Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?

[Rickysa]

But the allure of independence, so powerful to previous generations, holds less sway over today’s teens, who are less likely to leave the house without their parents. The shift is stunning: 12th-graders in 2015 were going out less often than eighth-graders did as recently as 2009.

It seems a general trend among some threads that folks are searching for answers to the zeitgeist of the times. I think this article touches on one facet of that:

https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/09/has-the-smartphone-destroyed-a-generation/534198/

[ckelly78z]

No reason for young people to go out and actually DO anything when they can watch videos of others doing it, or through virtual reality, do it themselves. I shake my head quite a bit here lately about the state of our future in the hands of these snowflakes, with no experience of doing, or having the desire to do anything but veg on the couch, binge watch Netfix, and electronically stimulate themselves.

[GH85Carrera]

Most of that is due to the parents, or non parents, just breeders.

I have several friends with kids. One classic household reminds me so much of my childhood home. I even told the wife that she so much reminds me of my mom. The are a very warm and loving family and the parents are involved with the kids. The all got into the boy scouts and love the hiking and camping.

I see my nephews, and they are into outdoor activities because their parents were involved in their life.

[drkshdw]

I make how-to videos for a living. The number 1 comment I get is 'looks good but it's too complicated'. Or 'that's way too much work I'll just buy it'. This is for the most basic of things.

Kids today have absolutely no motivation to do anything more than they are required to do. Play a board game? Nope, push buttons on a phone. Cook a meal? Nope. Go through a drive thru. Get good grades? Nope, they pass them through (here you can only hold back students at 2nd, 5th and 9th grades and only once). Find a job? Nope, public assistance. Hell, you can't even make these kids take a shower once a day. Just spray some Axe on it and call it good.

[Rick Lee]

Saturday I was at the Luke AFB air show. While hiding from the blazing sun under the wing of a tanker plane, I couldn't help but observe three 13-ish girls huddling around their phones and giggling like it was more entertaining than the F-35 and A-10 flying by. This went on for literally 10 minutes. They were scrolling through their selfies and group photos. You'd have thought they had never seen a camera phone or even digital photos before. I've never seen such fascination with something so commonplace while surrounded by so many things more worthy of one's attention. We're doomed.

[Tervuren]

Sans smart phones we would probably find some other thing to complain about.

It really has more to do with the fact that we live very luxurious lives in this country where we don't have to be occupied to pay the bills/survive every waking hour.

Of course, those that spend their time in entertainment will be poorer than those that don't.

This combination of easy luxury and little need to work will amplify the wealth distribution gap as you have those that will never do more than enough to get by.

If you take away the smartphone, what fills that void? Netflix on a couch with a TV?

it is not enough to complain about an action/item, some other more productive thing must be thought of to fill that void.

[Yorkie]

Old People. You do realize that back in the 50s Old People complained about the damage rock n roll music was doing to kids and that Old People complained about kids watching TV and that Old People complained about video games and that Old people in the future will complain about something as yet to be invented. Kids today....

[LEAKYSEALS951]

As a dentist, I was drilling on a teenager yesterday who felt the need to check his text while I was drilling on him. This is pretty common.

Later, I was at a 7-11 convenience store. As I got into my car, I noticed the woman in the car parked next to me was sitting in the passenger seat taking multiple selfies on her cell. I mean wtf? Are your current selfies not good enough? Is this 7-11 location selfie going to add something that your current other selfies don't have?

I briefly contemplated getting next to her car window and making silly faces to photobomb her attempts at a selfie, but then though "naw... that's probably NOT a good idea."

[Nevergrowup]

Originally Posted by Yorkie

Old People. You do realize that back in the 50s Old People complained about the damage rock n roll music was doing to kids and that Old People complained about kids watching TV and that Old People complained about video games and that Old people in the future will complain about something as yet to be invented. Kids today....

Darn it! Why isn't there a "Like" button on this old fashioned bulletin board!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by Yorkie

Old People. You do realize that back in the 50s Old People complained about the damage rock n roll music was doing to kids and that Old People complained about kids watching TV and that Old People complained about video games and that Old people in the future will complain about something as yet to be invented. Kids today....

Yup. I grew up in the 1980s, MTV and video games were going to be the death of me. Before that was TV, before that was that darn rock and roll music, I'm sure several generations ago it was the car making people lazy and reducing their equestrian skills.

Comprehensive article that appears to be based on an undefined number of survey results and interviews in large urban areas, then turned into a broad brush piece about how all kids are depressed and going to commit suicide because they are glued to their phones. I read it and think that they interviewed a lot of kids with crappy parents.

My son got a phone when he hit 6th grade, and my daughter will get one next year. They've had some sort of iPad or iPod for years. As a parent you simply have to limit the time. My oldest son has played baseball, basketball, soccer, football (flag and tackle), and wrestling, and plays football and basketball now in middle school. Middle daughter has played softball, basketball, soccer, and gymnastics, and is now doing competitive gymnastics. Youngest son is currently playing basketball, baseball, and football, and has also wrestled and played soccer. Oldest son just turned 14 and was taking driver's ed within a week of his birthday. Oldest son and daughter both had sleepovers with friends over spring break. Youngest son just spent 3 days at his grandparent's house. In between organized sports we take several vacations per year, spend summers boating at the lake, and play a lot of basketball in the driveway. All of them go to a private school and get good grades. Am I an amazing parent, hell no! This would apply to basically everyone that we know. So trying to make this broad brush generational generalization that every teen is glued to a smartphone 24/7 is just insulting to my intelligence.

