Teens growing up too fast - why?

[Pinniy]

My DS is 18, a great kid. At school he’s created himself a solid group of 5 friends, 3 girls and 2 boys.
As a group they all seem remarkably mature!
They all have part time jobs off their own back and don’t seem to engage in normal teenage hobbies.
DS works in a local supermarket 1 evening a week and Sunday afternoons (6-10 and 12-4). Today before work he and his 5 friends met up for “brunch”.
Yesterday they all met up and had a Maths study session for a few of them then went out for dinner. On Friday they met up with a bigger group and went out for dinner, nice place with beer and wine etc.
The all seem really diet conscious, never happy to just go to McDonald’s and lunch is always a carefully crafted meal!!
They hardly ever drink, just at parties which aren’t all that often (just birthdays really).
Ive also noticed he and his friends are all quite strict with each other about studying and sleep.
The girls all have skin care routines and 12 step hair care routines.

When my older DS was the same age (just 7 years ago but pre-Covid)
He did slot more drinking, partying, McDonald’s trips etc. He still got 2 As and a B at A-level so it didn’t impact his results.

AIBU to think all teenagers seem to be maturing much faster these days and to wonder why this is?

It's just a totally different generation. My 16 yr old spends his spare time at the gym, playing golf/football and stays home on a Saturday night. At his age I was dropping E's at raves and had left home! Hedonism seems to have died out in the 90's.

Depends on the teen and the friends they get involved with IME. One of mine was like this, the other completely different.

I think there's been a reduction in alcohol consumption but an increase in drug use.

I think it's a side effect of not being able to go to the pub till they're 18.

Someone up thread said that the teenagers fell into two groups after COVID, and I think that's true. I have two teenagers, aged 17 and 19, and so know a lot of teenagers, and the ones who party, party hard, and then the other group don't at all.

My teen is the same. Turning 16 tomorrow, no interest in parties, not really showing much interest in alcohol. Of course it might change when he goes off to uni.

I'm glad to be honest, I was the total opposite. Drinks every night after work, going clubbing with a fake ID, surviving on 2 hours sleep, then I got pregnant when I was 17.

Apparently having a proper boyfriend/girlfriend now before GCSEs just makes you desperate 🫣. And if you have a casual one, he/she must be parked around GCSE season.

Your lovely sensible son sounds like an absolute dream!

Yup my kids are like this;polar opposite of myself and DH at that age.

The drinking culture in our city has changed;student nights aren't what they use to be and their less nightclubs etc now.

Also nights out now are so expensive.You could go out with a tenner for the night when I was a teen.

I don't think kids are maturing earlier at all. I was very independent as were my friends from a young age. We all hard part time jobs as teenagers to fund the clubbing and partying (which all started underage). We didn't have mobile phones our parents couldn't monitor what we were doing 24/7.
My teenagers are deffinatley less indpendent and due to tighter restrictions (and not purchasing fake ID) have waited until 18 to go to pubs/clubs to drink. But there's been house parties with penty of drinking etc along the way. I think my kids are less resiliant and independent that my generation.
Honestly I think it sounds really dull how many of the teenagers described on this thread are living their lives, (even as a 40 something year old its too boring for me) but if they are happy then good for them, we are all different.
I think how a teenagers acts, what they are into etc is personality driven. My eldest away at uni, is certainly throwing himself in to the drinking socialising culture and having the time of his life (though almost definately at the expense of his studies). His sister at 17 loves partying at weekend and drinking with her friends and they will go for a meal too, but she can't wait to go clubing and have more independence. She's got a good balance, she studies hard, keeps fit and lets her hair down. My son, well he's unpredictable, enjoys letting his hair down and going a bit wild.
Our generation smoked, our kids vape (its like an epidemic) the drugs have moned on to different types, but there is still penty aorund for those inclined.
I also think it's more expensive to go out clubbing and drinking compared to when we were younger. I could afford to go out 3-4 nights a week and hit it hard, no way could my kids afford that now.

I don't see a problem with any of what you listed. It seems a good thing to me.