When Teen Rebelliousness Becomes a Spectator Sport

What if they gave a generation gap and nobody came? Pop culture continues to depict teens as a rebellious lot, but you’d be hard-pressed to find an empirical basis for this stereotype. A new USA Weekend poll adds to the body of evidence showing teens get along fine with their parents. Most of the teenagers said their parents are supportive of them, whether “always” (52 percent) or “usually” (42 percent). While 15 percent said their relationship with their parents has “worsened” over the past two years, they’re outnumbered by the 43 percent saying it has “improved.”