Homecoming. Pep-rallies. Friday night hangouts with friends. While these are all experiences I’ve had throughout my teenage years, none of them were anything above average. As I like to say, teenagers don’t have real fun anymore.
As decades have passed and technology has developed, society and especially teenagers have become increasingly boring. These are our years to be reckless, explore and try new things, but instead, we aren’t doing any of that; we are sitting around consuming AI-created videos. If a teenager who grew up in the late ‘80s to 2000s time-traveled to 2026, they wouldn’t see the mall packed on a Friday afternoon, or bonfires or school spirit; instead, they would be filled with disappointment at what teenagers have become.
Think about it. When was the last time you and a group of friends went and played a game of manhunt? Or hung out in someone’s basement without all sitting there staring at your phones, with the only words spoken to each other being, “Hey, look what I just sent you on Instagram?” “Throughout high school we would hang out after school, someone’s mom would make food for us, and then we would go out and play sports until dark. Other times we would just go down to the creek and throw rocks, or even jump across water to get the frozen parts of the lake,” social studies teacher Christopher Thompson said.
While just being in the physical presence of others is fun, and the definition of fun is subjective to every individual, I am saying that as a society we have lost what it means to be a teenager.
I would like to attribute the degrading atmosphere of school to the lack of fun teenagers have. For one, no one dresses up for school anymore. Everyone drags themselves into the building each morning, head to toe in sweats. Second, the overall environment of school isn’t what it used to be. No one hangs out at lockers anymore; matter of fact, students barely even use lockers. Third of all, it’s hard to get students to attend activities in the Commons these days, as they would rather sit around on their phones during lunch. Back in the day, students were amped and in full attendance for events. “Walking around here at Wootton, everyone is doing work all the time, even in passing in the halls. Back when I was in high school, I was at the first high school in Montgomery County where all students had lunch during the same period. And the thing I remember the most is that everyday in this corner upstairs, there was a full circle of people around people that were break dancing. I mean music, a big boombox on the floor like seriously breakdancing. A big crowd always surrounded them just cheering them on, it was the coolest thing that had happened. It was really, really awesome,” English teacher Zack Lowe said.
The advancement of technology has also made society more attentive to safety. Back in the day you would tell your parents you were going out and, with luck, be home by the time they said so. But that was all they heard from you during the night. They had no clue what they were actually up to. Nowadays, parents are monitoring their teenagers’ every move, ensuring they are safe, by using apps such as Find My iPhone and Life360. It might be a big take to say teenagers had more fun because they lived more dangerously, but I think that’s what made their teenage years so special.
Even school-held events were more physical and fun. Pictured in the 1991 Vol. 20 of the school’s yearbook, Fife and Drum, students were actively participating in a chocolate pudding wrestling match. In the 1990 Vol. # 20, students were seen wrestling in green slimy jello in the old gym. The homecoming dance was also a big hit. Everyone got dolled up and grooved on the dance floor. Today, we don’t even have a homecoming dance. The school did away with it because no one attended.
As I wrap up my teenage years, I will look back with a smile on my face because yes, despite all of this, I did have fun, but I think part of what makes high school “the best years of life” was missing people’s ambition to go out and do things. So next time you and your friends are sitting around on your phones, suggest playing a game, cards even, because it’s those nights that you will remember.
