Ok…Where to begin. I don’t want to rant or this post to be lengthy (as I easily tend to do with most posts). I just read this article on “Generation Always-On” for my Technology in Kinesiology class and I have been asked to write a response. This debate about todays young generation growing up in a technological world with information at the fingertips is such a hot topic right now. And I find it very interesting.
Most people point to the negative. They see a teenager sitting on the couch with their phone glued to their hands and their eyes fixed on the screen. The older generation starts mumbling how these kids are so lazy and back in their day they were forced to play outside. They point at technology for the downfall of the next generation.
Have you ever talked to a 13 year old? They are 50 times smarter than anything I have ever seen. Their ability to function in this technological age is impressive.
I love how this article points out that this time right now is a revolutionary era and the future will look so different from the past because of the generation that is right here right now.
The only thing I want to respond about this article is a comparison of our history. Think about how drastically different the 20’s and 30’s were to the generation in the 60’s and 70’s. The 1960’s was a time filled with youth that were so on fire for change. So passionate and crazy different from the past generation. It is so easy to be afraid of the future. To look at today’s youth and fear the outcome. But just like the 60’s and 70’s these kids are on fire and are ready to catapult into the next era that is going to be one of the most revolutionary time periods in our history. They need the support and environment to do so! Every single day they hear how they are not doing anything with their lives and these cell phones, computers, social networking sites are ruining their brains. All of these things ARE the future, they are the next generation and so many advancements in medical care, business, communications, everything is going to be based on the fact that this generation has such a great understanding of technology.
I have great hope for this generation (my generation!) It is easy to have fear. Just like every generation before, no matter who you are and what era you were born in the older generation will always shake their head and say the world is nothing like when they were kids and everything is falling apart. Time keeps moving whether we want it to or not and the advancement in technology is such an amazing thing that I believe will be one of the greatest movements in history.
If we can just give the youth the support they need to make this happen. A little motivation and encouragement can go a long way.
I’m done I promise.
Jeremy Davidson
“Never Stop Exploring”