We were recently discussing the decrease in attention spans and decided, somewhat casually, to count the number of people entering the lunch hall while looking at their phones. It felt unnecessary, as almost everyone was glued to their mobile. This wasn’t the case in years past. Is this a generation gap? Mobile phone usage is just another addiction, like anything else, and it has nothing to do with the generational differences. Yet, the reasons people use their phones might signal a generation gap. Or maybe the very dependence on mobile devices in daily life reveals an underlying generational divide. We weren’t entirely conclusive. Generation gaps are inevitable, as change is universal, and it is the adaptation to these changes that creates the gap. Differences in thought, social norms, and behaviour naturally emerge over time, creating a distinct divide between younger and older generations. When things like climate change can play a role in shaping these differences, it is clear som
On our way home, one of my teammates was sharing his experience from a recent trip he took with his schoolmates. I mentioned that I used to go on trips with my college friends a lot but have since lost contact with most of my schoolmates. He told me that his college days coincided with the pandemic lockdown, so he made fewer college friends and has more friends at work now. As a result, he either goes on trips with his schoolmates or colleagues. Of course, when it comes to trips, it doesn’t really matter who you go with, as we often travel with groups of strangers nowadays. Last Friday, I was having dinner with a colleague who was visiting from our branch office. During our conversation, I asked him if he meets his friend (whom I also know as colleague) every time he comes to the main office. Although he visits almost every month, he admitted that he misses seeing his friend some months. He also reminded me that his friend was also his college mate and that they were r