你和一般青少年不一樣嗎？：英語精讀講義

Was life easier for previous generations?

過去幾代人的生活更容易嗎？

Do teenagers today have a bright future to look forward to, 片語動詞

如今的青少年是否擁有可以期待的光明未來，

or have they inherited a world more competitive than that of their parents? 文法

還是說他們繼承了一個比他們父母輩競爭更激烈的世界？

What do teenagers today spend all day doing?

如今的青少年整天都在幹嘛？

Is a life connected to a handheld device beneficial to today's teenagers,

依賴手持裝置的生活對今天的青少年有益嗎，

or would they be happier in an unconnected world?

還是說在沒有網路的世界裡他們會更快樂？

Today we'll be looking into the life of modern teenagers and seeing how they spend their time, 片語動詞

今天我們將探究現代青少年的生活，看看他們如何打發時間，

what they enjoy doing,

他們喜歡做什麼，

and how their development could well be hindered by today's rapid lifestyle 文法

以及他們的發展在當今快節奏的生活方式下可能受到怎樣的阻礙

in this episode of The Infographics Show,

就在《The Infographics Show》的本期節目中，

Most Common Traits of Today's Teenagers.

今天青少年的最常見特徵。

Let's first look at the psychology of teenagers and how it develops.

首先讓我們看看青少年的心理及其如何發展。

So,

那麼，

little Johnny grows up and around the age of 13,

小強尼長大了，大約到了13歲，

that sweet little smile disappears.

那個甜美的小小笑容消失了。

He begins to frown and become isolated.

他開始皺眉，變得孤僻。

If you look close enough at the temples on his head,

如果你湊近看他頭上的太陽穴，

you might be able to see tiny little horns begin to grow.

你可能會看到正在長出的小小犄角。

Johnny seems to be,

強尼似乎，

to his parents' horror,

讓他的父母感到恐懼地，

turning into a little monster.

變成了一個小怪物。

Teenagers develop a streak of independence 片語搭配

青少年發展出一種獨立的傾向

and parents often find it hard to reach out and relate to them. 片語動詞

父母常常發現很難接近和理解他們。

They are becoming their own person. 慣用語

他們正在成為獨立的個體。

This is a completely natural part of human evolution that we all experience.

這是我們所有人皆會經歷的人類演化中完全自然的一部分。

The problem is,

問題是，

teenagers are still,

青少年仍然，

for the most part, 片語搭配

在很大程度上，

reliant on their parents. 片語搭配

依賴他們的父母。

They need their parents for food and shelter,

他們需要父母提供食物和住所，

for their education,

提供教育，

and for their day-to-day expenses.

以及支付日常開銷。

So,

所以，

although a fierce independence is a teenage trait,

儘管強烈的獨立性是青少年的特徵，

in a practical sense, 片語搭配

但在實際意義上，

they are still usually being cared for. 片語動詞

他們通常仍處於被照顧的狀態。

This creates conflict

這產生了衝突

and teenagers are normally always experiencing some type of conflict.

而青少年通常總是經歷著某種類型的衝突。

Teenagers often withdraw into their own space

青少年經常退縮到自己的空間裡

and construct a world whereby they are alone and independent. 用詞

並建構一個屬於自己、獨立的世界。

Nobody apart from some close friends really understands them.

除了幾個好朋友之外，沒人真正了解他們。

Nobody has ever experienced the feelings that they are feeling.

沒人經歷過他們正在感受的那些情感。

Teens rely more heavily on their own decisions rather than the advice of their elders,

青少年更嚴重地依賴自己的決定，而不是長輩的建議，

trying to learn how to think and act for themselves for the first time.

第一次試圖學習如何為自己思考和行動。

They find they have separate goals from their parents,

他們發現自己有著跟父母不同的目標，

their peers,

跟同儕不同，

and their teachers,

跟老師不同，

and often isolate themselves with their own thoughts,

並經常把自己的想法孤立起來，

feelings,

感情，

and ambitions.

以及抱負。

Teenagers also begin to take more risks as they grow up. 片語搭配

青少年隨著成長也開始承擔更多風險。

No longer will they need to hold their parent's hand while crossing the road 文法

過馬路時他們不再需要牽著父母的手

or have a book read to them.

也不再需要別人讀書給他們聽。

Oh no,

噢不，

those years are long behind them. 慣用語

那些歲月早就離他們遠去了。

Again,

再次強調，

this is to do with evolution. 片語搭配

這與演化有關。

Dr. Paul Marzkeit,

保羅·馬茲凱特（Paul Marzkeit）博士，

author of the book The Teenage Brain,

《The Teenage Brain》一書的作者，

observes that the brain of a teenager is not yet fully developed,

觀察到青少年的大腦尚未完全發育，

particularly within the frontal lobes.

