Debating the Generations (October 5, 2018)

Debating the Generations  ​

Willits's Weekly Wonderings Two (4)

Good Afternoon--

Earlier this week, I shared breakfast with three friends, something we have done with some measure of regularity for over nine years.  Our friendships date back to our college years (~15 years ago) and our breakfast routine was initiated as a time to invest in one another in a way that extends beyond the normal "young" male social vernacular (i.e. trivial/inconsequential matters (e.g. football, fantasy or otherwise)).  When we started our breakfast gatherings, much of our dialogue focused on the transition from the college years to the "real" world.  As jobs have changed and as children have been born (the four of us are the proud fathers of fifteen children), our dialogue shifted toward parenting and vocations.  As we have continued to age, a regular topic of our conversations has been on the differences between generations.  One of my good friends is in human resources and references the challenges employing the "younger" generation (i.e. millennials).  Another friend is a college coach, and references similar challenges coaching the younger generation.  The other two of us are educators and are able to add to the challenges of the next generation.  I like to take a strong stand that I am NOT a millennial, but am a very young "Gen-X-er" (or whichever generation came before the millennials, which varies depending on which source you cite).  My friends are eager to debate me, and I'm not sure (even after 9 years) if that's because they genuinely disagree with me or just like arguing with me!  Regardless of where you draw the lines around different generations or where you fall within those lines, I suspect we could all agree:

​smartphones and/or screens are having a profound influence on the next generations.

Because of this, and because I have the joy of spending 40-50 hours a week with the next generations, I have invested time and energy into learning more about the effects our kids' devices are having. Here are a few resources I thought were worth sharing:

I have learned a great deal from Simon Sinek.  Below is a video of him speaking about millennials in general but the effects of devices in particular.

​Simon Sinek and the effects of devices (millennials) (11:25)

The Atlantic asked a thought provoking question last year when it wrote, Has the Smartphone Destroyed a Generation (~20 minute read).  

​If you were going to give advice for a happy adolescence based on this survey, it would be straightforward:  Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something-anything-that does not involve a screen.

Another valuable resource is Walt Mueller's ​Center for Parent and Youth Understanding​.*  In the link below, he offers a helpful infographic, along with some suggestions on how to use devices in a healthy way.

​Kids and Smartphone Addiction (~3 minute read)

This TED talk video has been on my list to share for quite some time.  I am sharing it, in part, because it is becoming "old" in relation to other material of the same subject matter as Sherry Turkle gave this talk over six years ago.

​Connected, but alone (19:42)

As a father and educator, I believe the efforts of my generation are to work to ensure we are outdone by the generations to come.  As these resources allude to, we have work to do!

I love being your student's school counselor.  If there is something you want me to know to do it better, please hit "reply."

Grant W. Willits

5-8 School Counselor

(712)722-3783 (x2120)

*Walt Mueller is a youth pastor and CPYU is an explicitly Christian resource. While his worldview aligns with mine, I don’t presume it aligns with yours and believe his resource offers substantive content for all parents, Christian or otherwise.