My recent high school reunion got me thinking about how certain things change over time. In particular, I realized that I and all of my classmates shared a superpower that is no longer available to teenagers of today.
We were free to spend our days unburdened. We would hang out with one another, have long conversations based on our mutual interests, or share books and favorite songs.
There were no influencers. There was no social media and no algorithm. When we wanted to learn about something, we would go to the library and check out a book.
When we were in class, the teacher had our full attention. Class discussions were all in and completely participatory. Nobody was sitting in the back of the classroom staring at their phone.
I don’t think those days are coming back. So that may well have been the last time in history when American kids had a chance to simply take the time to figure out who they want to be, without somebody trying to answer that question for them.