You’ve probably heard every adult in your life bemoan the “sorry state” of “kids these days” more often than you can count. But what is the real difference between our lives and the lives that our parents and grandparents lived as teenagers all those years ago?

Traditionally, teenagers are associated with rebellion and change. However, statistics and data taken from teenagers today shows that we are less likely than ever to do things that most people would consider “rebellious” — drinking, drugs, premarital sex, sneaking out. In fact, most of us don’t even leave our bedrooms most of the time.

Teenagers are more likely to prefer staying in instead of going out with friends or doing something with their family. They feel more comfortable alone by themselves than socializing or spending time with others. They would rather live their lives from the security of their rooms than doing what has been considered the norm for teenagers for generations upon generations.

Why are we so lethargic? What has caused this drastic change in the lifestyles we live today, as opposed to our parents and grandparents?

Dr. Jean Twenge, a psychologist who has studied this data for much of her life, traces these huge changes in data to technology. The speed of the technological revolution that has taken place in the past decade is more astounding than anything that any other generation has experienced — and it is taking its toll on us.

As a generation that has grown up entirely with technology, we have become adverse to leading real lives. We live in the virtual, spending more time by ourselves or in our rooms, caught up in our TV shows or social media. We miss out on the quintessential high school experiences and the process of growing up that every other generation has been through, because we are stuck inside with our technology.

This is not good for us. Statistics of depression and other mental illnesses have been skyrocketing for about the past decade. Not only that, but we are missing out on the beautiful and unique learning experiences that the world has to offer us as we grow up.

We as Generation Z must depart from the virtual lives we are living to become the strong and persevering leaders that will continue to change our world for the better as we come into our own.

http://www.lincolndiocese.org/op-ed/bishop-s-column/11006-let-them-be-born-in-wonder-2018