“Hi”, I said, to the two teenage girls. They clumsily attempted to open the front door. It was almost like a scene from Home Alone. I casually checked my mailbox while they carried out the sheer impossible task of turning a key 720 degrees clockwise. There was a flyer inside from a psychic medium with an exotic sounding name. “Fast solution for all ur business, love, finans, study, family problems. Protekcion against negatif influences and enemies. Treatment for infertility and impotens. 100% success garantied.” it read. I have a bright future ahead it seems. But giggles and chuckles disturbed my Nigerian dream. The two girls rushed inside. All that was left was an open door. Then an epiphany hit me like puberty struck my vocal chords. They are so fucking young, djeez. Or am I just getting older?
I hit puberty when life was still mainly offline. The internet started booming. DVDs were high-tech material. It was the time of Pokémon, Runescape and exciting pop music. I could have put more great nostalgic material here but my memory of those distant times is kind of foggy. I would say it was a rather relaxing era. It was just my little teenage cocoon and my “normal” coming of age struggles. Today the world wide web influences and pressurises teens. Global blessings and suffering shape and connect their lifestyle and worldview. What a world to grow up in. In this information age, I’m wondering how teenagers actually (learn to) date. Maybe sliding in DMs is the new approaching. Perhaps online communities are slowly replacing face-to-face groups as preferred meeting place. It might be that (s)exploration takes a shortcut. Tutorials about everything and answers to any question are up for grabs on the internet. There’s no excuse to be a child anymore. Or am I just getting old and unaware?
I say that on average the current teenager dresses more like a grown-up than my generation. When I walk down a shopping street I can’t tell whether someone is 13 or 23. “They all look the same to me” to quote a white person. The boys are easier to estimate. Guessing the age of girls is like playing darts. You shoot and you hope it lands on the right spot. Teenagers are growing up quickly it seems. They are influencer, entrepreneur, political activist, pop star, you name it. These young talents are taking over the world.
Calm down, bro. The exception is not the rule. What gets attention the most is not per se the norm. Crazy dating stories are special cases. In the few encounters I had with youngsters lately, I noticed they had big dreams and ideals. Sometimes there was a plan behind it. But foremost there was a lot of youthful innocence and naiveté. The range of a young person especially when it comes to life and social experience is undoubtedly shorter. I guess they still have a way to go, which is a good thing. I need to roll my eyes now and then. But the times they are a-changin’.
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