September 11th for Ninth Graders

I teach 14-year-olds. They were 3 when September 11th happened. 3? Seriously? 3? I asked my kid's what they know about that day. I got really vague answers about planes and Saddam Hussein. Then, as is par for the course in my neck of the woods, someone threw in an explanation blaming Barack Obama.

All I could do was shake my head. My kids were shocked that I was only 15 on September 11th. Sometimes teaching is not good for my self-esteem.

On my way home this afternoon, I started thinking about being a sophomore in high school in 2001. The main thing that really struck me as odd was how we were all informed about the happenings of September 11th primarily by a television. Every TV in the school was on throughout that day. No one sat behind a computer to get the most up to the minute updates. No one sat refreshing their Twitter. No one posted statuses on Facebook or photos to Instagram. There was still some small control on the information that reached people. The world I live in today is nothing like the world 11 years ago.

Sometimes I am glad that I am not a kid right now. No doubt I would love to go back and relive some of my time as a teenager. But only if I can go back to my time. When Facebook and Twitter were nonexistent. And you went to the office to use the phone during the day. And you listened to your teacher because there wasn't really anything else to do. When you wrote notes to each other and passed them during passing periods. When people talked behind your back instead of typing behind your back. When your mom ironed your pants because you were supposed to look nice for school. And when we didn't have cars so we had to twelve miles walk to school every morning...I know, I know, I tend to get carried away. It's the truth though.

I think life used to be easier. I realize I am not that old, but even in the time since I've graduated I feel like being alive is harder. People are held accountable every minute of every day because of a cell phone. No one knows how to be bored anymore because of the computers we carry around in our pockets. You can't get in a car and drive knowing that the answering machine will record any messages you might have. There's no escape from life anymore for Generation Z kids. They are constantly on-call and that is a crazy thing. We are creating a weird breed of people. And I either fortunately or unfortunately have a very small role in their development.

Sometimes I tell myself that if I ever have a child, I am going to work really hard to limit their exposure to technology. And then I realize it must be a losing battle. And then I take my birth control pill and go to bed. I'm just not there yet.