British youth isolated by more than the Channel?

The post below and one of the comments made me think about some recent conversations I've been having with my parents one of whom is a maths professor at King's College in London.

King's is still a fairly respectable place to get a degree and so you'd assume it would get its share of high quality students. However, that doesn't seem to be the case. The students they see aren't terribly interesting, rounded or driven by anything greater than a desire to get a job in an accountancy in the City.

This contrasts dramatically with what we see here. Over the past few years, I've been tremendously impressed with the young people I meet. Most of them are far more together and far more interesting than I was at their age. Data around the millenials in the US would seem to confirm that this isn't an isolated phenomenon. Overall, teens and young adults here (and in many countries around the world) are more conected, ambitious, driven, diverse and creative than my generation ever was.

And this is true amost everywhere, except Britain.

In the US, teen drinking and smoking have declined steadily since 1996. In the UK teen drinking has risen steadily since 1990 and British youth are now the heaviest drinkers in Europe.

Teen violence here has also declined dramatically since the early 90s, while again UK youths are found to be among the worst in Europe. In fact ASBOs - anti social behaviour orders - introduced in 1998 as a way to stop the random violence and unruly behaviour of British youth have now, in some circles, become a badge of honour.

Even more troubling is the dramatic rise in binge drinking and violence among British girls. Some studies even say that British girls drink more than their male counterparts.

As someone who grew up in London, it feels all too familiar. I am often amazed when I talk with Americans about their experiences growing up. Most got through their entire childhoods without ever fighting anyone. I rarely got through a week at some points.

I was reminded again of the differences when doing global research last year. British youth used alcohol as a way to let their hair down, drop the facade and let go of the stifling peer pressure to conform. American youth we talked with couldn't relate at all. They actively work at being individuals not part of the pack. They choose friends often by how different they are from one another not how alike.

To me these differences are troubling because they lead to a possible conclusion that Britain will become increasingly out of step with the rest of the world. The millenials are poised to define this country and reshape it to fit their values. What impact will the youth of Britain have on it future?