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Lisa Damour says today’s teens are best-behaved, citing safer choices

Big Think · How to break the spell of powerful emotions | Lisa Damour: Full Interview · August 14, 2026
Lisa Damour says today’s teens are best-behaved, citing safer choices
Big Think
Big Think
How to break the spell of powerful emotions | Lisa Damour: Full Interview
"In fact, we are raising the best-behaved generation of teenagers on record. They are doing fewer drugs than previous generations. They wear their seatbelts. They wear their helmets. They are delaying sexual intimacy. They are having fewer partners."
Lisa Damour argues that despite higher reported anxiety and depression, many adolescents are thriving and showing fewer risk behaviours than earlier cohorts. She points to lower drug use, more seatbelt and helmet use, and later sexual activity with fewer partners as indicators.
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Big Think
Big Think

How to break the spell of powerful emotions | Lisa Damour: Full Interview

August 19, 2026 · 1h 6m · 4 Egleze moments
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PsychologyLisa Damour says teens report high stress but also widespread happinessPsychologyDamour warns against blaming phones alone for teen mental-health distressPsychologyDamour cites teen survey: most want adults to listen, not advise
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