If you are one of those parents with a child who’s on his or her way to adolescence, and is worried that your child is going to get pregnant or get someone pregnant before finishing high school, try drugs, or drink alcohol because you remember all too well how it was to have rushing hormones, destructive curiosity, and insatiable thirst for adventure then this is good news for you.

According to a study by J.Twenge and H.Park published on the journal Child Development “fewer adolescents in recent years engaged in adult activities such as having sex, dating, drinking alcohol, working for pay, going out without their parents, and driving, suggesting a slow life strategy.”

Teenagers these days are less likely to engage in adult activities. According to researchers 18 year olds are acting more like 15 year olds from previous generations.

The rate of teens engaging in sex, dating, drinking alcohol have gone lower in recent years. Which researchers say could explain why teenage pregnancy in the US is at an all time low.

Also read Teen Birth Rates in the US Hit a Record Low

While researchers have yet to come to a conclusion as to why this is happening many are speculating that it’s because teens these days are given more opportunities to pursue further education, careers, or endeavors and passions.

They see the world more now as replete with opportunities that they are focusing more and worrying more about their resumes.

Other researchers theorize that since teens are connected through the Internet, there really is no need to go out there and interact IRL (drink, have sex,etc).

And while this should be good news to parents all over the world, there is a downside to this according to Twenge, teens are becoming unprepared to live independently when they go off to college or get their first job.

Twenge wrote more about this in her new book iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy—and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood.