Dec
10
Written by:
Dan Maas
12/10/2008
Teens have always thought that adults just don't understand them. Today's teens are growing up in a world which is so totally different than what we adults had, this age-old truism may be an even bigger divide today than ever. I spend quite a bit of time interacting with students, teachers, administrators and parents and being charged with technology leadership in the district, my conversations are always about this difference. The struggle to understand and connect is at the core of these conversations and sometimes I find it helpful to use an old language arts activity to bridge the gap: similes. By comparing something you don't understand with something you do, it is possible to gain an insight that you would otherwise miss. Here are a few I've recently come across in speaking today's youth:
"Not having text messaging today is like growing up without a bike in the 20th Century." For us, the bicycle was the means of socialization. If you had a bike, you could meetup with your friends and participate in a social life centered around your neighborhood. Today, the social network is extended with text messaging. Kids still certainly socialize with students around the neighborhood but their social network is extended to include people who may live quite far away. Some students tell me about how they keep up with friends who have moved out of state and yet remain fixed in the peer group.
"Using your friend's cell phone is like asking to share his lunch." If you are really hungry, it's no big deal... but you wouldn't want to do that all the time. A cell phone is being seen by more and more teens as an essential that they can't do without. Certainly they must learn to be responsible with these powerful tools and not use them to cheat in a class or allow the phone to be a disruption, but it is being seen as standard fare... as commonly necessary as eating lunch.
"Borrowing your mom's iTouch is like wearing her winter coat." MP3 players, like the iPod and iTouch, are highly personalized possessions with playlists of songs and even videos the owner likes. They become an expression of your identity and no two are alike. It is common for a kid to be asked to show a friend what he/she has on that personal device. The reality is that the contents are really quite personal. If you like rap or metal and you are sporting your mom's MP3 player loaded with ABBA and Mariah Carey songs... you are in for a personal crisis!
These teen remarks I've heard in recent weeks have really opened my eyes to what their experience is today.
If you have some helpful similes, please share!