Majority Of Educated Adults Think There Are More Unsupervised Teens Today Than A Generation Ago.

Does “latch key kid” — a phrase popularized two decades ago for a generation of youth left unsupervised after school – still have relevance in the U.S.? According to many educated adults, there seem to be more teens at home alone today than there were a generation ago.

In the “Taco Bell Foundation Teen Survey,” recently conducted by Kelton Research, nearly 75 percent of American college graduates believe today’s teenagers have far less supervision than previous generations. When asked what they thought today’s teens were doing after school, 60 percent of adults agreed kids were engaging in non-social activities such as playing video games, watching TV or surfing the Internet.

This is supported by research showing the average teen in the United States is home alone after school at least two days per week.(1) In fact, a large number of those youth are spending an average of five hours daily in front of the TV, on the computer or playing video games.(2)

What is the solution? Nine out of 10 adults (89 percent) surveyed agree that getting teens involved in an after-school program will help them be more creative, responsible and happier adults. And studies have shown that the majority of teens would watch less TV and play fewer video games if they had other options after school.(3)

Through its national partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, the Taco Bell Foundation has provided $15 million toward teen after-school programs nationwide. Since 1995, this funding has impacted the lives of more than one million teens.

“The support of the Taco Bell Foundation has dramatically increased the ability of our Clubs to better serve teens, helping them become caring, productive adults,” said Roxanne Spillett, president of Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Programs such as Keystoning, financial literacy and CareerLaunch offer teens the opportunity to pursue higher education and positive lifestyles.”

“We know that teens are happier, more successful and better-adjusted when they have the opportunity to interact with others after school in a positive, supervised environment like Boys & Girls Clubs,” said Emil Brolick, president of Taco Bell Corp. and the Taco Bell Foundation. “The Taco Bell Foundation is proud to be the leading supporter of teen programs at the Clubs, raising $15 million to support their great work.”

For more information at http://www.teensupreme.org

1. After School for America’s Teens Survey (2001). See Ericson, N. (2001). The YMCA’s Teen Action Agenda. Fact Sheet. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

2. After-School Programs: Keeping Children Safe and Smart. Washington,
DC: U.S. Department of Education, 2000

3. Generation M: Media in the Lives of 8-18 Year Olds (2004) Kaiser
Family Foundation.