Post #2: Why We Use Our Phones as Shields

Hello and welcome back to A Teenager Tries to Understand, my blog about navigating the world as a teenage girl. In my second post, I wanted to talk about the societal culture I've encountered at my high school in the last few years, especially with the rise of AI and ever-complexifying technology. 

I have noticed a general feeling of isolation among many students, whether that's caused by the divisive social hierarchy at school, or is simply a result of the fact that most people are glued to their phones when they're not in class. It is strange to me that we are the most connected generation in history, but somehow are also the loneliest. But honestly, by devoting all our time and effort into our digital interactions, we are neglecting the relationships that are right in front of us. I’m guilty of it, too. When a social situation gets awkward or I feel uncomfortable, my first instinct is to pull out my phone as a shield. But lately, I've been wondering what this constant digital buffer is doing to our ability to actually relate to one another.

I can't speak on behalf of everyone my age, but I know I have recently grown impatient with the way our internet-reliant generation restricts us from being ourselves and living our best lives. It seems like our dependence on digital communication, which is a lot less pressure compared to face-to-face conversations, is restricting us from taking risks and making hard decisions in social scenarios - which could be detrimental if it keeps progressing in that manner. 

In psychology, there is a concept (known as avoidance conditioning) that essentially says whatever you practice, you get good at, and whatever you avoid, you become afraid of. Because of our generation's reliance on edited and emoji-fied communication, face-to-face interactions feel nerve-racking. When we talk in person with someone, there are so many new factors being introduced that we don't worry about when texting or sending each other Snaps. We can't use emojis to express our feelings, we can't spend twenty minutes formulating a response to someone's comment, and we have to give people our full attention for the entirety of the conversation. 

That concept infiltrates our lives today through our avoidance of things that, in the years before internet and social media, would have been the norm. According to UnHerd, surveys report that in the seventies and eighties, around 85% of high school seniors went on dates frequently, as opposed to in 2024, when data showed that a mere 46% of high schoolers went on dates - a drop of 45% since 1980. This is not just about going on dates, this is missing out on the experiences that make us human beings.

The thing about being a teenager is that not a lot of people understand us, let alone advocate on our behalf. That means the choice is left to us; we can choose to stay comfortable behind a screen, or we can practice being human and having real interactions.

Please leave feedback on this post in the comment section below, and follow my Pinterest account at @ATeenageBlog. See you at Post #3!