That's a good point. Maybe it's the combination of both. The access to information that was not before reachable to teenagers. What I've noticed for myself once online access becomes more and more universal, more information is also available, and this means that also information about what is _really_ happening in the world becomes available, not just curated "everything is ok" information.
Information about wars being waged, global poverty, the US raging wars, nuclear holocaust fears, and the feedback loops that the effect of anybody becoming a journalist these days creates. Also the combination of internet trolls, systematic brainwashing and censorship, makes it even harder to understand what is real and what is not.
But it might be the phones, I see more and more kids, like aged 10 - 15, walking in the playgrounds, streets, sitting down with phones in their hands, staring at some game or video that is providing them with constant small feedback. It used to be that if you were outside, you at least were walking and concentrating on just that, or you were sitting down with your friends at the playground, now everybody seems to have a phone or they are looking at somebody elses phone.
It's a complex issue for sure. But I wouldn't blame the kids either, as they learn these habits from their parents, who to be honest most are just getting used to the internet phenomena and global information access, it's not that much of an old thing, although us working in the technical field who have had access since maybe childhood to BBSs etc might think so.
Information about wars being waged, global poverty, the US raging wars, nuclear holocaust fears, and the feedback loops that the effect of anybody becoming a journalist these days creates. Also the combination of internet trolls, systematic brainwashing and censorship, makes it even harder to understand what is real and what is not.
But it might be the phones, I see more and more kids, like aged 10 - 15, walking in the playgrounds, streets, sitting down with phones in their hands, staring at some game or video that is providing them with constant small feedback. It used to be that if you were outside, you at least were walking and concentrating on just that, or you were sitting down with your friends at the playground, now everybody seems to have a phone or they are looking at somebody elses phone.
It's a complex issue for sure. But I wouldn't blame the kids either, as they learn these habits from their parents, who to be honest most are just getting used to the internet phenomena and global information access, it's not that much of an old thing, although us working in the technical field who have had access since maybe childhood to BBSs etc might think so.