Most of us have heard our parents or grandparents say “back when I was your age…” or “back in my day…” followed by a story about their childhood and how it differs from today’s society. Now, I was born in 1990 and 23 years later, I am already saying that. The world is a lot different from how it was even a decade ago, especially in terms of technology and parenting styles.

For example, in recent years children in middle school and even elementary school are getting cell phones, and that is becoming the norm. Now, I agree that cell phones are a necessity these days. They provide a form of safety, allow convenient communication and most phones are capable of basically being mini computers that can make most jobs and school work easier.

However, why children who cannot even drive yet need a cell phone, and why their parents actually buy cell phones for children of that age group, is beyond me. Young children do not really need one to keep in touch with their parents, considering they typically live with at least one of them if not both. They do not need a cell phone during school hours for obvious reasons, and after school they are probably going either back to their parent’s house or to a friend’s house (in either case, there are adults present or should be).

As for those who claim it is for emergencies, a parent of a young child should know where their kids are at all times and if they are not watching their kid, they should make sure someone is. Most of the time these kids use their cell phones to communicate with friends and rarely much else. Welcome to the digital age where even kids cannot get through life without technology.

When I was younger, my parents did not get me a cell phone until I had a driver’s license in my hand. I simply did not need one prior to that. Once I started driving, they wanted me to have a phone for safety reasons in case I wrecked my car or it broke down. Before that, I used the ancient contraptions known as the landline and answering machines to get in touch with people, and I did not have the convenience of text messaging. Do not get me wrong; when I was younger I begged for one like any kid my age did, but a simple “no” from my parents set me straight until I was deemed old enough.

Additionally, when I did get my first phone, it was not a smart phone (they did not really exist at the time anyway), nor anything remotely that great. That actually worked out for me though, considering I accidentally ran it over with my car a year later. I was then reduced to using a hand-me-down old school Kyocera cell phone (oh, yeah) from a friend that was so durable that I personally believe it could have survived a nuclear bomb. Nevertheless, I was just happy to get a phone at all, and I didn’t throw a fit that it wasn’t “good enough” like many kids tend to do these days.

Most people in my generation were not so reliant on computers and similar technology when we were younger, which is completely different from kids today who probably wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if you took those away from them. When I was growing up in the ’90s, my sister and I hardly spent time on the computer (which was a large machine that took over the entire desk, not a laptop or an iPad), we were not glued to our cell phones (because we simply did not have them yet), and we didn’t constantly play video games or watch television.

My mother would see my sister and me sitting around and soon after, we were told to go outside and play. We might have complained a bit, but in the end we were out the door and it was wonderful. Most of my childhood memories take place outside in the company of my family as we all spent time together. As kids, we explored the vast jungle, which was actually an overgrown acre of land behind the house. We created a secret clubhouse near a creek down the road that could easily be seen by anyone who passed by. We also visited with the neighbors often and developed strong friendships with them that did not die out simply because we “didn’t text each other enough.” We were encouraged to talk to people in person and have actual human interaction, not just through the use of cell phones and the Internet. Mind you, this was also during a time before the courtesy of being social and the use of imagination disappeared from the world.

Technology is great, but it can be a necessary evil. The world as we know it today could not function without cell phones and computers, and if we took that away the world would be in chaos. But are we taking it too far when a child cannot grow up happily without technology? Children today spend most of their time texting and playing video games, rather than experience the simple pleasures of the outside world or spend time with their families. If you want to know where the world is heading, then look at the youth of today and see what matters most to them.

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Caitlin Ellingson is a junior in journalism and mass communication and environmental studies from Milo, Iowa.