24/7, Teens Get the Message

June 27th, 2005 Stewart Posted in Uncategorized |

Yet another “Teens Like Technology” article, which is nothing new, but an interesting stat hidden away in the article mentions that the single-largest consumer group of computer chips is 15-year-old girls, attributed mostly to cell phones. In fact, the whole article focuses on the communications aspect of technology, and how the Millennials stay in constant contact with one another.

One interesting side note in the article is the use of instant messaging to create alternative personae online — the white-bread ballerina who becomes “darkgrrl24″ or whatever — to “try out” different lifestyles. They also use IM to meet, date, and break-up online, apparently to save themselves having “sad, miserable” conversations in the real world. This feels a little self-deceptive to me, like kids who aren’t ready to really explore alternative lifestyles or have “boyfriend/girlfriend” relationships using technology to keep themselves from feeling pain, disappointment, rejection — the negative emotions that can often be the strongest character-building and emotional “learning” moments that young people have.

But I also get the impression that this is no trend; really more of a minority of wired Mils using technology as a communications “shield.” As always, I’d like to hear more about the weirder, more awkward Mils who don’t always fit the SuperKids standard Howe & Strauss put out there. I would think that their world must seem strikingly different from their high-impact peers.