After reading the article, I began to wonder if smartphones are the sole reason for the decline in social activity. Kids these days just seem to feel criticism about being on their phones. We live in a world where it’s becoming more difficult to go outside and walk around. My father always told me stories about how he would be able to get up and go out whenever he wanted as a kid, as long as he was home for dinner. As he grew older, he hitchhiked around without and worries. Now, people would never trust a stranger due to all of the potential harm.
Personally, I was unable to just go outside and play, due to the lack of sidewalks and nearby parks. I needed to be driven to parks and other friends’ houses. As I got older, I began to walk to my one friend’s house, but that was a good 15-20 minute walk. I only started going out after I got my driver’s license. The world we live in is a more dangerous one. I was afraid of getting into car accidents, which is why I refrained from getting my license. Now, a reason for this fear is the number of accidents caused by distracted driving. This can absolutely be attributed to smartphones, as people tend to be focused on them as much as, if not more than, the road.
The article also states that teenagers of the current generation put off getting jobs. This is likely due to the lack of teenage drivers. I did not get my first job until I knew that I could get myself there without any issue. While I do not have my own car, my parents allowed me to use their cars whenever they were not using them. When my parents were kids, they worked at least one job since they were around the age of 13.
Twenge says that kids are not connected to their families, despite being home more than past generations. In terms of family, I feel very connected to my parents, aunts/uncles, and even some cousins. For me to be able to share these stories about my parents is proof of this. Until I started college, I used to go to my grandmother’s house every Wednesday for family dinner. Until I was about 12, my grandmother would watch me while my parents were out. Due to the lack of WiFi, I was able to talk to my grandmother and bond with her. She told me about how different the world was when she was a kid. She told me about the market that her family owned during the “roaring 20s”, how her family made it through the depression without too much of a struggle, how she worked the shop while WWII raged overseas, and then how her kids lived through the Cold War. Every year, there’s a family reunion and I attend it. I see at least 30 people there yearly, and I know all of them. While I cannot speak for other peers, I know for a fact that my friends from high school are also in the same boat as I am.
Finally, how often were you out with your friends throughout high school? Were you out every weekend? Or were you like me, sitting on your phone wondering if you should ask if anyone wants to go out? How close are you with your family?
You make some VERY good points about the dangers that exist now, that weren’t as prevalent in the past. Awesome perspective!
You make a VERY good point concerning dangers that exist nowadays, but were not prevalent in the past.