All Rebels Are Different
Some rebels love big groups of people, and some like being alone, or with a few close friends. Some are leaders who start movements and organizations and convince other people to join them. Others rebel through their personal decisions, like choosing to wait to get a smartphone or social media account, or by deciding to spend more time on real-life hobbies and less on screens. No two rebels are the same. And anyone can be a rebel— including you. You can still become a rebel if you already have a smartphone, tablet, social media account, or video game console. Keep reading to learn how.
I don’t feel the need for a phone. I like being with people in the real world, face-to-face. —Shiloh, 12
I started to cut back on my social media use about six months ago. I’m reading and sleeping more. I’m thinking more independently. I have more time for me.
—Bristal, 15
The generation just above yours (born between about 1996 and 2012) = GEN Z
Your generation (born between about 2013 and 2025) = GEN ALPHA
There are also many people from the generation above yours who got smartphones and social media when they were around your age (or spent a ton of time gaming), ended up regretting it, and decided to become rebels as young adults. These older rebels want to tell you what they wish they’d known at your age, so that you can avoid their mistakes . . .
I missed out on my entire teenagehood because of social media and my phone. —Kayleigh, 25
I really wish I had gotten to know my grandfather better before he died, instead of always playing video games when he visited. —Benjamin, 21
First day of school
It’s the latest one! I told my parents that the camera had to be really, really good.
Mine... just make phone calls.
Aww, I just got my dad’s old one. I already downloaded some games.
Hi, guys. Heey, Callie! Is that a... flip phone? I got stuck with a boring one too.
My mom says I can’t have a smartphone until at least high school.
Yeah, I tried to convince my parents too, but no luck.
Later...
Hey, at least you have one!
I still have to ask the guys at the skate park to borrow their phones. It’s so embarrassing...
Hey, Emma!
Sorry, today’s busy. Maybe another time? Um...
Want to hang out at the park?
Oh! Yeah, okay...
Callie!
Can you imagine leaving your house on your own, meeting up with friends, and roaming around your neighborhood for hours while your parents have no idea where you are?
Believe it or not, this is how kids as young as seven and eight years old used to spend their free time. Many parents would actually send their kids out of the house, saying, “Just be home when the streetlights come on.”
Not only was this type of unsupervised and unstructured play really fun, but it was great for kids, even if they sometimes came home with scrapes and bruises. It helped them learn to solve problems, get along with other people, work as a team, and bounce back when things didn’t go their way. It also helped them build confidence and independence, because they got to test their limits and learn from their mistakes and failures.
On weekends and evenings, my brother and I would spend hours playing games in our rural Maryland backyard with our friends: hide-and-seek games with complicated rules, water balloon fights, and endless races. In the fall, we’d jump in leaf piles, and in the winter, we’d have snowball fights and make snowmen. When it was raining, we’d take our games inside. We had no phones and only three TV channels. —Sophia, born 1986
