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Key Points

• Today’s teens are drinking and smoking less, but many are spending more time online, where risky behaviors can be harder for parents to spot.
• Experts say this shift from in-person rebellion to digital risk-taking may leave kids more isolated and struggling with anxiety and loneliness.
• Parents can help by staying connected to their child’s online world, setting clear screen limits, and encouraging face-to-face friendships and activities.

If you ever snuck home smelling like cheap wine and cigarettes in an act of teenage rebellion, well, you might be showing your age. Research suggests substance abuse isn’t the vice it once was for teenagers.

According to new data from consumer research platform Attest, 20% of 15- to 16-year-olds have tried alcohol, down from 71% of 10th graders in 2000. The same survey, based on results from 1,000 U.S. parents, revealed that cigarette and drug use is also lower, with 14% and 6% of teens trying them, respectively. Meanwhile, 44% of 10th graders in 2000 had tried marijuana, according to the report.1

While these figures are parent-led (and therefore potentially conservative), it’s reflective of an overall decrease in trends of substance use, says Joel Stoddard, MD, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Previous research confirms substance use among adolescents is on the decline.2

But experts warn this doesn’t necessarily mean teenagers are making healthier choices. In fact, our youngest teens, Generation Alpha—those born between 2010 and 2024—as well as older ones, could be at risk of something else insidious.

“The rebellion has moved online, and it’s much harder for adults to see,” explains Saba Harouni Lurie, LMFT, ATR-BC, family therapist and owner and founder of Take Root Therapy. “When I was younger, rebellion was visible. Now, a teen can sit in their room looking perfectly compliant while they’re engaging in all kinds of boundary-pushing behavior on their phone.”

So, what does this mean for parents? Experts say there are a few things they need to be aware of.

A Generational Change

The new study is part of a bigger, generational picture. And it’s global.

For example, a recent study into more than 23,000 Australians by Flinders University found Gen Z (born between 1997 and 2012) are almost 20 times more likely to say “no” to alcohol compared to Baby Boomers (born between 1946 and 1964).3 

While fewer teens engaging in substance use sounds like great news, Lurie says Gen Alpha may be avoiding one set of risks, while becoming vulnerable to another. 

“What concerns me as both a clinician and a parent is that while substance use has declined, so has in-person socialization,” she says. 

Teens are going out less, spending far less time with friends in person, and engaging in fewer unstructured social activities. 

“So while the reduction in risky behavior is positive, I’m not sure we can conclude that Gen Alpha is simply choosing healthier lifestyles,” says Lurie.

Mackenzie Sommerhalder, PhD, assistant professor in child and adolescent psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, agrees, saying, “One might conceptualize increased use of social media and artificial intelligence (AI) as risk-taking behavior. The negative side-effects of these tools on adolescent development are well known, and yet adolescents continue to engage with the tools.”

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Photo: Parents/GettyImages/martin-dm

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