“KIDS THESE DAYS”: GENERATIONAL CHANGE OR CAUSE FOR CONCERN
We’ve been listening to the typical phrase “kids these days” bajillion times in a bajillion different ways, and we’ll continue to hear so for a very long time. Most people form opinions on this ‘forever ongoing theory’ in support of their ages and the outcomes are also pretty expected.
One thing is clear. The behaviour aspects and living trends of kids tend to alter from one generation to another i.e. Gen X won’t be Gen Y & Gen Y won’t be Gen Z. Interestingly, the majority of current marketers all over the world are hoping to sell stuff to people born after 1995 aka Gen Z. Why, because the future is entirely theirs!
While the so-called ‘kids these days’ strongly express themselves as tolerant, accepting, big-hearted, intelligent, tech-friendly & active in social work, the elder group credits the present kids as a bunch of impolite brats.
Of course, variations on ‘kids these days’ is a song that people have been singing since ages; but we gonna accept the fact that it’s the previous generations that have raised the current Z.
Whether it might be a typical generational change or a serious cause for concern, one thing is certain. Kids & teens are becoming over-dependent on technology and modern parents have to take the blame for taming so. The below signs detected in the behaviour of present-day kids & teens say so.
1) Addiction to Smartphones
Right from middle-school children to seniors & college-goers, everybody seems to own a fancy mobile equipped with the latest software features. If at all there is a slight drop in the network, call cut or some disturbance in Wi-Fi connectivity; ‘kids these days’ get instantly tensed and worried about their online absence.
Surprisingly, smartphone freaks are even reluctant to visit remote places, fearing the lack of mobile network availability. During these times, it’s prudent for parents to install mobile monitoring software like CellTracker-Mobile Tracker on their kids’ mobiles to spy on & track their entire smartphone activity.
2) The Overpowering Of Social Media
This might be the one element which showcases the term ‘generation gap’ the best. While most adults around the world are mediocre when it comes to accessing the internet on laptops and mobiles, their children are highly active on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc., constantly posting updates & sharing photos in groups. This has virtually become a daily task for many.
Rather than effectively using the encouragement from contemporary schools & modern parents to engage in social media for knowledge, kids have kick-started measuring popularity in terms of number of friends, likes, shares, etc.
3) Parks, Playgrounds & Their Low Occupancy
Firstly, most schools don’t have official playgrounds and secondly, the interest to play outdoors with friends has drastically turned upside down in the recent years. Even preschoolers are way too ‘busy’ tapping on their parent’s mobiles before and after school.
With such sophisticated smartphone applications, kids are finding books to read, games to play and connect with countless friends online. Even elders have gradually eroded the belief that kids require a bit of fresh air for their own good.
4) Obesity Factor in Kids
According to a recent study, India has the second highest number of obese children after China, with over 14.4 million carrying excess weight. The rate of increase in childhood obesity is now a serious cause of concern for many countries.
But, if children and teens are glued to laptops & mobile screens for hours & hours, busy tapping in their own online world, is it surprising that obesity would take over them pretty soon? And to the knowledge of most people, obesity does not occur only due to heavy consumption of junk food; over addiction to technology and the derived laziness also has a lot to do with obesity.
Apart from the pros and cons, ‘kids these days’ are unknowingly crossing the line between optimal usage of technology and becoming slaves to it, which might turn the most dangerous aspect in the coming days. Lastly, it’s sad to witness how a Gen Z kid would react when his/her smartphone or laptop with lightning-quick 4G internet gets grabbed away.
