We have given teens more money, so they can construct their own social and material worlds more easily. We have given them more time to spend among themselves - and less time in the company of adults. We have given them e-mail and beepers and, most of all, cellular phones, so that they can fill in all the dead spots in their day - dead spots that might once have been filled with the voices of adults - with the voices of their peers. That is a world ruled by the logic of word of mouth, by the contagious messages that teens pass among themselves. Columbine is now the most prominent epidemic of isolation among teenagers. It will not be the last.
Malcolm Gladwell discusses how society has inadvertently granted teenagers increased financial resources and more leisure time, allowing them to create their own social dynamics independent of adult influence. The advent of communication technologies such as e-mail, beepers, and cellular phones has also fostered a peer-centric environment, enabling teens to communicate more with each other than with adults. This shift has led to a world where adolescents are influenced by the opinions of their peers rather than the wisdom of older generations.
Gladwell highlights that this cultural change has contributed to a growing sense of isolation among teenagers, with instances like the Columbine tragedy representing the peak of this concern. The increased autonomy and interaction among teens can lead to both positive and negative outcomes, suggesting a need for awareness and intervention to address the psychological and social ramifications of this shift in communication and socialization dynamics.
