Teens stress about the economy–particularly girls

Snagging a date with that cute dude, getting good grades, banishing that zit. Yup, teen girls worry about a lot of stuff. Now add the economy and money to that list.

According to a survey from Bank of America and “Seventeen” magazine, teen girls are slightly more anxious about the economy (85 percent) vs. teen boys (75 percent).

Girls’ fears range from not having enough cash to pay for things they want – like lip gloss and mini dresses – to how to pay for the big, important stuff – like college.

The research, based on interviews in April with 2,000 teens ages 16-21, also shows:

Teen girls are more likely to be stressed about finding a way to pay for college than teen boys (69 percent vs. 59 percent).
40 percent of teen girls think their parents should bail them out of a tough money situation, no matter how old they are. (Ack!!)
About 65 percent of teens said they had changed their spending habits as a result of the economy.
4 in 10 teens have altered their college plans because of the economic slowdown, while 1 in 5 had to either go with their second choice of college because of cost or attend a state school instead of a private one to save money.

Whoa – some of you are in need of a reality check. (C’mon girls – your parents should bail you out no matter how old you are?!) Getting a financial education doesn’t cost. Teens and parents can start below with a few MSN columns: