Young Britons are going out less and shunning cigarettes and alcohol to stay at home on their computersÂ 'Laptop generation' of teenagers more likely to surf web and play games 13-year-olds today are more 'sober and responsible' than 10 years ago Rise of social media sites such as Facebook is said to be behind change A study by Department for Education found a decline in 'risky behaviour' Just 32 per cent had tried alcohol compared with 52 per cent in 2004Â Teenagers down the years have typically rebelled by drinking, smoking and taking drugs â€" earning themselves a less than favourable reputation. Today theyâ€™re more likely to be found in their bedrooms surfing the web and playing video games on their computers, before sitting down to supper with their parents. Meet the â€˜laptop generationâ€™ â€" the new, more sensible breed of adolescent. Teenagers today are more likely to be found in their bedrooms surfing the web and playing video games A portrait of 13-year-olds today shows they are more â€˜sober and responsibleâ€™ than youngsters ten years ago. However, they enjoy fewer friendships, spend less time socialising after school, and are more likely to be at home for a family evening meal. The research suggests the rise of social media sites such as Facebook is behind the change, explaining why teens today are more like to say they â€˜mainly spend time by themselvesâ€™. The Department for Education study, which compared 13-year-olds in 2004 and 2013, found a marked decline in â€˜risky behaviourâ€™ among youngsters, such as drinking and taking drugs. Just 32 per cent had tried alcohol compared with 52 per cent in 2004. Meanwhile, the proportion saying they mainly spent their spare time going out with friends fell from 50 per cent to 42 per cent, while the numbers saying they went round to a friendâ€™s house dropped from 20 per cent to 13 per cent. At the same time, 22 per cent reported â€˜mainly spending time by themselvesâ€™, compared with 9 per cent in 2004. And the proportion who â€˜never went outâ€™ doubled, from 5 to 10 per cent. Nearly half of girls â€" 47 per cent â€" and 30 per cent of boys reported using social networking or instant messaging sites â€˜throughout the dayâ€™. 13-year-olds today shows they are more â€˜sober and responsibleâ€™ than youngsters ten years ago and are being labelled the 'laptop generation' Research by the Department for Education suggests the rise of social media sites such as Facebook is behind the change, explaining why teens today are more like to say they â€˜mainly spend time by themselvesâ€™ And more than a third of youngsters play computer games most days compared with 23 per cent in 2004. However, the study also found evidence that teens are enjoying closer and stronger relationships with their parents. The traditional family meal appeared to be making a comeback, with 52 per cent of children saying they shared a meal with their parents six times in the last week compared with 42 per cent in 2004. Overall youngsters were generally found to be more â€˜positive about their school, home and personal livesâ€™ than a decade earlier. The study concluded: â€˜Young people were socialising less in person and spending more time on their own, although spending time with friends remained the most common leisure time activity. It also found a marked decline in 'risky behaviour'Â among youngsters, such as drinking and taking drugs, and revealed just 32 per cent had tried alcohol compared with 52 per cent in 2004 â€˜There was a parallel increase in the proportion of young people playing computer games. There was also a reasonably widespread use of social networking sites.â€™ â€˜They appear more likely to make responsible choices than ten years ago. â€˜The findings in this report are in line with other research suggesting this is a more sober, responsible generation of young people.â€™ Earlier this year, a Government-backed study showed that the number of schoolchildren who have tried cannabis or other illegal drugs has almost halved over the past ten years. Smoking, meanwhile, had dwindled to a 30-year low, with just 3 per cent of pupils reporting smoking a weekly cigarette. Drinking habits showed similar a pattern. However, experts have warned that a decline in personal contact â€" driven by increasing use of tablets, smartphones and laptops â€" is affecting the social skills of a generation.Â