Not many years ago, families used to have one telephone and one TV
in the living room, and there was no such thing as a home computer.
Nowadays, all those items can be found in most teenagers’ bedrooms.
Behind closed doors, teens can have private conversations, and they can
turn the TV on to any channel they like. If they are curious, they will use
the Internet to explore places they never imagined existed, get a lot of
information, and talk to people far away. Having this equipment in their
own rooms means an increase in privacy for the kids.
As a result, many parents complain that teenagers are becoming too
individualistic and too isolated from the family. On the other hand,
teenagers think that parents should respect their privacy. Psychologists
say that if the teens lock their bedroom door, parents should just keep
on knocking. Parents have the right to know who their sons and
daughters are with and what they are doing. But parents must be
flexible, too. Some parents are very strict and try to keep control of
their kids. But in the end, that doesn’t work, because it makes teens
rebellious and unhappy. The more unhappy teenagers are, the more they
want to be left alone. Some may even turn to the Internet and give up all
social encounters with family members and live in cyberspace.
Today’s teenagers may be “click and go,” but they are also the most
educated, and the most globally aware, generation. They realize the
importance of studying and getting a job. If you ask teenagers today
about the future, most of them will tell you that they are optimistic. But
teenagers will be teenagers. One expert asked a teenager why he
questioned everything his parents said and why he was behaving like such
an idiot. His answer was,” It’s my job. I’m a teenager.”