Insights into the young, or the generation gap

[jambo]

Three insights into a young persons world I have learnt from our middle son.

1. A wee while ago Andrew fell into the river, broke two ribs which then punctured his lung and was admitted to hospital. When we went to see him he was most anxious that I go to the river to look for his mobile phone which fell in with him. I told him the phone would be gone and would also now be useless. He pleaded with me to go and try to find it. I told him his lost phone was the least of his worries and to forget it. "Its not my phone, its the SIM card I need".

"Forget it." I said

"No dad you don't understand. My life is my SIM card."

Is a SIM card our young's most treasured possession? Take away their SIM card and can they function?

2. Two or three weeks ago he and two friends were spending a weekend in England and I was giving them a lift to the airport. We drove to the first friends house and I pulled into the driveway. Andrew just sat there.

"Are you not going to knock on his door?" I asked

"Dad, knocking on doors is a thing of the past." He said as he texted him to let him know we were outside.

3. I suddenly realised that I never saw Andrew wear a watch. "Do you not have a watch?" I asked.

"Dad, no one uses watches any more."

Of course they use their mobile phones to tell the time.


Speaking as someone who always wears a watch, still gets out the car to knock on peoples doors when I pick them up and if I lost my mobile phone not only would it be nothing more than a minor inconvenience, I would probably be glad of some peace and quiet.

It just shows how a young persons life is increasingly connected to the mobile phone. I would be interested in hearing what others think of this trend.

 

[LeeJUk]

What age is he? If hes like early-mid teens I wouldn't worry too greatly about it. He will grow out of it im sure. When I was 12-14 if you took my computer away I couldn't function I wanted to come home and play games and get speaking to people on msn and listening to mp3's.

 

[Skyler]

As one of the younger generation, I can say that I wear a watch, knock on peoples' doors, and wouldn't be terribly inconvenienced by losing my cell phone.

My internet connection, maybe--then I couldn't get on here!

 

[jambo]

What age is he? If hes like early-mid teens I wouldn't worry too greatly about it. He will grow out of it im sure. When I was 12-14 if you took my computer away I couldn't function I wanted to come home and play games and get speaking to people on msn and listening to mp3's.

He will be 22 in September

 

[Andres]

Are you just pointing out how the younger culture is different or are you pointing out these things you listed are negative? The first point sounds like a problem only because he thinks his sim card is his life. Def sounds like an idol to me. As for 2 & 3, I don't think they're a big deal. There are lots of things I use the convenience of technology over the old way of doing them. My wife and I were just discussing this one the other day - why do they keep sending us those huge archaic phone books? I don't think I've used a phone book in years because I look up numbers on the phone or computer. I don't consider myself an environmentalist but the phonebook seems like such a waste!

 

[jambo]

Are you just pointing out how the younger culture is different or are you pointing out these things you listed are negative?

Not so much a negative just a comment on how different things are. There seems a constant need to be able to communicate with someone. I know my parents probably marvelled or thought it odd the teenage/young persons ways that I had. Even although I consider myself to be much younger than my parents were when they were my age, yet I find myself amazed at things such as the watches. When I was growing up everybody had a watch but now a lot of young people just don't have a watch which a few years ago would have been unthinkable.

 

[Curt]

When I was 22, there were no cellphones, computers (except the one which was room-sized that I worked on. But if I told you about it you'd have to kill me). TV was B+W, with no remotes and no cable. But I was a drunk. He's better off.

 

[Montanablue]

If I lost my sim card, I would have no one's phone number or address, which WOULD be a huge inconvenience. I do wear a watch and knock on doors though.

 

[Andres]

Are you just pointing out how the younger culture is different or are you pointing out these things you listed are negative?

Not so much a negative just a comment on how different things are. There seems a constant need to be able to communicate with someone. I know my parents probably marvelled or thought it odd the teenage/young persons ways that I had. Even although I consider myself to be much younger than my parents were when they were my age, yet I find myself amazed at things such as the watches. When I was growing up everybody had a watch but now a lot of young people just don't have a watch which a few years ago would have been unthinkable.

Al Mohler has written a bit on the influence of technology on young people. One issue is that young people never learn to think for themselves. When faced with a decision, whether minor or major, rather than thinking through options and consequences they instead just text 10 friends, "what should i do?" young people lack critical thinking skills. with that being said, I don't have a problem with most technology. Of course like almost any gift, it can be abused so I think this is where parents need to step in and make some limits on phone and internet use. Al Mohler says no cell phones in the bedroom at night and no internet in bedrooms ever. These seem like good, reasonable limitations to me.

