A boom of teenagers in the developing world (86% of 10-24s live there!) is creating a developing nations' version of adolescence, a phenomenon more often associated with rich countries that can afford to treat young adults as children. Many of the new teens are global, plugged into US mainstream culture, fashion and music — but over 500,000 of them are child soldiers. All in all — some strange demographic shifts a-borning.
Currently, the total population of 10- to 24-year-olds is estimated at 1.5 billion, of which 86 percent live in developing countries. The growth is most rapid in sub-Saharan Africa and parts of Asia. Call it a new wave of global baby boomers who are, in some instances, the first true generation of "teenagers" their countries have known.
Lloyd calls adolescence – or what Americans call the teenage years – a "relatively new life cycle phase" for many developing countries. Previously, young people tended to move directly from childhood to adulthood. Adult status was much more tied to physical changes, such as puberty, she says.
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(via Wonderland)
