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Survey Says: Now is the Time to Talk to Teens About the Economy
By JLP | May 19, 2009
This is a guest post by John M. Box, Ph.D., Senior Vice President of Education, JA Worldwide. I meant to post this last week while I was on vacation but never got to it. Anyway, I think Junior Achievement is an important program so I’m happy to help them spread the word.
In our current economic climate, many adults are worrying about their retirement funds, job security and house foreclosures. With all the anxiety, people have forgotten about one key group that this situation can greatly affect – America’s teens. Junior Achievement and The Allstate Foundation conducted a poll of U.S. teenagers to gauge their thoughts on the economy, with some surprising statistics:
• More than 50 percent say they talk about the economy with their friends.
• 53 percent of teens surveyed say they’re choosing activities that cost less money.
• Nearly three-in-ten teens (29 percent) said that the economy is causing them anxiety.
• One-third of all teens report less job availability.
• More than three-quarters (77 percent) of the teens polled say that their parents are talking about the economy more than they used to.
• Nearly half (49 percent) said their parents had discussed family finances with them as a result of the economy.
Even though this group may not be watching the five o’clock news, they’re keeping informed on the status of our nation’s economy and adjusting accordingly. What about the teens in your life- how are they dealing with it? Take this as an opportunity to discuss it with them if you haven’t yet.
Programs such as JA Economics for Success, created by Junior Achievement and The Allstate Foundation, teach middle school aged teenagers money management skills. There are also now 12 free downloadable lessons that teach age-appropriate concepts around budgeting, saving, spending and investing.
Stay connected with the latest news going on with Junior Achievement by becoming a fan of the JA Worldwide Facebook page. Find ways to volunteer, stay connected, share your JA story and learn about the latest JA happenings all over the globe. For up to the minute news, follow JA on Twitter at @JAworldwide.
The 2009 Teens and Personal Finance poll was conducted by Opinion Research Corporation the week of February 23, 2009, and surveyed 1,000 U.S. teens ages 12-17 via telephone. Its margin of error is +/- 3.2 percent.
About Junior Achievement® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world’s largest organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer network, Junior Achievement provides in-school and after-school programs for students which focus on three key content areas: work readiness, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy. Today, 137 individual area operations reach more than four million students in the United States, with an additional five million students served by operations in 123 other countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
The Allstate Foundation
Established in 1952, The Allstate Foundation is an independent, charitable organization made possible by subsidiaries of The Allstate Corporation. The Allstate Foundation partners with non-profit organizations on community initiatives that promote “safe and vital communities,” “tolerance, inclusion, and diversity” and “economic empowerment.” Teen driving and empowering victims of domestic violence have been major initiatives for the Foundation since 2005. For more information visit ProtectTeenDrivers.com or ClicktoEmpower.com.
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