“The kids of today don’t understand the struggle…”, and its true we don’t. What we do understand is that everything changes and we have to adapt. Being a millennial myself means that I am the last generation to grow up without smartphones, internet, and the need for constant connectivity. I am the last generation to grow up playing outside instead of playing with Snapchat filters. I am the last generation to learn how to spell without google at my fingertips.
Our adaptably to rapidly changing technology has helped us navigate the two realms (pre-internet & post-internet). We have seen the rise of technology and have had no choice but to learn and grow with it.
With the rising increase in technology, the expansion of AI, and the need to have a certain number of likes and views, the pressure kids feel nowadays is unmatched. From the bombardment of videos they see daily, showing them what toys they need to have, how they should dress, and the latest lingo they must know, children experience more stress than ever before according to new research from Oxford University.
Kids all have cellphones and are glued to them constantly, staying in touch with everyone in group chats, sharing photos of their lunch (#yummy), and sharing the latest TikTok dances. There is a constant need to fit in and be liked, both in person and on social media.
If this kind of pressure is con-
sidered easy, take me back to when life was considered harder. When the only way to hear your favourite song again was to record it on your Walkman from the radio. When you had to pick up a phone to call your friend’s house, awkwardly talk to their dad, and wait patiently on the line as he yelled across the house for her. When you had to memorize your best friend’s phone number because there was no ‘contact’ app. When learning cursive was like learning a fancy new language and practicing your signature was a right of passage.
Of course, it’s not all bad. While my kids won’t know the joy of going to HMV to pick out their favorite new CD, they do have a whole world of music right at their fingertips (or at the beckoning of Alexa). They might not get to experience the excitement of going back to school shopping with their friends at the mall, but they can order whatever they need with the click of a button (and have it delivered the very next day). They might not have to memorize their best friends phone numbers, but they can stay in touch with friends they meet on vacation in Turks & Caicos for years to come. They might not know how to crochet a lace tablecloth, but they can 3d print a scaled Titanic replica complete with miniature iceberg.
Thankfully with the growing trends of shopping vintage, antique stores have seen an increase in newer generations stopping by to shop for house décor, vintage clothing, and old technology like radios and record players. These stores have the opportunity to show our kids how far we’ve come, how hard (or easy depending on your stance) things used to be, and how much joy and nostalgia there is in these things.
My daughters have grown up spending hours in Antiques on 48 and they will appreciate these things for years to come. They may not know how to churn butter, how to rewind a cassette, or what bottle milk is, but they have learned how to use a gramophone! This is the era of the younger generation knowing more about current technology than the previous generations, and together we can learn to combine the best of both worlds.