According to a survey published in Le Parisien, teenagers are much more romantic than previously thought. Thus, the overwhelming majority of teens surveyed (age group 15-18) say that sex is not what matters most.
We would rather have thought that with the peak of hormones and hyper connectivity, teenagers would be less romantic. Prejudices are really tenacious! It appears from the survey that love is far from unknown to them and that they are as concerned about feelings as they are concerned about protecting themselves and doing things according to the rules of the art. Thus, 78% say they have already fallen in love and 91% say that sex is not the most important thing, what matters is “to love and to be loved in return”. Three quarters of teenagers believe that it is love and feelings that should determine the passage to the act for the first time. Making love for love was the case for 83% of young girls and boys. In terms of inventiveness in love, 8 out of 10 think they are more inventive than their parents.
It is quite funny to see the gap between the reality fantasized by parents and the reality as it is experienced by adolescents. Thus, only 26% of teenagers have ever watched porn while 50% of adults imagine that they are almost all addicted to it. On the “sexting” side, 22% have already sent them against 47% of parents who think it is a common practice. Regarding sexy photos and videos, 6% of teenagers have already taken this risk, 30% of adults think so.
The survey, which was conducted among 800 young people and an equivalent number of adults, was carried out by the Ipsos Institute on behalf of the Pfizer Foundation. The aim of the survey was to better understand what was on the minds of teenagers in order to better establish prevention campaigns on their health and their entry into sexuality.
Parents can be reassured, teenagers are not those sassy and extreme beings that populate their imaginations!
