Kids With Phones Should Worry You

It's funny how often the newest generation is called lazy, naive, and unable to survive on their own. This has probably been the case since there has been a "newest generation" and the power to complain; there's little doubt that one of the first things one older caveman said to another was that the newest generation. With the advent of the smartphone, this has only gotten worse, as the newest generation now doesn't need to worry about getting bored and since there isn't any boredom there is no reason to try anything new.

Old people need to stop finding new reasons to complain.

If you don't look too closely at the kids talking or playing on their phones, it's easy to see them just wasting time, but if you take a closer look, you're going to see a far different picture. Sure, you've got kids being kids, but let's not forget that older generations were able to be kids even while pursuing more serious missions; you've seen kids skinny dipping while farming, kids making music and dancing even while fighting for civil rights, and kids playing soccer even while fighting wars.

Kids work just as hard as they play.

Some people complain that kids are wasting the power given to them by smartphones. They complain that the phones give them a lot of power, and they're wasting it texting and playing games. These people forget just how powerful those phones are. You have kids setting up businesses and finding out ways to make money using methods that simply didn't exist when some of those adults were their age. They're setting up networks and creating art that just wasn't even imagined by previous generations.

Kids write using their phones. Even writing reviews can have an effect, while writing a blog where you communicate emotions and experiences can empower others. These can also galvanize a community to make changes. Imagine what Martin Luther King, Jr., could have done with a Facebook account.

Consider how many people got into film with just an 8mm camera. Kids have access to full-color video, editing suites, and ways to show off their work; there are even sites that give out instructions on how to get better at filming and how to do special effects. You can buy a green screen for less than $30. Sure, you've got all the usual silliness, but you have kids producing some really great films.

They are also creating music on their phones and producing videos to back it up. Some are even starting careers through their efforts while eschewing the normal studio structure.

You also have kids getting into activist journalism, becoming one-person news outlets. They can investigate a situation, then write the reports, post the pictures, and even present video clips, all produced on their phones. If something is happening, you can count on someone having footage and posting it; kids are finding that they can affect change just by reporting on something and showing it.

The need for content alone keeps kids busy.

Some people are complaining that phones encourage kids to not worry about cooking. The reality is that you have kids doing more than just taking pictures: You have kids liking something and then looking up recipes, playing with those recipes, and seeing what they can do with it themselves. These cooks then inspire other cooks. There are a lot of kids cooking for a generation that isn't cooking.

Some are worried about artificial intelligence taking over illustration, but they're ignoring that kids are figuring out ways to make their own art. Not only are they creating their own scenes, but they're transforming pictures far more than simple filters would allow them.

So I wouldn't worry about society ending any time soon. I'd be worried about what kids are planning right in front of us.