One of my strong memories is waking up early on a summer August morning in 1975  to take my driver’s test. I arrived before the DPS office opened – and sat out on the curb nervously waiting. I realized this was a life changing day – mine would ever be the same!  Back then everyone I knew got their license.  We all celebrated each other’s 16th birthday welcoming another driver into the ‘club.’

But today?  Here’s a bit of data: “In 1970, 72% of teens had a driver’s license.  In 2011, 50% did.  They would rather have a smartphone.  95% of teens say a cell phone gives them freedom.”

I love my cell phone, but at my age and with my experiences I would never choose it over my car!  How is a teenager’s society and life so different from mine that our understandings of freedom are so different? The freedom I felt to go wherever I wanted is satisfied for today’s teens by the social connections they make, as well as the Internet at their fingertips, without leaving their homes.

Getting a license today is more difficult than in my day. Driver’s ed classes used to be the staple of summer school – and our instructors were our school teachers.  They were convenient and reasonably priced, but that is no longer the case. Rules for young drivers have also changed drastically, making it not as attractive.

Teens given the choice and choosing the phone is also affecting the economy.  Car dealerships are feeling the drop in purchases and advertising needs to encourage teen purchases – not just one car over another.

I am determined to stay aware of the differences of these “digital natives” and it certainly affects my teaching. I work to make the need for critical reading valuable in their lives – even if it’s a life I don’t experience.  They will be entering a workforce that will contains jobs that aren’t invented yet.  Research shows they will change professions at least 4 times throughout their lives. But no matter what each child’s future holds – they will need to be deep critical readers and fluent writers.  They’ll need to problem solve and work effectively in collaboration – maybe even with people they only know through e*meetings.

Whatever freedom means to them – I want them to have the tools to live it fully.