Also, before we go off on another "those damn kids and their phones" thread, I would suggest that each of you look into the mirror. Because I see just as much bad behavior from middle-aged adults who should know better as I do from kids. Look around you while sitting at a red light, I bet money you'll see as many graying folks with phones in their hands as you will teens.

[Rick Lee]

I grew up in the MTV generation. My most advanced piece of tech was a Sony Walkman, but I had to make most of my own cassettes from the radio and LPs I had. I listened to it on the bus ride to school and while mowing lawns. It certainly wasn't something I lived every minute for. Fortunately, I got my first electric guitar when I was 13, so that occupied whatever hours I wasn't in school and chasing girls. Like most kids back then, I probably watched too much tv, but I usually had a guitar in my hands while sitting on the couch and watching, which I was doing last night too, 33 years later.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Also, before we go off on another "those damn kids and their phones" thread, I would suggest that each of you look into the mirror. Because I see just as much bad behavior from middle-aged adults who should know better as I do from kids. Look around you while sitting at a red light, I bet money you'll see as many graying folks with phones in their hands as you will teens.

I love music, I am somewhat disturbed by the number of (adult) people I see in a live concert holding up their phones to record or live broadcast the event. As if it is more important to be seen at the event than to experience it.

We have the state science fair here at my work and it is very encouraging to see hundreds of kids in business attire with science projects that will boggle your mind.

On the other hand IMHO social media is turning our (adult and child) brains to mush. Yes, electronic devices are useful, however much like a glass of wine with dinner is good for you... drinking wine all day long... not so much.

[gsxrken]

Originally Posted by Yorkie

Old People. You do realize that back in the 50s Old People complained about the damage rock n roll music was doing to kids and that Old People complained about kids watching TV and that Old People complained about video games and that Old people in the future will complain about something as yet to be invented. Kids today....

While everything you posted is true, and even Cicero and Plato were complaining about the youth of their day, there has been nothing like the smart phones. Average American now spending 5 hours a day staring head down at a tiny screen- and that's an average. Teens can be on them from 2PM-10PM straight. Everyday. Consuming, not doing.
It's a huge problem and it'll come home to roost.

[speeder]

Typical weird thread complaining about modern life here. How is it that someone in some particular location of the U.S. observes some particular behavior through the lens of their own particular strange bias and therefore decries the end of Western Civilization?

13 year old girls who don't GAF about the various types of airplanes flying overhead! Like they would have in 1976. Gimme a break. I hardly care myself. In 1976, if forced to attend an air show w their parents, they would have huddled together and discussed whatever teenybopper schit was important to them then.

What I see is young people managing technology a lot better than their parents. On this forum, we have a bunch of middle-aged and older people, (myself included), wasting hours a day having a USA Today level scholarly discussion about nothing more important than which 10 y.o. used car they prefer or what's become of this gosh darned world.

I don't know of one young person who would do that. Facebook is another example-it should be called "Middle-aged Book". Absolutely no one younger than about 40 spends any time there. IG is another story but it's more geared to entertaining someone waiting in line somewhere.

Maybe it's different in some other parts of the country but the young people I know of are doing extremely well and there are many of them, from family to friends to acquaintances. I'm very confident about the next generation being a lot smarter. YMMV.

[vash]

i think Smartphone handicapped an older generation.

young kids have new strengths now.

maybe i'll one day help some knucklehead kid change his tire and he can help me delete my old yahoo email from my apple ID.

[Hawkeye's-911T]

I've never seen such fascination with something so commonplace while surrounded by so many things more worthy of one's attention. We're doomed.

This is it!

[ckelly78z]

Many times I find that I am the ONLY one not recording events as they happen, I prefer to see them with my eyes, and remember them....not through a tiny digital screen. I see so many people watching the backs of thier phones as life passes them by, not realizing the activity in thier peripheral vision. This is how accidents happen, and why people are so ignorant about what is actually occuring.

I find that I can sit quietly in nature, a doctor's office, or God forbid, the toilet without updating my status, or checking the latest posts, instagrams, or texts. Just call me old school, where an imagination was a usable tool.

[Rick Lee]

I was at a Rush concert once where the d'bag next to me was not only holding his phone up to film the whole thing, he was narrating it like some sports commentator. Unbelievable. Thankfully, he moved after a few songs, but I was pretty close to knocking the phone out of his hand and letting him crawl around looking for it. At some smaller venue shows the artist is able to specify no cameras after the first or second song, and the venue staff can enforce it. Not really possible at a large arena show. I know Peter Frampton took a fan's phone a few years ago and flung it far away behind the stage. I think he ended up buying the guy a new phone, but at least that jerk was done filming for the duration of that show.

[aigel]

It will just further separate the elites from the grunts. I am sure you guys have read that the silicon valley folks that invented most of this crap actually don't allow their kids to use it. Only the idiot parents do.

G

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I was at a Rush concert once where the d'bag next to me was not only holding his phone up to film the whole thing, he was narrating it like some sports commentator. Unbelievable. Thankfully, he moved after a few songs,

As said this is a pet peeve of mine because:
It is rude to the people around you.
It is rude to the performers

More importantly it shows many of our new generations have no ability to "live in the moment", more important to brag what/where they are doing than to enjoy the experience. Somewhere there is a photo of a bunch of kids in a art museum surrounded by great art all sitting on benches staring at their phones.

I'm not saying all cell phones need to be launched into the sun, but there needs to balance between technology and life.