What is it like being a teenager in Britain? School British teenagers spend most of their time at school. Students in Britain can leave school at sixteen (year 11). This is also the age when most students take their first important exams, the GCSEs. Most teens take between 5-10 subjects, which means a lot of studying. They are spending more time on homework than teenagers ever before. Forget watching TV, teenagers in Britain now spend 2-3 hours on homework after school.
School uniform Visit almost any school in Britain and the first thing you’ll notice is the school uniform. Although school uniform has its advantages, when they are 15 or 16 most teenagers are tired of wearing it. When there is more than one school in a town, school uniforms can highlight differences between schools. In London there are many cases of bullying and fighting between pupils from different schools.
Bullies School uniforms are not the only cause of bullying in Britain. 50% of teenagers in Britain say they have been bullied because of their race, looks, intelligence or for no reason at all.
Clothes and looks In Britain, some teens judge you by the shirt or trainers you are wearing. 40% of British teenagers believe it’s important to wear designer labels. If you want to follow the crowd, you need to wear trendy labels. Teenage feet in Britain wear fashionable trainers and the more expensive, the better.
Mobile phones Like teenagers all over the world, British teenagers love to chat. The mobile phone is essential for most of them. More than 90% of 12-16s have one. Many experts believe that mobile stop teenagers spending money on cigarettes and sweets. However, mobile phones aren’t all good news. They cause 35% of teenage crime. Text-bullying is also a new and worrying trend.
Free time Music is the number one interest for British teens. But they certainly don’t like all the same music! UK garage, hip-hop and nu-metal are all popular. Teenagers love going out, too. However, finding somewhere to go isn’t always easy. Pubs and clubs have strict rules for under-18s in Britain. It’s no surprise that British teenagers spend more time online than other European or American teens and use chat rooms to make new friends.