Generation X, as well as older Millennials, grew up in an era when cars were synonymous with freedom and getting out of the home on weekends was everything. We were open to taking risks. We rebelled against the families we grew up in, and many of us didn’t think it was possible to talk with our parents back then about taboo subjects. However, teenagers today are more than content to—gulp—stay at home. Guck me with a spoon!
How has the world changed so rapidly in just a few decades? One answer is that we’re living in an age of technology. For those born from roughly 1961–1981, the world was a different place in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. Social media wasn’t even an idea. Computers were as big as rooms, or took up a whole tabletop. Plus, cell phones didn’t exist when Generation X were teens. You were fortunate enough to have a car telephone.
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Most people assume that Gen X and their children have differences due to the advent of technology. Teens today are more comfortable staying at home due to COVID-19 lockdown orders, virtual schooling, and more communication online than ever before. But you might be surprised by other differences between GenX and their teenage kids.
Gen X Couldn’t Wait To Start Adulting
If you’re part of Generation X or even an elder millennial, what was the one thing you and your friends looked forward to as a teenager? Getting a driver’s license! Many of us celebrated our 16th birthdays at the DMV. It was a way of life. Plus, it gave us the radical independence so many of us sought but couldn’t get elsewhere.
Teens are not the same. This is confirmed by the Federal Highway Commission Administration. In 2018, 61% of American 18-year-olds had a driver’s license, down from 80% percent in 1983. Between 1983 and 2018, 46% and 25% of 16-year-olds had a driver’s license.
Reddit user Reddit shared the experiences of Gen Xers with their teenagers not wanting to drive. The sentiment shared by many parents is summed up in this Reddit user’s comment: “I wanted to drive pretty much anything with tires and a motor as soon as I could reach the pedals and steer. My kids, not so much. Both of my sons were seniors in [high school] before getting their learner permits, and that was just to shut me up. They really weren’t interested.”
Teenagers today just don’t have the same interest in driving. Why? Because teens just don’t leave the house that we did decades ago. For those of us who couldn’t wait to get out of the house on the weekends or during the summer, we just don’t understand why our kids want to stay home. Reddit user posted this recent comment: “[My kids are] more than happy to gather 5-6 friends on Zoom or whatever and giggle and shriek at each other that way. The in-person hangout time just isn’t as important.”Perhaps today’s teens are more inclined to preserve their childhoods than to rush into imitating adults.
Is there still a community?
As teenagers grow up today in an era impacted by COVID-19, social media, and information being available at a moment’s notice, one searing difference between Gen X and their teens is the sense of community. The religious institutions are an area where the generations have a vastly different sense of community.
According to a Gallup poll, almost 70% of Americans were members of a synagogue, church, or mosque while Gen X was growing. That number fell to 47% in 2020 after a Gallup poll. It had been decreasing for 20 years. Gen X recalls the hypocrisy of many who worshiped in houses, but some regret that they didn’t replace these communities with better options.
Reddit’s self-described atheist stated, “I never really considered how much of a role the churches played in the community aspect of people’s lives. I grew up in a Catholic family, and the community was massive. It was far from perfect, but it made a difference in people’s lives. Arguably, the positives outweighed the negatives by a large margin.”
Online communities are becoming more popular among teens. Teenagers connect with their friends via social media and play video games. This generation is not defined by cultural touchstones, even though they have these online communities. Because there are so many online media, not everyone is getting the same content.
Reddit user, “I wonder what it will be like for them when they reach our age and don’t have the same cultural touchstones. There is so much media that no one is consuming the same thing.”Gen X may have many cultural touchstones, but teens today may not.
Teens today are healthier and more socially conscious.
Driving was a teenage right of passage in the past. However, drinking, getting high and having sex were also common teenage pastimes. For teens today, they’re much more conscious of the effects of drinking, smoking, drugs, and having lots of sex. In fact, The National Survey of Sexual Health and BehaviorRecent research confirmed many Gen Xers’ observations with their children. Although the study was focused on sex only, the lead researcher also discovered that teens were drinking less alcohol and driving less.
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Today’s teens are also more socially conscious than most of their parents were as teenagers. They’re involved in important discussions around racism, climate action, politics, and gender equality. Reddit parent: “At the age we were arguing which popular media franchise character was cooler, they’re engaging with discussions about the sociopolitical implications of how…characters’ roles are framed and presented.”
Plus, they’re more inclusive and understand that much in life is fluid, including gender, sexuality, and interests. Reddit user says: “They do have these amazing inclusive attitudes toward gender and sexuality—it goes beyond accepting others as they are, but more like you can be whatever you like and that’s just how it goes. I would say the current conservative political climate has no idea what is coming for them.”
Today’s Teens Are Cooler Than We Ever Were
The bottom line is that teenagers today are way cooler than us. Reddit shared the following: “My teens are way cooler than I ever was, and so are all their friends. They are confident and put-together, and the agonizing awkwardness I went through is nowhere to be seen. They are somehow more sophisticated than I was at this age.”
They’re also full of creativity, as evident in their social media posts and videos. Plus, teens today aren’t concerned with stigmas that existed around mental health when we were growing up. They can express their anxiety and stress, while also seeking support for mental health.
Teenagers are actually more caring and empathetic than most of us at that age. They’ve grown up in an era where bullying isn’t ok. They aren’t afraid of standing up to prejudice In fact, teens today stand up for each other and even stand up for themselves. They’re a generation that may just be defined by their kindness.
Overall, the sentiment Gen X has about their teenage children is best summed up in this parent’s Reddit comment: “I have a 25 [year old] and a 14 [year old]. Both are gamers and not at all interested in any sports, which I’m ok with. I wish they would get outdoors more though, both are stuck in their gaming routines. But both are caring and empathetic towards others. So I did something right.”