She said she was tired of all the noise and needed it quiet to focus for her tests. I swear I even heard her say the words, “I completely turned my phone off and put it on the top shelf so it wouldn’t distract me.” While this might have seemed like an otherworldly event, she was actually making a choice similar to many other teens in her generation—unplugging.
More and more teens are getting tired of always being digitally connected. There has become an oversaturation of tech in their lives, and they are searching for a little simplicity. Consider these telling trends. Three years ago, less than one percent of teens intentionally opted for a flip phone; today that number is three percent. That may not seem like a lot, but that small number equates to several hundred thousand teens who are saying, “I don’t need all that stuff.”
Millennials are typically the first adopters of new technology. The tech industry counts on teenagers gobbling up every new gadget they crank out. The buying desires of teens is a huge influence on what gets made and what features it will have. When the new Apple Watch was released, something weird happened. Less than ten percent of teenagers said that they needed one. This was a shock to everyone who has ever laid eyes on a teenager (or the Apple Watch for that matter). When asked why teens are giving a cold shoulder to this latest wrist candy, the answer was simply, “I don’t need another screen in my life.”
In what may be the tipping point toward tech simplicity… enter the celebrities. As much as I loathe the influence our pop culture saturated world gives to celebrities, in this case it might be a good thing. Many celebrities such as Rihanna, Scarlett Johansson, and Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck have gone old school with their phones. These influencers shape the decisions of millions of teens. What they are saying is that it’s time to go small and forego the sleek and shiny devices of today.
Tech has developed into a double-edged sword for our kids. Their fear of missing out (FOMO) keeps them constantly connected, but the ever-present connectivity actually leads to less authentic social engagement. Teens and tweens that learn to unplug periodically report a higher level of “present moment awareness” and less anxiety.
Don’t expect your teenagers to go cold turkey with tech in their life, but you shouldn’t be surprised to see them leave their phone behind every now and then. You might need to be prepared for the dawning of the tech apocalypse when your teenager walks in, turns off the TV, and wants to have a conversation. In all seriousness, this would be a great conversation starter with your teen or tween. Here are a few questions to get the ball rolling.
Do you ever wish you could just “unplug” from everyone?
How do you think teenagers today maintain their own identity when everyone is on social media 24/7?
What is one thing you do to keep yourself from being sucked into all the online drama?
Is there anything I can do to help make your life more simple?
So give your teens a challenge this summer. See if they want to do a fun experiment and simply unplug for a day.