尤其是額葉。

These lobes are the areas of the brain responsible for decision-making

這些腦葉是大腦中負責做決定

and the weighing up of potential consequences following dangerous activity. 片語動詞

以及衡量危險活動後潛在後果的區域。

Even the most well-balanced teen will have a tendency to behave in ways 片語搭配

即使是最穩重的青少年，也會有傾向做出

that seem odd or risky to their elders.

在長輩看來古怪或危險的行為。

But then again, 表達脈絡

話又說回來，

many adults also act in ways that may seem bizarre and risky to a teenager.

許多成年人的行為在青少年看來也可能顯得古怪和危險。

During the early high school years,

在國中早期，

kids generally become more extroverted.

孩子們通常變得更加外向。

They begin to establish closer friends within their peer groups rather than their parents.

他們開始在同儕中而不是和父母之間建立更親密的朋友關係。

Even teenagers who are naturally introverted will experience a developmental stage in their teens

即使是天生內向的青少年，也會在青少年時期經歷一個發展階段

when communication and interaction seem like the most important things in the world.

在那時溝通和互動似乎是世界上最重要的事情。

By doing this, 表達脈絡

透過這樣做，

teenagers are preparing for early childhood and a time in the future

青少年正在為幼兒期以及未來的某個時期做準備

when personal relationships are essential for work and family life.

在那個時期人際關係對於工作和家庭生活至關重要。

Parents should be willing to let their teenage children spend time with their friends,

父母應該願意讓青少年子女和他們的朋友待在一起，

but monitor who those friends are.

但要監督這些朋友是誰。

Teenagers begin to experience new emotions as they develop.

青少年在成長過程中開始體驗新的情緒。

Hormones flood through their body, 慣用語

荷爾蒙在體內氾濫，

meaning that they will begin to consider romantic attachments for probably the first time in their lives.

意味著他們可能一生中第一次開始考慮戀愛關係。

Mostly,

大多時候，

this is harmless flirting online or perhaps a crush on a celebrity. 片語搭配

這只是網路上的無害調情，或者對名人的迷戀。

Sometimes these hormones might lead to early romantic attachments

有時這些荷爾蒙可能導致早期的戀愛關係

and to coupling with members of their preferred sex.

以及與他們偏好的異性結為伴侶。

This may be harmless enough

這可能很無害

or could lead to unwanted pregnancy

或者可能導致意外懷孕

and a lifetime commitment that neither teenager is equipped emotionally to deal with, 片語搭配

以及一種這兩個青少年在情感上都無法應對的終生承諾，

having just left childhood themselves. 文法

因為他們自己才剛剛告別童年。

Parents can't control their children's chemistry,

父母無法控制孩子們的生理化學反應，

so instead they should educate them on the dangers of early parenthood.

因此相反，他們應該教育孩子了解過早為人父母的危險。

But what do teenagers like to do?

但是青少年喜歡做什麼呢？

A family technology education non-profit group called Common Sense Media

一個名為Common Sense Media的家庭科技教育非營利組織

surveyed 2600 youths as recently as November 2015. 片語搭配

在最近的2015年11月調查了2600名年輕人。

Their census shows that teens are spending over a third of their average day,

他們的普查顯示，青少年平均每天花費超過三分之一的時間，

or 9 hours,

即9個小時，

online using social media,

線上使用社群媒體、

watching videos,

看影片、

or listening to music.

或聽音樂。

The survey also showed that teenagers are multitasking.

調查還顯示青少年習慣多工處理。

For example,

例如，

they may be listening to music online while shopping 文法

他們可能會在購物時線上聽音樂

or while traveling to and from school. 片語搭配

或在上下學的路上。

Teens from lower income backgrounds tend to use online media more often on average 用詞

來自較低收入家庭背景的青少年平均更頻繁地使用線上媒體

in comparison with those teens with higher income families.

與那些較高收入家庭的青少年相比。

The 2010 Kaiser Family Foundation study estimated

2010年凱撒家庭基金會的一項研究估計

that teenagers are online for 8 hours a day.

青少年每天上網8小時。

According to a 2015 survey by Piper Jaffray,

根據Piper Jaffray在2015年的調查，

teens also do a fair amount of shopping online 片語搭配

青少年也在網路上進行大量的購物

with over 60% of teens saying that they prefer to buy clothes over the internet

超過60%的青少年表示他們更喜歡在網路上買衣服

rather than visiting the store and trying on the garments first.

而不是去實體店先試穿衣物。

Each generation in history is molded not only by their parents' views on the world, 文法

歷史上每一代人不僅受到父母對世界看法的塑造，

but also partly by social,

也部分受到社會、

political,

政治、

cultural,

文化、

and economic factors.

以及經濟因素的影響。

Today's teenagers are among the first whose entire lives has existed 文法

今天的青少年是第一批整個生命歷程中都存在

with cell phone technology and social media.

手機技術和社群媒體的人。

Psychologist Jean Twenge put this new generation under the microscope 慣用語

心理學家珍·特溫吉（Jean Twenge）把這新一代放在顯微鏡下研究

in her book iGen.

