technology vs. communication -catherine van tatenhove

Grounded. I am sitting in my room on not only a Saturday but the first UK football game Saturday completely and totally grounded. I will spare you the incomprehensible list of details of why I am in this situation, however I can disclose that I have successfully obtained my computer to craft this post, devoured the entire series of Harry Potter in twelve hours, and developed a secret code in order for my friends to contact me (this is not a joke please see Hannah Freibert for details) through letters.

If I am being candid, and I am, I have never been grounded before. I don't want you to think I abide by all the rules perfectly in order to stay out of the firing zone because I don't. However, I do love my parents and do my best to respect them and their rules. So, why am I telling you about the personal choices my parents make to discipline me? Because, and here's the kicker, technology is the sole reason I am in this predicament. 

Of course my views on this subject used to align with the majority of others in the sense that the innovation and advancements technology has given us are pivotal points in history. However, there are always the neigh-sayers who wish they were born in the 1920's when writing letters and dialing rotary phones were the only ways to tell your best friend who broke up with who. 

And, while I still agree with the majority, I have to confess in light of recent events my foundation has been shaken. I think the extensive (extensive is the key word here) amounts of technology we are surrounded by on a daily basis do more harm than good. It is difficult for adults to grasp that when they were high schoolers their parents didn't have the ability to track their child's phone, read through their text messages, and know every detail about every social event they have ever attended if they so choose. And, perhaps I am just another bitter angsty teen who was caught red handed, but I would like to think I take full responsibility for my actions and the consequences that will ensue. However, as surprising as it may seem, we are teenagers. We think we are invincible. We have underdeveloped frontal lobes. We stay out too late. We disappoint people we love. We are teenagers.

Some would argue, "Hey, all the more reason to keep you under our noses." But then I would pose the question of: well, what happened to real communication between a parent and a teenager? The kind of communication where not only did parents not keep children right under their noses, but they couldn't. There were no phones to take, no tv privileges to revoke just one on one communication. Of course, parents have a copious amount of reasons why just trusting teenagers doesn't work, additionally the era when our parents lived isn't exactly comparable to ours, and there are plenty of parents out there that do get the struggle between technology and REAL communication, but I am simply asking you to think about this-

Our grandparents solidified trust with their children using one thing, honest communication. 

Our parents solidify trust with us using one thing as well, extensive technology.

-and only time will tell which generation ends up better off.