I just spent a few wonderful days with my 14 year old granddaughter, Elsa. What did I learn from her? She is looking for the same things I was looking for at her age, like finding her identity, seeking independence, wanting to fit in. However, the environment is very different. She is highly connected through technology and very comfortable with it. She is more open to discuss topics such as mental health, diversity, and social issues than previous generations. She values authenticity and self-expression through clothing, music and online content. She appears independent still relies heavily on family for guidance and emotional support.
She talks about the future a lot. She has her life pretty well mapped out. I don't remember being concerned about anything other than tomorrow, when I was that age. She loves to make TikTok videos and post them for her friends to see. This is how they communicate.
Every generation thinks the next one is growing up in a strange new world. The tools change, the music changes, and the slang changes, but kids do not change that much. My challenge as a grandmother is not to try to understand their technology, but to remember my own adolescence. When I do this, I stop focusing on how much I hate the amount of time she spends on her phone doing what I consider nothing, and realize that I did silly things when I was her age too, and that she's just a wonderful young lady that looks forward to the future and wants to fit in with friends.
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