Is your teenager still asking for an outing this weekend when you would prefer to see him study? According to a study carried out in Norway, he might be right. Researchers from the University of Oslo followed more than 3,000 young people for 18 years, from adolescence to adulthood. Their conclusions risk upsetting certain educational certainties.
Party to better develop your social skills
The study shows that adolescents who go out regularly — evenings with friends, parties or social gatherings — develop better self-confidence. An advantage which would not be directly linked to alcohol consumption, but rather to the social context. Being surrounded, learning to interact, creating connections: so many useful skills later in personal and professional life. Conversely, very studious but socially isolated adolescents often have a more restricted network once they become adults.
An impact on professional and financial success
According to sociologist Willy Pedersen, author of the study, the most sociable young people in their late teens and early twenties report, as adults, a higher level of education and income. Alcohol, he explains, is not a factor of success in itself: it acts above all as a marker of sociability. The relationships formed in these informal contexts can then play a key role in career paths, facilitating access to opportunities or influential networks.
The importance of a progressive parenting framework
However, researchers call for nuance. Going out very early, drinking excessively or in isolation remains associated with significant risks, both for health and for future success. Specialists therefore recommend gradual authorization, adapted to the age of the adolescent, accompanied by a dialogue on the dangers linked to alcohol and drugs. Especially since the recent figures are rather reassuring: in France, alcohol consumption among adolescents has decreased significantly over the last ten years, falling below the European average.
Partying as a teenager doesn’t guarantee success, but learning to socialize does. A conclusion that risks making some people cringe… on the parents’ side.