---------- Post added at 06:20 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:17 PM ----------

If I lost my sim card, I would have no one's phone number or address, which WOULD be a huge inconvenience. I do wear a watch and knock on doors though.

An incovenience is differenent than saying the sim card is "your life". I recently had to get a new sim card so I lost all my numbers. Sure, I wish I wouldn't have lost them, but my life went on.

 

[CNJ]

I miss the hand-written thank you notes from young people. I am so shocked now when a couple actually sends a thank you for a wedding gift.

Last Thursday at Ligonier AL MOHLER spoke on "The Hypersocialized Generation".
See blog http://millennialdreams.blogspot.com/
Mohler talked specifically about the obsession of teens and recommended that parents not allow a cell phone in bedroom at night and no Internet-connected computers in the bedroom at all. 75% of teens have cell phones. One third of teens send and receive more than 100 texts a day. Boys tend to use Social Media as entertainment and girls tend to not want to miss out on any news and have to keep checking. For teenagers, he says, some think that not being connected is worse than death. Many youth have lost the ability to empathize by reading facial expressions. What's the cost--the reality of human experience! We are missing two realities, he says: 1) silence for prayer and directing our mind; 2) book reading. We fill our soul with distractions. Or we withdraw or over-relate.

I think we miss out on family traditions because of all of the Social Media. Sure it can be argued that it helps us keep up with family, but it often takes too much time. I tried to stay off of Social Media for six weeks, but couldnt. Now I try to discipline myself to write letters, make phone calls and have "front porch" conversations or coffee. I am going to coffee with a young woman tomorrow and will also call some widows I know who don't even get on the computer.

 

[CNJ]

Even better, Al Mohler's address on The Hypersocialized Generation is now on line at
Ligonier Ministries 2010 National Conference Live Webcast, Christianity.com
and you can hear Tim Challies address also. It looks like Ligonier is finally rolling out their conference sessions on line from last week. More of those addresses are promised from "Touch Questions Christians Face", but the Challies and Mohler sessions were part of the preconference event Thursday morning on Social Media.

 

[FenderPriest]

My experience on this subject, for what it's worth:

I don't wear a watch... I've tried, but at the moment, they just bother me... but so does looking at my phone for the time. I wish I had some internal clock that told me the time at all points of the day.

I still knock on doors... sometimes! If I lost my phone, I'd be more annoyed at having to get a new one... but my directory is saved online so I could get it back easily.

I've lived the last three years without internet at home, and only recently got it because we actually need it now.

I also own an Apple. Therefore, I'm better than other computer users.

 

[JennyG]

This cartoon made me laugh just yesterday.

I also own an Apple. Therefore, I'm better than other computer users.

well, yes....

 

[jambo]

Would you believe it.

I took my watch off to mix some paint before tea time. After tea I went out and for the first time in I don't know how long, I had gone out with no watch on. Guess what I had to keep looking at to tell the time?

 

[Mushroom]

I've never been able to wear a watch, being allergic to nickel, it makes me break out in a nasty rash. I used to carry a pocket watch, but since getting a cell phone some 15 years ago, I've used that. I don't text, but at the customer's house where I've been working, I will call on the cell to let him know I've arrived on the property, because he's disabled, and can't make it the door all the time. Guess I've entered the modern age at 50.

The SIM card thing I kind of understand. I have a lot of phone numbers stored on mine, which I really should make a paper copy of, so losing it would be a problem. And anybody who knows how to use all the functions on a cell phone would probably have a lot more than just phone numbers stored. When I was 20 I lost an address book while traveling, and it was devastating. There were people in there that I still haven't found, and likely never will, since their names have faded from memory. You'd think that would have taught me to back things up. Duh!

 

[kvanlaan]

Al Mohler says no cell phones in the bedroom at night and no internet in bedrooms ever. These seem like good, reasonable limitations to me.

Amen!

 

[rbcbob]

Those of us who reached adulthood before the age of the microchip need to comprehend both the present and the rising generations. As we minister to the younger folk we should know something of what we are up against. The article "Your brain on computers" from the New York Times will bring you up to speed.

Your Brain on Computers - Attached to Technology and Paying a Price - NYTimes.com