New research quantifies the gender gap in teen experiences

It’s no secret that boys and girls face different challenges as they grow and mature into adults. A new Pew Research survey of ~1,400 US teens aged 13-17 attempts to quantify those differences.

Key findings: Girls report more pressure to look good (55% vs. 39% for boys) and to fit in socially (45% vs. 37%), while boys report more pressure to be physically strong (43% vs. 23%) and to be good at sports (36% vs. 27%).

US teens are also:

• ~8x more likely to say girls more commonly experience anxiety and depression compared to boys (39% vs. 5%).
• ~14x more likely to say girls at their school get better grades compared to boys than the opposite (42% vs. 3%).
• ~16x more likely to say boys are more disruptive in class compared to girls (63% vs. 4%).

Bottom line: Despite their different experiences, teen boys and girls ultimately want many of the same things out of life, according to Pew. Majorities from both genders say it’s important to have a job or career they enjoy (86%), have close friends (69%), and have a lot of money as an adult (58%).