Teens on phone the entire time in a party - is this normal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is both common and so concerning. So many problems that teenagers have today are because of this.

The problems are because of online school when they were locked away.

That doesn’t fly almost 5 years later. Why are the parents allowing this kind of phone behavior NOW? That’s the issue. The kids shouldn’t even have brought their phone to the party.

Ok. Do you have a teenager? Do you know any teenagers?

I have one and I wouldn’t let that kind of anti-social behavior fly. I also don’t allow him to sit in our dark basement playing worthless video games for hours and hours. Some of you need to get with the program and act like a parent instead of letting your kids run the show when the show is causing kids to crash out and be anti-social misfits.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is both common and so concerning. So many problems that teenagers have today are because of this.

The problems are because of online school when they were locked away.

That doesn’t fly almost 5 years later. Why are the parents allowing this kind of phone behavior NOW? That’s the issue. The kids shouldn’t even have brought their phone to the party.

Ok. Do you have a teenager? Do you know any teenagers?

Why do people always say that. We all were teens and some have or have had teens. They're not all like that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is both common and so concerning. So many problems that teenagers have today are because of this.

The problems are because of online school when they were locked away.

That's part of it, but 5 years later, I think they get over it. The real problem is that kids, especially teens all they want to do is sit on screens and not socialize in person and too many parents are ok with it.

[Anonymous]

Why would anyone of the parents allow this?

[Anonymous]

10-15 years ago the boys this age would be on Xbox at the party. Not too much of a difference.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It was 5/6 families getting together and this group was between 12-14. However, I have no expectation for them to interact with adults. I only expected them to interact with each other. My son was the only one airport a phone and definitely felt very left out.

There was another group of 8 year olds girls. They ran around, played games etc. I hope this is not what’s in store for them in 4 years..

I’m sorry your son felt left out, but boys this age definitely default to the phone if parents don’t tell them to get off. How old is your son and is he friends with the other kids or not? Boys are usually pretty easy about including everyone in whatever they’re doing, but no they’re not going to roll out the red carpet and ask another boy if he would like a drink and give him a tour. That’s an adult female expectation. Eight year old girls are an entirely different thing.

[Anonymous]

Its really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:10-15 years ago the boys this age would be on Xbox at the party. Not too much of a difference.

Very different. A bunch of kids playing on a video game console is actually a very social thing, unless they just silenty stare at the screen. And that long ago, kids would get bored of it and go do something else eventually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Its really sad.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is both common and so concerning. So many problems that teenagers have today are because of this.

The problems are because of online school when they were locked away.

That doesn’t fly almost 5 years later. Why are the parents allowing this kind of phone behavior NOW? That’s the issue. The kids shouldn’t even have brought their phone to the party.

Ok. Do you have a teenager? Do you know any teenagers?

Yeah my oldest is 15. My youngest is 11. I teach high school. What’s the question here?

[Anonymous]

Those that pickup social skills in life will be the achievers in life.

Those who can't break away from phones will be followers in life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is both common and so concerning. So many problems that teenagers have today are because of this.

The problems are because of online school when they were locked away.

That doesn’t fly almost 5 years later. Why are the parents allowing this kind of phone behavior NOW? That’s the issue. The kids shouldn’t even have brought their phone to the party.

Ok. Do you have a teenager? Do you know any teenagers?

Yeah my oldest is 15. My youngest is 11. I teach high school. What’s the question here?

I think the person who made this comment is trying to say that all teens are or were like this. Maybe as a way of justifying it because it's "normal."

[Anonymous]

I don’t force my kids to socialize. They can socialize with people they want to and at events they want to be at. This is what would happen as an adult. No forced socializing as an adult. You have the option to walk away.

The problem is forcing your kids into social situations they don’t want to be in. The screens are a way of coping. Adults do it all the time when forced to wait someplace they really don’t want to be.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t force my kids to socialize. They can socialize with people they want to and at events they want to be at. This is what would happen as an adult. No forced socializing as an adult. You have the option to walk away.

The problem is forcing your kids into social situations they don’t want to be in. The screens are a way of coping. Adults do it all the time when forced to wait someplace they really don’t want to be.

But, if they know the people at the gathering end there are kids there, why would it be forced?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t force my kids to socialize. They can socialize with people they want to and at events they want to be at. This is what would happen as an adult. No forced socializing as an adult. You have the option to walk away.

The problem is forcing your kids into social situations they don’t want to be in. The screens are a way of coping. Adults do it all the time when forced to wait someplace they really don’t want to be.

But, if they know the people at the gathering end there are kids there, why would it be forced?

The party was at the adults’ friends’ place. Knowing someone is different than wanting to spend an evening together talking. This wouldn’t even happen if the tweens were good friends, and definitely not with a room full of adults watching and listening. Would the kids ever hangout together on their own? This is the forced social interaction. The host should’ve had a separate space the tweens to hang with an activity.