U.S. teenagers have strong opinions on their mental health, post-graduation plans and what they need from their schools, according to a new poll by Morning Consult and EdChoice. One thousand adolescents shared their views on their mental health, post-graduation plans, and needs from their schools. According to the poll results, teens “report feeling much better currently about their health (mental and physical), happiness, motivation, and relationships with friends. Teens’ responses also indicate improvement in their stress and anxiety levels, albeit less significantly.”

Here are the top nine findings:

1. More than 40 percent of teens have heard a lot or some about ChatGPT. Nearly one-third have heard nothing at all about the artificial intelligence program.
2. Teens indicate their lives have improved in many areas since the height of the pandemic. They continue to feel better about their relationships with their close
   friends and immediate family since the pandemic. Stress and anxiety remain challenges for this group.
3. Roughly half of the teens feel positive about their future. Generally, teens feel more supported when it comes to their future and academics than when it comes to
   mental health.
4. Teens feel more supported when it comes to their future and their academics, but less so when it comes to mental health. Teens say their schools address mental
   health less well than other issues like guns, violent behaviors, and bullying.
5. Teens are most satisfied with their life direction, academic performance, and their relationships with their family members, and least satisfied with their mental
   health and their support system.
6. Nearly one in four teens either have no specific post-high school plans or do not know what they will do. Compared to last fall, teens are feeling less prepared for
   education beyond high school. Those planning on attending a community college are more likely to feel prepared than those pursuing a 4-year university or
   college.
7. Parents are nearly twice as likely as teens to be very concerned about a violent intruder entering their school. Nearly 30 percent of teens expressed this fear.
8. One-third of teens have changed schools in the last three years. Among that group, most have changed schools once. Two in five teens have changed schools
   more than twice.
9. Teens cite skills for future employment as the most important thing to learn while at school. Core academic subjects and fixing social problems are of the least
   importance to teens.