Feeling out of place and as if you were born in the wrong era or generation is not unheard of, and certainly not uncommon in today’s society. Sometimes these feelings can come from a love for a certain type of music, fashion, or some other social aspect of a specific era. These interests can make an individual feel that they were not meant for the generation they were born into. However, I believe this phenomenon is more prominent than before because of the rapid technological advancements that have been made in recent decades.
Let’s talk about cell phones. Most of us can be found glued to them for hours at a time. Whether it be a text, a phone call, or anything in between, there always seems to be a reason to have your phone stuck to your hands like it’s gold. While the development of smartphones has introduced unique elements in our daily lives, many people feel like an anomaly in our present day. Our parents grew up in a world that prioritized spending time with the community. Additionally, unlike the multitude of recreational options we have today, our parents had to create their own forms of entertainment. Most of the current generation can not relate to that. Although I personally did not obtain a phone until my teen years, a majority of my friends received phones much earlier. This was when I first saw the divide cell phones had caused. I mean, who wants to be outside when you have virtually everything at the touch of your fingertips?
Unfortunately, the advancement of phones has truly divided today’s society where cancel culture is trending and there is nothing but negativity spreading across the internet. Children are exposed to bullying and content too mature for them because there is no supervision over their phones or internet use. This is likely one of the most notable reasons that kids feel they are out of touch with their generation. When we hear our parents talk about going around town and interacting with their neighbors, we do not feel that same sense of nostalgia. We as human beings long for companionship and community and without them we feel like misfits.
With the technological distraction sitting in our pockets taking away our physical connections, it’s no wonder why people long for living in another generation. When people from an older generation talk about “simpler times” it doesn’t mean that the world was a perfect place back then, but the news was not as omnipresent as it is today. Social media is a stream of bad news or negative comments that are being shared 24/7. When viewed holistically, it’s hard to imagine that we can feel comfortable or happy in this generation when there’s nothing but negativity. Although it might be difficult to do, we should try to disconnect from our devices every now and then and reconnect with each other.