Being 13: 13 Poll: Thirteen-Year-Olds: What They Really Think

OUTLOOK

Compared with your parents, do you think that being a teenager today is easier, harder or about the same as when they were your age?

Easier — 18%

Harder — 67%

About same — 15%

When you reach your parents’ age, do you think the U.S., compared with now, will be a…

Better place to live — 22%

Worse place to live — 46%

About the same as now — 32%

RELATIONSHIPS

How well do you get along with the following people in your life?

My parents

Excellent — 53%

Good — 37%

Fair — 8%

Poor — 1%

(1% not sure or not applicable)

My brothers/sisters

Excellent — 23%

Good — 42%

Fair — 22%

Poor — 5%

(8% not sure or not applicable)

My friends

Excellent — 61%

Good — 36%

Fair — 3%

Poor — 0

PARENTS

Would you say your parents are …

Very involved in your life—they know just about everything that goes on — 53%

Fairly involved in your life—they know about most of what goes on but not everything — 37%

Not too involved in your life—they generally know only about the really big things that go on — 7%

Not really involved in your life—they know very little about what goes on — 2%

(1% declined to answer)

Do you feel that your parents have too much, too little or about the right amount of involvement in your life?

Too much — 24%

Too little — 6%

The right amount — 68%

(2% declined to answer)

Thinking about how your parents treat you, are they…

Much too strict — 7%

A little too strict — 50%

Not too strict — 35%

Not strict at all — 5%

(4% declined to answer)

DATING

What do you think is the right age for boys and girls to start going out together?

Under 12 — 3%

12-13 — 27%

14-15 — 27%

16-17 — 30%

18 or older — 6%

(8% declined to answer)

What age do your parents think you should be before you start going out or dating?

Under 12 — 0

12-13 — 4%

14-15 — 20%

16-17 — 44%

18 or older — 18%

(13% declined to answer)

Have you started going out or dating anyone yet?

Yes — 25%

No — 72%

(4% declined to answer)

Do you think that people should wait until they’re married to have sex, or not necessarily?

Wait until married — 60%

Not necessarily — 27%

(13% declined to answer)

SCHOOL

What grade overall would you give the school that you currently attend, based on your experience?

A (excellent) — 26%

B (good) — 45%

C (fair) — 22%

F (poor) — 6%

(1% not sure)

When school is in session, about how many hours each week do you spend on homework or studying for school?

None — 2%

1-2 hr. — 8%

3-5 hr. — 22%

6-7 hr. — 17%

8-10 hr. — 20%

Over 10 hr. — 20%

(12% not sure)

This TIME poll of U.S. 13-year-olds was conducted via the Internet June 10-15 using a nationwide Harris Interactive Online sample. SRBI Public Affairs designed the survey. The margin of error for the entire sample (501 interviews) is approximately +/- 5 percentage points. The margin of error is greater for subgroups