What Do Teenage Girls Do for Fun?

Thinking back to Cyndi Lauper's iconic 80s pop song "Girls Just Want to Have Fun," not much has changed over the past few decades when it comes to teenagers wanting to strike out on their own and have a good time. While some teens may engage in risky activities, such as drinking alcohol or drug use -- the majority of American adolescent girls have far tamer preferences such as hanging out at the mall or spending time with friends.

  1. The Mall

    • Your local community mall provides, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics' Healthy Children website, an opportunity for your teen to act independently while still within a rule-bound setting. Teenage girls might go to the mall to shop for clothes -- or just try them on fashion-show style -- hang out with friends, have a meal with pals or to meet other kids. For example, your teenage daughter might go to the mall on a weekend night with her BFFs to talk to boys in a public environment.

    Friendships

    • Whether the teen in your life goes to the mall, stays home or is hanging out in front of the school after class, friendships are a primary part of many adolescent girls' lives. Friends, according to the pediatric experts at the Kids Health website, provide support, guidance and someone to share experiences with. Teenage girls can spend hours with their girlfriends relaxing, talking and texting.

    Social Media

    • The Pew Internet and American Life Project notes that 95 percent of teens ages 12 through 17 use the Internet and that teenage girls often use a computer, smartphone, tablet or other electronic device to connect with friends online. Pew's 2012 teen-parent survey on Internet usage found that 84 percent of teen girls report using a social networking site regularly. It's likely that a mainstay of your teen girl's leisure activities is connecting with schoolmates and friends on a social media website such as Facebook.

    Dating

    • As your daughter moves into the teen years chances are that she will begin to ask about being allowed to date. Going out with boys is something that many teen girls look forward to. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that teens wait until at least age 16 before going on a one-on-one date, give or take a year, depending on level of responsibility and community norms. Until you're ready to let your teenage daughter go out on a real date, the AAP says group dating is fine, but that this isn't the same as double-dating because a group date doesn't typically involve attached couples, but rather a group of boys and girls meeting up for an activity like hanging out at the beach or going bowling.

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