Financial Times FT.com

Extreme teenagers

By Susie Boyt

Published: November 8 2008 00:38 | Last updated: November 8 2008 00:38

I read recently that all women think they look five years younger than they are but I was surprised at the weekend to hear a friend who is 21 expressing great relief that she was not 16 any more. “People of that generation,” she remarked with sadness, “have it very tough.”

I almost laughed. It was such an odd thing to hear – but I could see she was serious. We were in a Greek restaurant, the table so laden with dishes that I had to park my glass on a nearby empty chair. “Why, particularly?” I asked.

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