Parents who would like to see their child as a volunteer now have a good argument: they will get a higher education and have a better income. This is shown by a study carried out by scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in the United States. They found that civic engagement (voting, volunteering, activism) in late adolescence and early adulthood was correlated, later, To better mental health and a higher level of education and income. Their results appeared in the journal Child Development.
Less depression
Previous studies have shown that civic activities can help young people to feel more connected to others and to develop better self-esteem, but here the researchers wanted to know if it could improve the health, the level of education and the income in adulthood. To do this, they measured the civic engagement of 9,471 adolescents and young adults, aged 18 to 27. Six years later, scientists have raised the levels of health, education and income of these same people. In order for the results to be as fair as possible, the teenagers who volunteered were compared to teenagers from similar backgrounds who did not volunteer.
The research team found that the volunteer and voting were associated with higher levels of education and income, but also with better health and mental health behaviors. They presented, for example, less symptoms of depression and less risky behavior such as substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, etc.).
For the teens involved in the activism and protests, the results were more complex. Although they too are more likely to achieve a higher level of education and personal income, they have also been involved in riskier behaviors. six years later. According to the researchers, this is because activism can be frustrating for these young adults because they are more idealistic and impatient. They advise parents to teach teenagers who are passionate about a cause to manage their expectations.
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