The Rantings of a Xennial

Who's that actor? What was he in? I know I've seen him in something before. He's pretty good, what else is he in?

I have these thoughts nearly every time I sit down and watch a movie or a new television program (Do we even call it television anymore? For how much longer?). I'm sure you have all done this as well. We no longer have to ask the rest of the people around us or wait until we hang out with our friends again. We simply pull out our phone and use imdb like a normal human being. In fact, I no longer watch anything without my phone out. Sometimes I'm searching up who the actor is, sometimes I'm checking out my friend's latest Instagram post, or sometimes I'm just playing a game. I don't watch anything and solely pay attention to it anymore. I literally have a device in my hand while I'm watching something on another.

So, if I, a middle-aged mother of four, am that reliant on technology, how much more are the students I will be teaching? I see it in my kids and I have been known to rail against their poor childhoods. "Why don't you go outside and play with friends?" "Why don't you ride your bikes to the candy store?" Probably because their friends all live miles away and there is no such thing as the candy store anymore, and they don't have any cash to spend anyway. These days they're asking me to transfer money out of their accounts to pay for the thing I ordered them on Amazon or the new something or other they bought for their latest online game.

This is reality. It's not necessarily a bad reality. It is simply their reality. And having someone spell out this reality has added another layer of insight for me. When I see students relating to one another via text, rather than meeting up in person or calling one another, I initially feel annoyed or sad for them. Oh, they don't know how to relate to people, those poor kids. But it's all about perspective. They do know how to relate, they do it every day via social media (Snapchat streaks) or FaceTime. Like Jeff pointed out, it's how we've taught them to do it. My kids have been Skyping family since they were infants. No wonder this is how they relate to their peers.

So I am embracing it. No more feeling sorry for this generation who don't know how to nervously dial a phone number of the girl or boy they have a crush on, hoping it's not a parent who answers the phone. I don't even want to dial the dentist office to make an appointment, why am I so critical of kids using text all the time? They will have their own experiences of childhood and I want to be there in the classroom to help them navigate and use the technology to their ultimate benefit.

Maybe it's the Xennial in me, always bridging the gap: