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Everyone has been through a time where they realize their generation is getting outdated at least once. Clothing styles evolve, technology advances, people invent new things, life-changing events occur, school curriculum gets modified, and understanding of the world changes. In the education industry, teachers are able to see the generational differences between the waves of students as well as themselves. So what are some of the most noticeable distinctions between teachers and students, both in the classroom and in their free time?
Generational differences can range from smaller things like slang and haircuts to much bigger changes including ideal careers or fashion. One of the biggest changes that is evident between teachers and students is the concept of technology and how experienced people are with it. Most teachers grew up with the very first iPhone 2G or the clunky office computers that took forever to boot up and had to adjust to the fancy new technology. Compare that to most students who probably can’t remember life without their iPhone 15s, Airpods, and 12-inch iPads. Kristen Hosek, a science teacher at East, states “The use and the reliance of social media I think is a massive difference.” While it’s obvious that teenagers use technology mostly for Instagram reels or TikToks, some of the time spent is used for looking up answers to math problems or having AI write an essay before it’s due in 10 minutes. According to the National Library of Medicine, their data findings during experimental interviews concluded that “Newer generation students prefer straightforward approaches towards learning resulting from increased use of technology and speedy access to knowledge.”
Not only do students and teachers feel the contrast between them during school hours, but outside of the classroom as well. For a schedule to function, it requires a balance between leisure or activities and parts of the day spent on productive work. Each generation will have their own idea of what having a life outside of work looks like, whether it be going on an adventure to nowhere or staying at home and baking cookies. Dylan Fehrman, one of the Social Studies teachers at East, remarks on his free time saying “I coach cross country and I enjoy running for fun as well. I like to hike, get outdoors and also build furniture as a side hobby” Although his leisure time is spent on being in nature and less technology focused, his perception of what students do on their own time is much different. He thinks of a stereotypical teenager doing “A lot of video gaming, spending time on social media, hanging out with friends, going out to eat or going to the mall, things like that.” However Junior, Jovani Espejo claims otherwise with more ‘out of the box’ activities commenting “I do Ultimate Frisbee and I’m an actor, I also enjoy reading and learning about history.” His thoughts on what a teacher would do in their free time would look like “Spending time with family or if they don’t have any nearby, then with a significant other and probably grade papers too.” What’s interesting is that teachers and students have completely different impressions of each other and what hobbies they have, some that are true and some that are completely wrong.
While these gaps between generations are easily noticeable in school or during leisure time, they can also appear in political issues, life changing events or personal opinions too. The Pew Research Center claims that “Majorities among Gen Z and the Millennial generation say increasing racial and ethnic diversity in the U.S. is a good thing for society, while older generations are less convinced of this. And they’re more likely to have a positive view of interracial and same-sex marriage than their older counterparts.” It’s common for people to view the elderly as not being able to change their perspective due to them having their older and more traditional ways, but like most things in life, they change. In the recent presidential election this month, CNN states that “Democrats lost some support among the youngest voters, a group that overwhelmingly votes for them. But Harris also made gains among the oldest voters, a group that traditionally leans Republican.” Changes like these leave the country wondering how different the government will be run and what will happen to our economy.
Although the differences between Gen Z and Gen X or Millennials and Boomers might be surprising at times, it’s important to remember that changes will continue to happen to generations of the future and the world will keep spinning.