2026
Wordle game on a smartphone

NYT Strands hints, answers for April 3, 2026
A game being played on a smartphone.


What's new to streaming this week? (April 3, 2026)
A composite of images from film and TV streaming this week.
The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!