How teens communicate in 2007

From a decidedly small sample size (my own little segment of the universe), I have noticed how communication among teenagers has changed in the last generation.

A few examples:

1. Teens have lost the skill needed to ring a bell or knock on a door. No more: “Hello, Mrs. Cleaver, can the Beave come out to play?” Instead, today’s teens stand on the front porch, or in their cars if they are 16+, and call the person inside the house, using the mobile phone conveniently glued to the palm of the hand.
   
2. No one leaves a message on the home phone voicemail. If the person you’re trying to reach does not pick up the landline, you call them on their mobile phone. Repeatedly. It does not matter that it’s 1 a.m. and the cell phone is bleating the latest tune from Death Cab for Cutie while vibrating across the floor. (Yes, I see the inconsistency. Why isn’t the phone still glued in the hand? The teen is in the shower and will be for 45 more minutes. God forbid someone invents a reliable waterproof phone.)
   
3. Teens prefer Facebook over email. Whatever happened to the personal message? Now it’s preferable to write your sentiment on a wall where everyone can read it.
   
4. Phone book? No way. Friends’ phone numbers are keyed into the cell phone but are never written down. Anywhere. Of course there’s no need for addresses, because no one mails anything. (Pity the poor parent who has to pick up their kid at a buddy’s house somewhere on MacDonald Road maybe kinda near the park. You know, the red brick house.)

Please comment and share your examples! (And let’s all think about these teens coming to work in our organizations in a few years.)

Comments

[Parker]

I agree with you about how teens communicate, Donna. But it's not just teens. Many people in their mid-20s have also abandoned e-mail in exchange for facebook.
The lack of written addresses and phone numbers isn't necessarily a bad thing, either.

[Donna Papacosta]

Parker, you're right about the 20-somethings.
As for the written address book, I admit I haven't used a daytimer or address book in 10 years, although once a year I do print out my electronic contact list. I was referring to teens not knowing their friends' addresses -- so this was more a personal rant than a professional one.
Thanks for reading and commenting.

[Steven Lewis]

I have to confess I, too, will phone rather than ring a doorbell in some cases and I'm over 30. In my case it's because I don't want to trouble any of the other occupants: I'm there to pick up only one of them.

What I can't stand is people texting away while there's conversation going on and, again, it's not just teenagers doing it. That said, the first time I saw it I was in a pub with a load of teenagers, several of whom were texting each other (at their parents' expense) across the table.

What will be fascinating is how these teenagers will feel about the digital trail they're leaving. God forbid my friends today could read the rubbish I was writing/thinking as a teenager. I'd, like, die if they were to read the soft of things I might have posted at the end of a relationship, for instance.

[Donna Papacosta]

Good points, Steven. And of course the issue of the "digital trail" is huge. What will happen when potential employers do a deep search on the kids who are blogging about all sorts of wild things today? Whoo boy.

[Chris Clarke]

Great post, Donna. Some personal experience coming through on that post, too, I suspect!

Echoing Parker's comments, Facebook is big right now. It's a great way to stay in touch with old friends and make new ones, too. I love it, and I check it at least once a day, but I rarely post much written material to it (pictures are a different story!)

I don't have a cell phone and would hate to be that available. It's ironic that I love being constantly connected online yet can't stand the thought of getting phone calls when I'm not at home or at work.

[Donna Papacosta]

Gee, Chris, was I THAT transparent? It's interesting that you're a young guy without a cellphone. Just proves that we all have our own unique communication styles. And when we're relating to someone -- either personally or professionally -- it's important to find out HOW they prefer communicating.