The Differences Between The Daily Life Of Teenagers Today, And That Of Young People 100 Years Ago

Running head: THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS 1

The Differences between the Daily Life of Teenagers Today, and That of Young People 100

Years Ago

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS 2

The Differences between the Daily Life of Teenagers Today, and That of Young People 100

Years Ago

The last century has been a period of sweeping environmental, political, and socio-

cultural change. Today’s norms, institutions, and social mores would be unrecognizable to

people from the early years of the 20

century. As societies have evolved, so too have their

people. The daily rhythm of life for every age, gender, and racial demographic has changed

drastically over the last century. For young people, the changes in lifestyle have been particularly

wide-ranging. Contrasting the teenagers of today with the young people of one hundred years

ago reveals a variety of lifestyle dissimilarities: the two cohorts differ in socialization habits,

education and career uptake, and the nature of their leisurely diversions.

The early years of the 20

century were the infancy of the technology age. One hundred

years ago, the digital communications technology that exists today was confined to science

fiction. Transportation technology was also elemental and scarce. Although motor vehicles had

been in production since the late 19

century, there were only about five million registered motor

vehicles in the United States in 1917 (Schlenoff, 2017). In 2017, there are more than 260 million

registered motor vehicles in the United States (Thomson, 2015). In addition to the development

of transportation, communication technology has grown rapidly: 67% of teenagers, for example,

own smartphones today (Wallace, 2015). The technological revolution has affected the way

teenagers go about their social life. One hundred years ago, teenagers socialized at their local

playground, in schools, or within their neighborhoods. Today, most teenage socialization occurs

over electronic media. The average teenager in the United States spends up to 9 hours a day on

their digital communication gadgets (Wallace, 2015). Face-to-face socialization is rarer today by

comparison with 100 years ago. In addition, teenagers today socialize within a broader

THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS 3

geographical range than young people did 100 years ago. Modern transportation vehicles such

as motor cars, locomotives, and airplanes have made it easier and cheaper to get around. Unlike

100 years ago, teenagers today are not confined to their neighborhoods; they can easily journey

to different localities. Technology has broadened the scope of teenage socialization, while also

changing its qualitative composition away from personal, face-to-face socialization to

impersonal socialization over electronic platforms.

In addition to socialization, today’s teenagers study and work differently from their

counterparts one hundred years ago. In the early 20

century, few teens attended high school.

For example, in 1920, less than a third of youths aged between fourteen and seventeen attended

high school (Thomson, 2015). In the cities, American teens worked in the factories and auxiliary

industries that defined the industrial revolution. Agrarian youths lived with their families on

farms and helped with the farm work. In 2017, high school is compulsory for all minors

(Thomson, 2015). Although most teenagers work part-time from the age of sixteen, many

continue with their education until college. Teenagers today live with their parents much longer

to attend school and ready themselves for career. 100 years ago, young people left school much

earlier to start working (Thomson, 2015). Today, independence and career uptake are delayed by

longer schooling.

Beyond altering youth socialization patterns, technology has also affected the way young

people pass their leisure time. Life afforded few diversionary engagements to teenagers one

hundred years ago. First of all, young people had less leisure time in 1917. The scarcity of

modern technology meant that such basic chores as cleaning laundry had to be performed

manually. Families were also larger (Thomson, 2015), which translated to more housework and

domestic responsibilities. Technology has eased these duties, allowing young people more time

THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS 4

to amuse themselves. Secondly, delayed career uptake and independence have availed teens

with more opportunities for leisure. One hundred years ago, youths had limited options for

entertainment. These included sport, attending concerts and movies, going to dances, and

friendly chatter. Today’s teenagers have broader choices, including television, video games, the

internet, road or air travel, music, and other forms of digital entertainment. Cultural changes have

also allowed teenagers more freedom to enjoy the things they like. One hundred years ago,

societies were significantly more conservative than they are today. Young people today face

fewer restrictions on their leisurely amusements. Many activities that would have been frowned

upon in 1917 are scarcely noticed in 2017. For example, teen dating was subject to strict social

sanctions one hundred years ago (Thomson, 2015); today, social mores surrounding dating are

more liberal. Teenagers today travel, consume entertainment, and try new things more frequently

than their counterparts did one hundred years ago.

The last century has brought wide-ranging changes to human societies. All demographics

have seen broad changes in their priorities, lifestyles and attitudes. For young people, these

changes have been particularly pronounced. Technological as well as socio-cultural changes

have altered the way young people socialize with one another. Young people have also changed

their schooling and career uptake patterns, extending the former while delaying the latter. Lastly,

young people have seen increases in their choice of leisurely diversions. These far-reaching

changes are a testament to the enduring nature of change and the adaptability of human nature.

THE LIVES OF TEENAGERS 5

References

Schlenoff, D. (2017, January 1). The Motor vehicle, 1917. Scientific American. Retrieved from

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-motor-vehicle-1917-slide-show/.

Thompson, D. (2015, February 11). America in 1915: Long hours, crowded houses, death by

trolley. The Atlantic. Retrieved from

www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2016/02/america-in-1915/462360/.

Wallace, K. (2015, November 4). Teens spend a 'mind-boggling' 9 hours a day using media,

report says. CNN Health. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/03/health/teens-

tweens-media-screen-use-report/index.html.

Place new order. It's free, fast and safe

Paper type

Deadline

Page count

550 words

Total price: $ 15.00

Our customers say

Jeff Curtis

USA, Student

"I'm fully satisfied with the essay I've just received. When I read it, I felt like it was exactly what I wanted to say, but couldn’t find the necessary words. Thank you!"

Ian McGregor

UK, Student

"I don’t know what I would do without your assistance! With your help, I met my deadline just in time and the work was very professional. I will be back in several days with another assignment!"

Shannon Williams

Canada, Student

"It was the perfect experience! I enjoyed working with my writer, he delivered my work on time and followed all the guidelines about the referencing and contents."