Bubble Kids

It isn't new for adults to ridicule the ways kids behave. Adults have always looked down on the ways and cultures of the younger generations. It's a tradition. With the introduction of technology the younger generation seems to be even more removed from previous generations in that their social skills are completely foreign. Try making grandma understand why you must log on to IM all your friends the moment you walk in her door for summer vacation. Doubtless that she will be thrilled.

Technology has moved kids and teens into another era. One where adults aren't as comfortable, though are becoming increasingly so as the days move on and technology is everywhere. In order to function in society one must understand technology somewhat.

The attitude taken by these articles is a little skewed in my opinion. Sure kids are more engrossed in their cyber worlds than in the real world. Certainly there should be a line drawn between reality and technology. Definitely more steps need to be taken to avoid frivolous lawsuits such as the increasingly infamous MySpace suit currently underway. But are kids and teens to blame for their behavior? I don't think so.

All too often teenagers get the short end of the stick. Adults are all to quick to point fingers and judge how terrible a teenager is even if that adult is doing the same thing. How many times have you been talking to an adult and had a conversation interrupted by a cell phone? Now, how often is that conversation over because the person answered the cell phone and continued to chat as though you weren't in the middle of something? Bluetooth technology is making this even more the "norm". It's so easy to interrupt a real life conversation and switch gears to an on call conversation without skipping a beat. Ignoring the real world in favor of technology isn't just a teenager's "problem".

Before adults continue to ridicule teenagers and kids about their online and cell phone behaviors maybe those same adults should remove the damn cell from their heads and complete a conversation before cutting someone off. Actions speak louder than words, unless those words are directed toward someone who's not even present. Then your words speak volumes.