I don't think a lot of people like to drink alone.

Eh, I know a lot of teenagers that do. Those I know who drink at parties tend to drink alone too. I think this might be a result of the circles I run in though, who tend to be higher performing academic students with societal, academic, and familial pressure to preform well. We tend to drink because many of the reasons you mentioned as why we might not, I think. If that makes any sense. Basically, as our parents cut us off from our peers (I think kleinbl00 is 100% right about that), we just get more stressed and end up turning to more dangerous pastimes like drinking alone.

I think a lot of parents and teachers of younger kids instill the idea that peer pressure is going to be a circle of kids chanting "Drink it, drink it, drink it," or a shady, but cool upperclassman offering you free weed or pills. But, as one of my favorite Reddit jokes pointed out, I'd be very happy if as many people offered me free weed as I thought as a 10 year old. Maybe it's just because I'm not a hot girl.

In reality, the peer pressure is more "well, everyone else gets drunk and that seems to help them unwind, so maybe I should too." At the same time, in my circles, there's huge respect for the people that don't "turn up"—the ones who can mother hen everyone at parties, switch out the vodka for water when people get too drunk, drive people home, pick up the trash. If we know they have as much stress as we do, our respect goes even higher.

I think you've got some good points about the smartphones and internet, but I think you also missed the other side to it. Teenagers I know don't use the internet to replace physical socializing, they use it to enhance it. There are about half a dozen different ways to reach me on my phone. So, if there's a party, or any sort of "move" for the night, I know about it, and so do basically all of my friends. The question then is just what lie to tell the parents to get out of the house.

The internet also changes what we know about the drugs we are apparently using less. There are people who are incredibly knowledgeable about the substances they and other use. So, I'd say yes, we do see some of the things alcohol and other drugs can do to you. People I know are incredibly cautious about prescription drugs. Driving drunk will kill your social life, if it doesn't kill you. So, some of the propaganda is working, and I am very glad it is. But at the same time, the internet has also opened while new worlds of drugs to us. The psychedelics in my region are largely brought in through mail orders from the deep web. Kids are learning to make some of their own drugs, or improve the ones they already have (e.g. making hashish or "Green Dragon"). We also share readily. Kids who 20 years ago would probably have never touched drugs are today hooked on Adderall because it helps them preform better at school. They don't even need to buy it black market, just get it from a friend who has a script but doesn't like taking it.

Maybe my experiences and views are more of a result of where I live rather than how old I am. Drugs are cheap and easy to find in this city of aging hippies. I don't doubt the stats in the article, but I also fear that looking at them without regard for specific situations can lead to poor conclusions. I know the rates of drug use and sexual activity at my high school are way higher than the stats for now, and probably higher than the stats for 20 years ago. Thew are also highs schools in my area with serious hard drug problems that need to be addressed, and in this I know my area isn't unique. Sure, maybe less kids are doing drugs, but this isn't occasionally popping molly, this might be being hooked to heroin or coke. So, while I'm happy about many of the stats this article points out, I'm also wary that it can be taken the wrong way as saying everything is getting better, when teenagers still fucked up.