These are a few of your favorite things

Teen years are accompanied by changes--like growth spurts, acne, and an endless need for sleep. The good news? Getting older means you can make many of your own choices, from what to eat to whether you prefer an eco-friendly ride or a gas-guzzling vehicle. That's why Science World polled 318 subscribers like you to see: What's in and what's out?

Why do you have such strong opinions? Your hot picks could reflect ways you establish your identity, according to psychologist Robert March from Effective Educational Practices in Boulder, Colorado. "For many teens, it's the time to switch over to pleasing a peer group rather than trying to please parents and teachers," March says. This is where your nose for fashion and after-school activities comes in: A clever wardrobe, and ways you spend your free time are part of what makes you, well ... you.

Some surprising teen preferences: More than haft of you chose CDs over MP3 players. And it seems hot cocoa is all the rage, with nearly 75 percent of our responders giving it the thumbs-up (see p. 12).

What about eating healthfully? Most teens prefer a candy bar to a protein snack. When it comes to movies, bye-bye Harry Potter--Gandalf of Lord of the Rings has taken the lead.

Now, take a ride through our alphabetical smorgasbord in this special Teen Life A to Z issue. You'll learn more about your favorite questions and topics.

For instance, it's not just the gang from TV's Friends hanging out at the coffee house these days. Some high schools have cafes that brew up creamy, caffeine delights. Find out how caffeine affects your body in our java feature (see p. 14).

And since more than 80 percent of teens surveyed chose cell phones over two-way pagers, we decided to find out how these hip gadgets really work (see p. 8).

But before you flip the page, check out the rest of the results (above)--Do you see eye-to-eye with our survey?

WHAT'S HOT, WHAT'S NOT?

We surveyed 318* Science World subscribers to discover what teens like best. Here are the results:

236 Cocoa vs. 77 Coffee

281 Cell phones vs. 30 two-way pagers

274 Candy bars vs. 37 Protein bars

198 CDs vs. 112 MP3s

267 Hanging Out at the movies vs. 43 Hanging out at the bookstore

264 Instant messaging vs. 47 E-mail

179 Bottled soda vs. 131 Bottled water

207 MTV vs. 84 The Learning Channel

162 Rollerblades vs. 128 Skateboards

150 Tattoos vs. 149 No tattoos

234 Lord of the Rings vs. 79 Harry Potter

214 Straight hair vs. 103 Curly hair

180 Real animal dissection vs. 126 Computer-based animal dissection

180 Snowboarding vs. 104 Skiing

176 SUVs vs. 142 Hybrid cars

* Any difference in the number means that some kids abstained from voting.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 Gale, Cengage Learning