Have smartphones outsmarted us?
Data Scavenger Hunt
Find answers to the following questions using the visual above:
According to the data from the chart above, in 1980 what percentage of 12th graders had a driver’s license?
According to the data from the chart above, in 2015, 8 years after the release of the iPhone, what percentage of 12th graders had a driver’s license?
According to the data from the chart above, since 1976 describe the trend in the percent of 12th graders who ever went out on dates?
Describe an overall trend in teenage social behavior since the advent of the iPhone.
Based on the trends you see in the visual above, predict the % of twelfth graders who will have a drivers license by 2030.
Big Brain Questions
Answer these questions by yourself using your brain and the links below:
List one thing the chart makes you wonder:
Do you have more friends without a license or without a smart phone?
Clearly, the iPhone and other smart phones have had a big impact on the social life of teenagers. What do you think is the biggest impact smart Phones have had on teenagers?
The day I turned 16 was the day I got my license. Everyone I knew got their license as soon as possible and almost all of us (we were quite privileged) had cars. Obviously, these cars had a tremendous impact on where and how we lived: suburbs boomed, mobility increased, our country fought wars to insure control of the oil we sucked from the ground, huge amounts of carbon dioxide were released into the atmosphere. How is the rise of the smartphone most impacting your generation?
Is there any other technology that has as profoundly shaped your generation as the smartphone?
Write and Discuss
Take ten minutes to write about the question at the top of the page and then discuss with your classmates.
Act on your Learning
Tell your iPhone, "Siri, destroy yourself! And see what happens. Also, go 14 hours without your smart phone (I bet you can't do it!) and reflect on how this data has impacted your life. Share your reaction in class.
Get Creative
Breaking news: October 1, 2023 -all smart phones simultaneously self-destruct. Make an imaginary calendar for one day in your life in the new smart phone-less America.
Learn More
Read this endlessly fascinating Atlantic Magazine article about you and your screen-addicted generation! And check out this PBS video (on your smartphone!)