Life of Teenagers (Essay Sample)

Life of Teenagers
Name
Institution
Differences between the daily life of teenagers today, and that of young people 100 years ago
The dynamism of life is one that is extremely intriguing. Throughout an individual’s life, one undergoes countless experiences. These experiences tend to influence behaviors and customs, consequently transforming the individual in one way or another as time goes by. There are innumerable differences that can be noted between the lives that young teens lived a century ago and today. Some of the major differences between the two comparisons are those brought about by technological advancements, changes in societal norms and practices among others (Miller & Rollnick, 2002). This paper will highlight some of the distinguished differences between the lives of teens today and those of a hundred years ago.
The world as we know it today has undergone tremendous advancements when it comes to technology. A hundred years ago, some forms of technologies, for example, smart phones, portable computers, among others could only exist as mere fragments of imaginations among humans. Today, it is almost considered unfashionable not to possess a fancy mobile device or laptop, especially among the teenagers. These devices have turned out to be necessities without which life would be challenging. A hundred years ago, teenagers were accustomed to traditional modes of communication as taught by their guardians. These also varied globally from one society to another. Modern time teens enjoy the luxury of having communication means made easier by technological advancements such as these sophisticated gadgets (Castells, 2007).
Social lifestyles have greatly changed. Socialization is no longer as Spartan as it used to be a hundred years ago. Back then, teens used to interact physically with their peers, however, being limited within their residential boundaries. Nowadays, this has progressed beyond any person’s imagination, with the emergence of social media platforms, such as Facebook, Tweeter, Skype, and Whatsaap amongst others. These have facilitated interaction between teenagers by defying any physical boundaries. It is possible for any person to easily make friends, contact them instantly and network, despite being thousands of miles apart. Unlike teens who lived a hundred years ago, those of modern times consider this as trendy and unstylish not to be a member of any of these platforms (Lenhart, Purcell, Smith & Zickuhr, 2010).
Another significant difference would be in the educational systems that teens back then used to go through, and those that modern teens are accustomed to. School was more informal than formal in those periods than it is today. Nowadays, learning is more emphasized with parents enrolling their children from early childhood. In the past, learning would be passive, with habits and behaviors being picked and developed as one grew up (Kolb, 1984). Moreover, parent would even be responsible for passing on traditions and making import...