Teenagers in suburbia : same story new technology

Teenagers in suburbia : same story new technology

Stories of bored suburban teens, getting in trouble by hanging out at the corner store or loitering in public spaces, have always been a part of the suburban ethos (see one of my favorite movies Clerks (1994)). The Boston Globe has a great story about how suburban teenagers are hanging out less at the corner store and increasingly using cell phones to organize much more spontaneous (and the parents argue more damaging) house parties. They quote a suburban police officer reminiscing for the past when he could approach teens hanging out at the local McDonald’s to find the night’s parties – now things are organized more ad hoc and outside of public spaces. A great example of both networked individualism and the ongoing narrative of life in the suburbs for teenagers.