If you were a teenager, what would you be doing now?

[Noonelikesasloppytrifle]

My 16 year old DD is currently sat in her room on her phone and my 14 year old DS is badgering to go on his console. Everyday is a battle to get them off technology. At their age, that wasn't an option for me. I would have generally been reading, watching a bit of TV, hanging out with friends maybe doing some crafty stuff. Technology seems to have robbed them of other (unstructured) interests.

If you were a teen, what would you have been doing on a lazy Saturday afternoon? I want to offer alternative suggestions!

I'd have been playing videogames. I have grown into a healthy, functional, active adult who enjoys other activities like reading, crafting etc alongside videogames. They're not that bad.

You mention you would have been "watching a bit of TV", why is that better than being on their phone or playing a game?

I'd having been washing hair for my Saturday job from age 14. Before that I would have been ice skating probably.

On a Saturday? Generally "up-town" with friends. Either walking around the shopping streets or going to the cinema/swimming/restaurants (ages 12 to 14) and from 15 onwards going to pubs.

Horse rode in the morning

I would have gone to city centre to buy some music/clothes and a milkshake.

Come home
Walked dog
Had dinner
Gone round to a friend's house

Out with friends. Listening to music. Sorting my room. Baking.

I’m with @PattyDuckface on the bus to ‘town’!

But if I was a teenager now I'd be going horse riding, paddle boarding, cinema or hiking. Based on what I can see as some options for teens in local area.

I’d have been shopping in town with friends at that age or on a warm sunny day like it is here, at the beach. My 17 year old is at work (food runner at a pub) and my 19 year old has gone for lunch with her boyfriend.

There is a difference between watching a bit of TV compared to spending hours and hours on a daily basis on a phone/gaming.

It's been very much in the news about the negative impacts of phone usage.

Probably still be asleep at this time. How is TV and reading better than a games console or the phone?

Out at the yard with my horse from 8am-6pm Sat + Sun. That then turned into working at the yard at 14 and doing professional training and qualifications. From 16 Yr old onwards I had a Saturday job too.
13 yr old DD when not at school on a Sat morning is at the yard or doing Pony Club. She has 1 day chill a week on a Sunday and just slobs around reading as phone/screen time limited to 3 hours. Sometimes she will arrange to meet up with friends. Once she leaves secondary school she will have some form of Saturday job.

Riding my pony or going on the bust to town to meet friends

It’s a battle OP it really is. I feel you.

In answer to your question, I had a job so was out most of the day and then I had a boyfriend - tbh I’m quite glad my 15 year old is not doing the things I was doing at 15…

We’re quite lucky - ours were involved in church holiday club this week and were helping run groups for primary kids until 2 and then slobbed (yes mainly on screens) in the afternoon. This morning has been v lazy but now my 13 year old has a friend over for a couple of hours and my 15 year old has gone to the tip with DH - and I’m the one messing around on a phone 🤯

If it’s any consolation gaming was an absolute minefield with DS until about 6 months ago and now he hasn’t touched it for literally months. He is talking about selling his xBox, so I guess interests change.

Working!

I had a Saturday job from the age of 14 in a pharmacy, and 1 evening a week after school.

I had 3 hours of music lessons every Saturday - kept me out of trouble!

At 14/ 15, my friends and I would have hitchhiked into town and wandered around hoping to bump into people we knew. If we had the money, we might have bought a record and gone to Woolworths cafe or tried to sneak into a pub. In the evening we would have hitched back into town to see a live band or tried to get into a pub. At 16 I had a Saturday job.

When I was a teenager I would have been doing something with my horses .

I had a Saturday job in a shop that was usually busy with tourists. Outside of that I was reading or watching tv. Often until late. As a younger teen I used to hang outside with mates in the fields outside our town.

This time of day.... probably watching the Chart Show on ITV having been up since 8.30 to watch whatever cartoon it was before Going Live (Possibly the Racoons?) and then watched all of Going Live before changing channels.

Either at the stables or away at a show competing with my ponies. Spent very little time at home as a child/teen.

With my pals.
Standing outside the off licence the next town over, asking grown ups if they'll go in the shop for booze for us.

Working in Woolworths.Very classy Saturday job 😂

sniggers

same!

I worked every weekend so I'd have either been doing that or hanging out with my boyfriend or friends. Rarely spent time at home.

Reading is certainly a lot better! When I was a teenager, TV options were limited. It wasn't like you could spend a whole day watching netflix. When I say a bit of TV, I'm talking like an hour or so.

There is plenty of research into how screens negatively impact on development - reduction in the ability to focus, impaired social and emotional literacy. You only have to spend time in a classroom to see this play out.