Every teen aspires to something, whether they admit to it or not. Here are some facts and statistics related to the aspirations of American teens:
- Live hard, die young — According to a 2009 survey of 20,000 teens, 15% of U.S. teenagers expect to die young. (Time, 7-13-2009, p. 12)
- 75% of high-schoolers expect to receive a college degree, yet only 30% are on a preparatory track to accomplish it. They also expect to make lots, yet don’t have a plan for how. They merely expect it to happen. (Walsh, 2007, p. 25-16)
- 20% of teens think they’ll be famous someday, according to Teenage Research Unlimited, a survey group. (Murphy, 8-31-07)
- Three times as many middle school girls say they would want to grow up to be the personal assistant to a famous person as want to be a senator, according to a 2007 survey. Four-times as many would rather be the famous person’s assistant as be the CEO of a major corporation. (Stein, 2013)
What teens want when they grow up
Careers that kids say their parents encourage them to consider:
Boys:
- Engineer: 31%
- Doctor: 24%
- Businessman: 23%
- Lawyer: 20%
- Teacher: 11%
Girls:
- Doctor: 33%
- Teacher: 31%
- Lawyer: 25%
- Veterinarian: 23%
- Acting: 21%
(USA Today, 3-12-09)
Top career choices for high school students:
- Information technology: 25%
- Business Management: 16%
- Health care: 15%
- Education: 10%
- Skilled trades: 6%
(USA Today, 4-16-09, p. IB)
What middle-schoolers (ages 10 to 15) consider their dream jobs:
Girls:
- singer or musician: 23%
- Actress : 22 %
- Doctor: 13%
- Teacher: 10%
Boys:
- Vidoe game creater: 33%
- Profesional athlete: 26%
- Computer or internet programer: 13%
- Singer or musician: 11%
(Source: Raytheon, August 2009)