在她的著作《iGen》中。

Today's super-connected kids are growing up less rebellious,

如今超級互聯的孩子們在成長中不那麼叛逆，

more tolerant,

更加寬容，

less happy,

不那麼快樂，

and completely unprepared for adulthood

並且對成年完全沒有準備好

and what that means for the rest of us.

以及這對我們其他人意味著什麼。

That's quite a mouthful. 慣用語

這資訊量確實有點大。

After looking into a number of national surveys

在研究了自20世紀60年代以來的多項國家級調查

of 11 million teenagers since the 1960s,

涉及1100萬青少年之後，

she concludes that iGens or modern teens have a poor state of mental health

她得出結論：iGen或現代青少年的心理健康狀況較差

in comparison with previous generations.

與前幾代人相比。

New media causes anxiety,

新媒體引起焦慮、

loneliness,

孤獨、

and panic disorders along with sleep loss,

和恐慌症以及失眠，

according to Dr. Twenge.

根據特溫吉博士的說法。

She comes to these conclusions by pointing to figures 片語動詞

她得出這些結論的方式是指向那些數據，

displaying national rises in mental health problems among teens

數據表明全國青少年心理健康問題呈上升趨勢

and drawing parallels with the increase in cell phones. 片語搭配

並將其與手機數量的增加作對比。

But what Twenge forgets to mention in her book

但特溫吉在書中忘記提到的是

is that correlation doesn't mean causation. 文化背景

相關性並不意味著因果關係。

As we mentioned before, 表達脈絡

正如我們之前提到的，

teenagers are more sensitive to the world around them

青少年對周圍的世界更加敏感

due to natural changes in hormone and brain activity,

由於荷爾蒙和大腦活動的自然變化，

so this could be an equally good explanation

所以這可能是一個同樣合理的解釋

as to why mental health problems are on the rise in teens.

說明為什麼青少年的心理健康問題呈上升趨勢。

And then we factor in the larger general awareness of mental health issues 片語動詞

然後我們把人們對心理健康問題更廣泛的總體認知考慮在內

due in part to information on the internet. 片語搭配

這部分是由於網際網路上的資訊。

We also tend to diagnose mental illness earlier nowadays

如今我們也傾向於更早地診斷出精神疾病

owing to our better understanding of these conditions.

這歸因於我們對這些病症有了更好的理解。

Twenge also explains in her book

特溫吉還在她的書中解釋說

that teenagers are spending less time with their friends in person,

青少年與朋友面對面相處的時間越來越少，

and this is difficult to dispute

這點很難反駁

when we look at the alleged 6 hours a day spent on the cell phone. 用詞

當我們看到據說每天有6個小時花在手機上時。

But can this time, 表達脈絡

但是如果這些時間，

if used to chat on social media,

是用來在社群媒體上聊天，

really be described as time actually spent alone?

真的能被描述為完全獨處的時間嗎？

And how healthy is this kind of interaction?

而且這種互動又有多健康呢？

Teens might be growing up at a slower rate than before.

青少年的成長速度可能比以前慢。

One theory,

一種理論，

known as life history theory, 文化背景

被稱為生活史理論，

postulates that the rate in which teens grow up 講解

假設青少年成長的速度

is in direct correlation with how hostile their immediate environment is, 片語搭配

與他們直接環境的惡劣程度成正相關，

or at least their perception of their environment. 表達脈絡

或者至少是他們對環境的感知。

So,

所以，

in this theory,

在這個理論中，

a teen growing up in a war-stricken country

一個在飽受戰爭蹂躪的國家長大的青少年

would, 文法

將會，

if he survived,

如果他倖存下來，

be more likely to marry and become a parent at a younger age.

更有可能在更年輕的時候結婚並成為父母。

If the environment is perceived to be hostile, 文法

如果環境被認為是惡劣的，

teens employ a fast life strategy to grow up more rapidly

青少年會採取一種快生活策略來更快速地成長

and create larger families to form larger survival groups.

並且組建更大的家庭以形成更大的生存群體。

On the other side of the coin, 慣用語

另一方面，

a slow life strategy,

慢生活策略，

where the environment is perceived less hostile,

當環境被認為不那麼惡劣時，

gives rise to a slower rate of development. 片語搭配

會導致較慢的發展速度。

And this might explain why teens are not rushing to buy that car,

這或許能解釋為什麼青少年不再急著買車、

get married,

結婚、

and have kids as quickly as they did in previous generations. 文法

和生孩子，就像他們前幾代人那樣快。

So,

那麼，

what do you think are the most common traits of teenagers today? 文法

你認為今天青少年最常見的特徵是什麼？

Let us know in the comments.

在留言區告訴我們吧。

Also,

另外，

be sure to watch our other video called Google versus Facebook.

一定要看我們另一個名為《Google versus Facebook》的影片。

Thanks for watching and as always,

感謝觀看，和往常一樣，

don't forget to like,

別忘了按讚、

share,

分享、

and subscribe.

和訂閱。

See you next time.

下次見。