What can I learn from Generation Y?
Adaptability.
As much as I try and keep up with technology, my efforts pale in comparison to my 15 year old son. He has an uncanny ability to understand the devices. He has an iPhone. 15-year-oldr had a Galaxy S3 or ever spent much time with one. Yet, every time I can’t get mine to do what I think it should – I send out a shout and SavvySon comes to my rescue. I don’t know how he knows – he just knows.
They take updates in stride, unlike me. I have as much of a hard time adjusting to updates as I do to the time change. I mean, I’m thinking – I’ve just gotten my device exactly how I want it and then they go and change it! Then I hear SavvySon saying how much he’s waited for this update and it can do this or that.
What don’t I understand about Generation Y?
I have no idea.
So I asked my almost 14 year old daughter.
Her reply, “Music. You and dad like hymns and classical music.” Last I checked Mandisa and Chris Tomlin weren’t hymns. Just sayin’. I’m sure our parents would get a good laugh at that comment too, considering how much grief they endured with our music choices in the 80’s. DarlingDaughter also thought I didn’t understand teens clothing choices.
I’m not sure if it’s a lack of understanding or more that I am trying to give my children their space to be uniquely different from me and not trying to be “that mom” who dresses and acts 20 years younger than she is. Seems to me, my children are using the same things – music, hair, dress, slang – to differentiate themselves from the previous generation as we did as teens. Ecc. 1:9 comes to mind, “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Same question posed to SavvySon.
His reply – “technology.” He went on to explain that because I grew up in the olden days when computers were just being invented I was at a distinct disadvantage. On the other hand, they have never known life without a computer. This allows them to be steps ahead of us. Yes, son. I agree. Completely. Except the part about the 80’s being the olden days. Ouch.