Gen Z Is Tech-Savvy but Never Learned to Type
What? According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 2.5% of students who graduated high school in 2019 took a keyboarding/typing class throughout their schooling history.
So What? Many Gen Zers and Gen Alphas are incapable of typing on a traditional keyboard, opting for their thumbs on phones and tablets instead. And The Wall Street Journal reports that between March and May, 39% of school assignments submitted through the online platform Canvas were uploaded from mobile devices.
Now What? Just because your child is tech-savvy doesn’t mean they know how to type. Most children won’t learn this skill unless they’ve specifically been enrolled in a computer or business class. So if your teen has missed out on this skillset and wants to learn (just because you can type a whole paper on your phone doesn’t necessarily mean you should), consider enrolling him or her in a typing class or using an online program.
#GymTok and #FoodTok Trends Can Ruin Body Image
What? In a study conducted by StudyFinds, researchers found that young women who use TikTok for as few as 8 minutes are more likely to report a decrease in body image satisfaction from before they used the app.
So What? This negative correlation was true regardless of whether the users were shown #GymTok and #FoodTok content (videos focused on workout regimens and weight loss methods) versus “neutral” content, such as videos of nature, for instance.
Now What? According to Psychology Today, taking a break from social media for as little as one week can improve self-esteem and body satisfaction, especially for women “with high levels of thin-ideal internalization). So encouraging occasional breaks from TikTok and other social platforms may be helpful for parents of vulnerable teens.
Most Parents Say It’s Harder to Be a Teen Today
What? A new study from Pew Research found that 69% of parents believe being a teen today is harder than it was 20 years ago (and 44% of teens agreed.)
So What? Of the percentage who said being a teen is more difficult now, the majority of parents blamed technology, with 41% specifically citing social media. Teens don’t disagree; however, more teens blamed their difficulties on increased pressures and expectations.
Now What? It would be easy to look at this information and deduce that social media is the main reason kids feel more pressures and expectations compared to 20 years ago. And that could be the case. But as parents, we have to ask ourselves: Am I part of the problem? Could I be putting pressure on my teen because I think he or she uses social media too much? Or might I be placing higher expectations on them because of what I’ve seen in my own feed? Ask your teen if they think it’s harder to be a teen today. And ask them why. You might be surprised by their answers.
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