Good times for Me

Young people are looking for a good time and like nothing better than a night out clubbing. Many suffer from stress and fear of failure, while only a minority can turn their minds to anything more creative than playing computer games.

These are the findings of a wide-ranging survey of 1,200 people aged 15 to 24 by a group of media companies.

The Having A Great Time poll found clubbing, going to the pub or spending time with friends are the preferred options for the majority - 54 per cent say clubbing is their favourite night out. Taking part in sport, going to the theatre or eating at home are far less popular.

But a closer look shows the image of large numbers of youngsters taking drugs in "superclubs" seven nights a week is wide of the mark. Roar - made up of Channel 4, the Guardian and Observer, EMAP Advertising and OMD UK - found today's teenagers like to remain in control. One of those questioned said: "I hate getting smashed all the time. I'm a lot better company when I'm normal."

While interest in fashion among the 15-24 age group has increased since 1999, a growing minority is turning its back on brands, believing them to be "uncool". A third of respondents, perhaps influenced by the worldwide anti-capitalist movement, disagreed with the statement "I prefer designer labels". One said: "Nike trainers must cost around £8 to make - why am I paying £100?" But youngsters say it is hard to find "ethical" corporations.

The Roar research also found a complicated picture when it came to young people's creativity. The survey distinguished between those who like to make things and those busy "making themselves".

The latter group can be found spending time in computer chat rooms, where they create new identities for themselves and experiment with different sexual orientations.

"When I go in [to a chat room] I try different identities for size. I can portray myself as someone completely different-to who I am," said one participant in the survey.

Youth subcultures, such as skateboarders and graffiti artists, share a similar attitude towards the creation of new identities - concerned with developing a group identity rather than making a lasting contribution to society via joining a political party or pressure group or creating art, the researchers claim.

Paradoxically, the Me generation, brought up to believe that anything is possible, suffers from fear of failure. With a weakening of traditional support networks, whether community groups or family, young people are forced to be more self-reliant. While their demand for more from life - in the way of possessions and pleasures - has grown, so have their stress levels.

As one put it: "If I don't succeed in life, I let myself down, because anyone can make it if they really want to."

Roar's chairman, Trudy Croad, said: "This is a generation whose interests and concerns centre solely on themselves. There is, it seems, no greater cause to champion other than that of their own."