Have the Dutch found the secret to happy teenagers?
(The Guardian Netherlands)

This week´s edition of the Upside series is filled with tales of inspiring young peopleHave we reached peak ephebiphobia? The fear of young people is everywhere, with headlines and pundits stirring up anxiety that civilised society is going to hell in a handbasket thanks to a generation of emotionally stunted, smartphone addicted, narcissistic snowflakes.And yet everywhere there are stories that restore faith, not least the eloquent and fearless students taking on the US gun lobby. So this week we present tales of teens turning the tide, and what we all can learn from them.Thanks for your story on Dutch teenagers. As a teacher at a Dutch secondary school, I felt you summed up nicely the reasons why Dutch kids seem so content. Personally, I´m always amazed that when they are asked during English oral exams: `What do you enjoy about the place where you live compared to other places?´, my students invariably talk about the sense of freedom they get from being able to go everywhere by bike and not depending on their parents to take them. Paul wrote to us by email about our article on teenagers in the Netherlands Continue reading...