I think a lot of us deeply care about the future society that will cater to the people that are currently young. And it seems remarkably boring, superficial and for the lack of a better word, just devoid of anything fun.
In the end noone cares if this is a subculture (there were enough subcultures when I was in school i.e goths, metalheads etc), its more of a problem if this behaviour becomes uniform across all cultures and mainstream.
Yeah, sure, they aren't social in the same way you were. But you weren't social in the same ways your parents were either. Calling the younger generations antisocial because they've fully embraced technology as a core part of their identity smacks of patronism to me. Kids these days with their rock and roll, so antisocial!
That's the bit the old people don't understand.
Board games are fine, as would be video games in the same room as the other players. But online?
Note that the same worry would apply to a youth who spent all their free time reading alone in the past.
My high school apparently got complaints from neighboring homes that students were having sex in their bushes.
So, yes, changing social lives may be an issue, but it doesn't seem like it was easy before.
In my teenage years I played online games and had a group of online friends for years, some of which I am still in touch with regularly.
I don't understand how you get the boring bit though, partaking in outside activities does not make you interesting.
Wow. Just: wow.
I am eager to see how a generation that grew up in virtual reality deals with actual reality. So far it ain't lookin' so good.
Rad? I didn't need to drive in High School, and I still found plenty to do back in the 90s. Kids today have even more options.
> there's a frigging movieplex down the street with a bunch of restaurants and TWO parks on opposite sides of the main E/W street... and they just ... go home. WTF.
First, movie theaters are awful. Second, there's so much cool stuff to do once you get home! I can go home and play a space marine with my friends, or build castles, or ride dragons, or be the last one standing in any number of variations on king of the hill. I can jump online with my crew and be literally anything you can imagine. With tools like Roll20, I can tell stories and roleplay. I can watch Netflix with my friends online.
Restaurants are expensive. Parks are fun for a bit, but it seems pretty out of touch to say, "What The Fuck."