The Generation iGap

When I turned fifteen I couldn’t wait to get my driving permit, which was allowed
when you turned 15 1/2, back in the 1960’s in California. All I could think about
was the freedom having wheels would give me. Man, the world would be mine. Somehow
that has changed drastically in recent years. Back in the day, every rite of passage a young man would go through was usually happening in his car. The first date at
the drive-in movie was a big one. I don’t even think there’s more than a few of
those drive-in movies left in the entire country now. How can you sneak three
friends into a walk in movie if you don’t have a trunk to stash them in?

Thirty years ago almost half of 26 year old’s had a license. By 2013 it has gone down
to twenty eight percent. That’s a huge decline. Kids just are not in a hurry to take
on the expense of a car, especially when they are all connected twenty four seven
through their iPad, iPhone, PC, Mac, social media, on and on it goes. Also getting
a license is a bigger pain than ever and with all the cut backs in schools, drivers
training classes are few and far between.

Here’s another interesting statistic; 75 percent of 18 – 34 year olds prefer shopping
on-line rather than driving around to stores. Well, OK me too, but I’m just a little
lazy. Given a choice of losing their IPhone, computer or car, 65 percent said they
would go without their car. Adolescent staples are music, clothes, and books. They are communicating with each other via social networks.  Everything and everyone is only
a mouse click away. My friends’ 16 year old daughter says she’d rather have the latest
iPhone than a car. Huh?

What happened to physical contact? Isn’t that the best and worst part of being human,
our physical interaction with one another? Now the car companies are getting scared.
Jack Hollins who heads marketing for Toyota brand cars in the U.S. says the current
generation will buy fewer cars than the previous one. In 1985 15 – 20 year old’s
accounted for 3.4 percent of new car sales. Last year 2012 dropped 2 percent to about
300,000 cars purchased. Well if all this is true why does it take my wife 45 minutes
to get a whole 8 miles from work to home every day? If there are fewer cars on the
road, I sure don’t see it? Sounds like just a bunch of us old folks driving around.