Drum roll please all you wonderful readers out there. This self proclaimed Luddite, aka me, has finally succumb to the coolness of modern technology. I have officially swallowed the tech Kool-Aid. Not quite sure which flavor I like best yet, but I’m now willing to sip and taste some more. I can finally see the coolness in it all, swirling in a tall glass of Instagram and Twitter.
Yes it’s taken me years, I’ll admit it. Every one of you out there knows that I despise my teenager’s cell phones. I’ve written many columns about my distaste for the havoc they create.
But this week I had a shift in thinking. Thanks to my new 26-year-old hair colorist, I’m walking around with a new view of our tech savvy generation, (my two high schoolers included) and a cool shade of blonde.
Here is what I learned from this fine young professional. She shed light and brought into focus the real world that she and my two teens really coexist in. In describing her own teenage years and the ones ahead for mine, I finally saw through my parental haze and could see where she was coming from.
In her personal and professional life, she relies heavily on apps on her phone. In fact her whole life is her phone. It’s her life hub, if you will — banking, grocery shopping, transportation, communication. All of it conveniently located on one device.
Normally, that would seem crazy to me. Everything on your phone? What if you lose it or it gets stolen? But the new me was like: cool, how easy it must be for you to stay organized.
My two teens only use their phones to text or watch videos. Their financial lives aren’t an issue yet because they are too young still. But there will come a time when they bank and food shop on their phones, guaranteed.
This generation and beyond simply thinks like that. My two teenagers will probably never buy stamps to put on envelopes, let alone go to the post office. They will most likely have food delivered to their front door. They will use a car service if out at night after drinking. And maybe, they will use a delivery service that lets the person open their front door and place the package safely inside, neat and tidy.
It’s basically a world of magic and convenience. Their world is different from my generation and their grandparents’ generation. We think differently, and it’s not a bad thing. I guess us old timers like to pick out our own fruit at the grocery store. We still use snail mail, still enjoy newspapers and books in print. I still like to talk to my husband and prefer a phone call or a coffee date to catch up with people. But hey, that’s just me.
Will I now check out some apps on my phone? You bet I will. Maybe a yoga app or one on cooking. Maybe something new and different is in order. Will I stop yelling at my teenagers to get off their phones?
No, I will not. I’m their mother, it’s my job. But for now, I won’t criticize so much, and I’ll actually pay attention when they tell me stories about Snapchat videos or show me silly memes.
I don’t get their world, but I like parts of it, and I’m willing to let my Kool-Aid pitcher fill up. So here is to swallowing mouthfuls of social media, apps and games, one gulp at a time.
Elizabeth Knobel lives in Windsor and is the mother of two teens who give her inspiration everyday. She can reached at [email protected].
