In a technical way,teens are much more knowledgeable,for there is advances in science,mathematics etc. that were not around 50 years ago.When it comes to knowledge of the workings of life and society I see no advancement of knowledge.Teens have the same traits as their fathers,and unless their father were progressive ,independent, and opened minded,thus have further knowledge of life,the teen would have the same life knowledge as 50 years ago.

wellll. i think that teenagers (and people in general) vary in their knowledge levels based on what they've been through in life. for instance, a teenage mother would know a lot of stuff she wouldn't have learned in school, for example, how to change diapers and care for another human. i wasn't alive 50 years ago so i don't know if they're less knowledgeable now than they were then BUT i think i would have to go with they are less knowledgeable in important(ish) things.... for example, my mother (also wasn't alive 50 years ago.. but almost) had to take home economics.. my dad had to take shop. it's useful to know that stuff, but you don't HAVE to know it to be successful or anything. nowadays a teenager may be more likely to tell you who you can score some pot from and who their favorite celebrity is than to tell you that they know how to hem a skirt/build a bookshelf. if i could rate a normal teen on a scale of 1-10 (1 being as knowledgeable as a baby and 10 being as knowledgable as a grown up near the end of his life) i would say about a 4. in your teen years your brain hasn't even finished developing (which is (i think) the real reason the drinking law is set at 21..i read a study and a person over twenty five can remember like 2x as much after having 3 beers as a person who is 22) i mean, in your teen years, you're really only supposed to have experienced things that you'll learn about in school. most teenagers don't work for a living or pay taxes yet.. teens don't even even drive until they're halfway through their teenage years. the 'real world' stuff comes when you're actually IN the real world, i think.