Then vs. Now: How things have changed from 1982-2012
Those kids today… you may be the parent of a teenager and wondering what you’ve gotten yourself into. But do you have it worse than parents of the past? We all know that kids will be kids, but how much do they change over the course of a generation?
The typical teenager in the early 1980s was rocking a Walkman and had just seen E.T. Today’s average kid? He has a cellphone in his pocket, he listens to Rihanna, he’s less likely to finish high school and he’s more likely to practice safe sex.
Music
1982: Olivia Newton-John, Survivor, Joan Jett and the Blachearts
2012: Adele, Rihanna, Katy Perry
Movies
1982: Fast Times at Ridgemont High, E.T.
2012: Twilight: Breaking Dawn, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows 2
Video Games
1982: Coleco Vision, Atari
2012: PS3, Wii, Xbox 360
Sports Stars
1982: Pete Rose
2012: LeBron James
Work Money
1982: $60.30 per week
2012: $130.oo per week
Cell Phones
1982: What?
2012: 3 out of every 4 teens has a cellphone
Marijuana Use
1982: 30% of teens
2012: 20% of teens
Career Aspirations
1982: Engineering, Biology, Business Management, Physical Sciences, Agriculture and natural resources
2012: Healthcare, Business, Education, Social Sciences, Visual & Performing Arts
Driving
1982: 52% of kids 15-17 had their driver’s license
2012: 43% of kids 15-17 had their driver’s license
SAT Scores
1982: 997
2012: 1,011
Graduation Rate
1982: 77.5% of high school students graduated
2012: 72% of high school students graduate
Diversity
1982: 79% white, 11.6% black, 6.3% hispanic, 1.3% Asian
2012: 54% white, 21.5% hispanic, 17% black, 5% Asian, 1.2% Native Americans
College Plans
1982: 58.3% go to college, 35.4% work full time, 6.3% other
2012: 79.2% go to college, 18.7% work full time, 2.1% other
Top Foreign Languages
1982: 18% Spanish, 9.2% French, 2.5% German
2012: 30% Spanish, 8% French, 2.1% German
Sex and Safety
1982: 55% of kids use contraception during their first sexual experience
2012: 81.5% of kids use contraception during their first sexual experience
My questions to you are:
Do you think this is an improvement?
What is worse, what is better?
What can we do to help future generations make better and more informed decisions?
How do you think the next generation will be different?
This is one of my questions, too. Is it polisbse that today’s kids are learning in new ways? Yes, social media is distracting, but is it polisbse that today’s students are able to integrate it more into their lives?