Generation Gaps Essay

In our generation we have gone through numerous economical, social, and political changes. Some of which our parents would never have dreamed of. Things such as the cell phone, Wi-Fi, 9/11, and various mass shootings have permanently changed the way our generation lives and has forced our parents’ to adapt to a new way of life. Growing up I remember how different life was from the way it is now. Gas was $0.99 and everyone had dial-up internet service. Airport rules were much more forgiving. For example, If you wanted to travel you had the option of bringing food with you to avoid eating tasteless airplane meals. You were hardly frisked and didn’t have to go through a full body scanner before you departed to your gate. In my mother’s time the rules were even more lax. In the 1960’s there was little concern over terrorism and airport safety. There were almost no security procedures in place and because of this all a passenger had to do was to stroll over to the ticket counter, purchase their ticket, show identification, and board the plane. In addition to this smoking was permitted in all areas of the airplane and sometimes cigarettes were even provided to the flyers. Another aspect of our culture that has changed drastically is technology. A prime example of how technology has changed radically is the creation of the World Wide Web. The World Wide Web or the Internet as it is more commonly known catalyzed the birth of what is now known as the Digital Age. An age filled with constantly changing machinery that have ultimately changed how we go about our lives. Because of the Internet we are now able to buy and send things online. We can also pay bills, communicate with relatives, and share pictures—something our parents’ generation never dreamed of doing. Unfortunately less pleasant things such as the Columbine shootings and the more recent Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting have shattered the once widely perceived view of safe public schools and government buildings. Ironically, these places were never really safe to begin with. These tragic events have forced our government to implement laws to protect our safety. Back then, there wasn’t as much controversy over guns as there is today. Partly due to the fact that there was not as much violence in that time period. Thus, the general public felt safer and therefore, felt no need to carry around firearms or other types of weapons. All in all, one of the main reasons our society has changed so much is due to things like the Great Depression and the recent Recession as well as other less sinister events such as the inauguration of Barack Obama and technological advances such as WiFi, electric cars, and smart phones. These changes have altered how we live our lives in the 21st Century. Some have been improvements while others are mostly viewed as a decline from what life used to be like.