Survey of Lincolnshire teens defies stereotype

The findings are from a survey carried out by The EBP, Lincolnshire’s National Citizen Service (NCS) provider.

The survey has revealed that stereotypes surrounding teenagers social media obsession could be unfounded, as they care for more about doing well in their exams.

Phil Everett, from The EBP, said: “Modern teenagers, often referred to as Generation Z, have grown up online with high-tech devices as a standard way of life.

“They therefore often receive a bad reputation for being addicted to social media so it is reassuring to know that these stereotypes may not be correct but that teens do in fact prioritise school and their exams.”

The survey also highlighted that 21% of teens want likes on social media quickly and this number increases slightly when asked if they want their friends to like their posts as 37% thought this was important.

However, these numbers pale in comparison to the 84% of teens who think that revising is important and that doing well in exams will help land their dream job.

Phil added: “Whilst there is no denying that the younger generation are very digitally savvy and social media is important to them it is also clear from these strong statistics that, for Lincolnshire teens, education is the priority.

“NCS offers a programme which plays to the strengths and interests of generation ‘Z’.

“One of the most popular aspects of NCS is phase three where teens are able to make a difference.

“We know that generation ‘Z’ are keen to make an impact on the world and contribute to something larger than themselves.

“The social action project offers teens the chance to work collaboratively, another key generation ‘Z’ trait, to put all the skills they’ve learnt from the previous two weeks of NCS into practice to help the local community or a charity.

“Another popular phase of the programme is the week away at university-style accommodation learning new skills such as how to write a great CV or even set up your own businesses.

“This focus on education reflects the three out of five young people who believe they have the skill set to land their dream job.

“Instilling a sense of confidence in the next generation whilst having fun is at the core of the NCS programme.”

The idea of having fun was another key area of the survey as when asked, nine out of ten teens said that having a fun summer break was important to them.

NCS is a unique four-week summer programme, focused around fun and discovery with teens spending time away from home, learning new life skills and also volunteering at least 30 hours of their time to a community project or charity of their choice.

Lincolnshire teenager, Ed Johnston, 17, took part in the NCS summer programme in 2017.

Speaking about his experience, Ed said: “During the programme I met some amazing people from various different backgrounds.

“Everyone played their part in our team as there was a positive and encouraging environment. Everyone was included regardless of ability and experience, which meant by the end of the programme we felt we had achieved a lot together as a group and made a difference in our community.

“The time I spent on NCS developed my confidence but also my skills in teamwork and resilience and was great fun at the same time!

“I would recommend NCS to anyone as I have no doubt they will love every second and come out of the experience a more exciting and rounded person.”

• The government-backed scheme costs no more than £50, which covers the entire experience from food and accommodation to activities and travel, with bursaries available on a case by case basis.

•The NCS summer programme will start on June 25, 2018 – with more dates available throughout the summer holidays.

For more, click here or call 01522 574101.