5 Disturbing Features Of The “smartphone Generation “
The “smartphone generation” is a label which in one way or another encompasses all those born after 1995 in a Western country. We call them that because most of them went through their teenage years with a phone in their hand. The truth is, most of them find it hard to imagine how it would be possible to live in a world where this technology does not exist.
They are part of what we might call “hyperconnected youth”. Jean Twenge, doctor of psychology and professor at San Diego State University , has just published a study on the subject. She ar éussi investigating 11 million youth in the United States and achieve more depth interviews. His conclusion is that these young people are more tolerant and less rebellious. Also more unhappy and less prepared to take on the responsibilities of adulthood.
Can the mere existence of intelligent mobiles mark thought and behavior to such an extent? The data indicates that it does. The “smartphone generation” has broken many traditional models of communicating with the world. Young people are more static. They have the illusion that they are manipulating reality from the telephone. Indeed, they present disturbing characteristics. We will deal with five of them here.
2. Technology occupies a high priority in their life
On average, members of the “smartphone generation” spend 6 hours a day on the Internet. Most of the time, they’re just texting and playing. As a result, they spend much less time with their friends in face-to-face meetings.
Technology then occupies a central place in their lives. One of the most dreaded punishments for them is that we leave their phones or forbid them to connect through the computer. They find meaning in their existence through connection.
3. Less social and cognitive skills
The fact that members of the “smartphone generation” spend less time with their peers has several effects. The first of these is that the development of their social skills takes place in a limited way. There is a big difference between being behind the phone to communicate and doing it firsthand. They present a certain apprehension towards the latter.
Moreover, according to Dr. Twenge’s research, it seems that they have less skills in reading and writing. Maybe it has to do with the poor semantic richness they use in their messages to communicate. In addition, they often communicate using incomplete sentences.
4. More anxious and depressed
The same researcher draws attention to a disturbing fact. These young people seem to have higher levels of anxiety and depression. She says suicide has tripled among young people of these ages over the past 10 years. This could be linked to poor social contact and lower level of physical activity.
In reality, these effects of anxiety and depression are not the result of staying connected for so long. Rather, it is a consequence of what they stop doing because they are connected. If the balance between the two aspects were better, they would certainly benefit from greater stability.
5. They value safety and are more aware
Unlike “ Millennials ”, members of the “smartphone generation” are more realistic. They don’t have high expectations and value safety above all else. They are more willing to work hard. They are not attracted to activities involving too much risk.
It is striking that these young people are also more aware of their situation. They know that the time spent on their phone is of little benefit to them. However, they also point out that they don’t know how to live differently.
The “smartphone generation” is the product of cultural changes brought about by new technologies. Maybe they need their parents more to direct them to other ways of living. As they themselves say, they do not know how they could live otherwise, they do not know of other alternatives and this may be the reason why they do not take them into consideration. Ultimately, these young people may not cause as many problems as the generations before them, but they also seem to have lost some of their energy, of their desire to experience or change the world. They are sad and find no other way out than to adapt passively to the reality that is offered to them.
Our thoughts New technologies occupy an important place today: in many cases, children spend their free time glued to screens …
