Quote Originally Posted by Raymond Holt View Post
I'm in my mid-thirties now, and would say that if anything, I'd probably have preferred to have been born slightly earlier, maybe only by 5-10 years. Social media came along when I was in my late teens and I think if I'd been a little bit older, I may not have been caught up in it and wasted so much time on it in the years since. Outside of that though I think the late nineties/early 00's were as good a time as any to grow up in.

Having spent the last ten years teaching teenagers I have to disagree with some who have highlighted the positives of having more to do and more technology in recent decades. More TV certainly isn't a good thing and I see first hand how addiction to consoles and mobile phones has a negative zombie-like effect on some (and I stress it is only some) teenagers. I think that boredom can often spark creativity and help develop the use of initiative. Boredom sometimes actually allows us to think a little more deeply instead of flitting from one stimulus to the next. I think the current generation of teenagers have it a lot harder than ever before in many ways; greater social expectations/pressures which destroy confidence and self-esteem, a more tolerant society yes, but a less diverse and very dull range of sub-cultures and fashions to choose from and too much constant stimulation that helps to breed anxiety and other mental health issues.
You are so right about boredom, I met a child psychologist a few years ago and she gave me some great advice when my kids were very young. Don’t give them too much stimulation, let them get bored and see if any magic happens. She was so right, might not work for all but endless fussing over kids to keep them entertained isn’t good at all.