Jean Twenge — How the smartphone affected an entire generation of kids

This is an important article socially, politically and economically based on its implications.

While there is a "digital divide" between analog people and digitally capable people, the more significant divide is between those that grew up in the transition to the digital age, with the introduction of mass computing in around 1980. The Apple II was introduced in 1977.

The most significant digital divide generationally is between analog natives and digital natives. Now a further iteration is coming to light. The divide between smart technology natives and those previous to it.

In this environment, analog natives are being left behind, even though they may be digitally capable but are not digitally native. It is a deep difference in culture.

Something similar happened at the time of the countercultural revolution. I was in the preceding generation but not by much and I opted to burn bridges and join the movement. As a result I live in a very different world from that inhabited by the people with whom I grew up. 

I was also on the cusp of the movement away from classical liberal arts education, where there was a sharp division in high school between college track and trade track. In the classical liberal tradition, college track included study of Latin and Greek for reading the classics in the original language. Serious writing was littered with allusion that would be opaque to those without a classical education. That is over now and has almost been forgotten.

Something similar is happening with the proliferation of digital technology. It's a new world. And his will have enormous implications across the board.

The Conversation
How the smartphone affected an entire generation of kids

Jean Twenge | Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University

Also

I agree about learning to code, along with reading, writing and 'rithmetic. It's a component of literacy in the digital age.

Ideally, children should also learn two languages from infancy. Presently, this only happens in bi-lingual  households. The research is in, showing that the benefits are significant, and it should be introduced culturally as early as possible.

This is already happening in many countries where knowing more than one language is essential. Technology now makes this possible. For example, in bi-lingual households, often grandparents don't live near the children but talk to them daily via digital technology.

Futurism
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