A Zimbabwean teenager explains why cellphones, Facebook and other facets of technology are the mainstays of her generation.

I remember the day that cellphones were banned at our school.  People cried.  Threats were uttered.  People thought of ways to smuggle them in without being detected, and when they were, they thought up every excuse possible to get out of trouble and keep their phones.  Most teachers did not understand why we students were so attached to our cellphones.

^ A teenager texts at her computer.

Our world revolves around our computers, cellphones, and cameras. 

We are only teenagers!  Even Facebook.  Most people do not understand how we can spend hours on Facebook, chatting with our friends, posting pictures and writing on our walls.  Here's the thing-we are the children of the digital and technological era.  Our world revolves around our computers, cellphones, and cameras.  People can't see why.  

You remember that time when a lot of people left Zimbabwe for greener pastures?  Well, a lot of those people were teenagers.  Teenagers who had roots here, friends, school mates, and people who they wanted to stay in touch with.  What better way to keep in contact with those you left behind than the internet?  Facebook and Twitter are our generation's way of staying in touch.  They are to us what the telephone was to those in the 1870s, except quicker, and much more fun to use, since you can do more and share more.

Life in Zimbabwe is not easy, what with economic woes, electricity and water cuts, unemployment and various shortages.  However, people tend to forget that life is tough on our generation too.  Just think about it-our hormones are going CRAZY, emotions are running high, we're all stressed over school and exams, self-esteem issues and, in some cases, problems at home.  Now, to all that the difficulties living in Zimbabwe. 

When you're talking to your friend on your phone, or writing on your Facebook wall, all the problems of the world don't exist, it's just you and that moment. 

We would go absolutely NUTS if there was no way to escape the drama of our lives, and for us, it's through technology.   When you're talking to your friend on your phone, or writing on your Facebook wall, all the problems of the world don't exist, it's just you and that moment.  It's a great stress reliever and a way to listen to and solve each other's problems.

Life is full of good memories.  Some people capture them in photos or videos.  Others talk and laugh together.  The new way of remembering the good old days however, is through the internet.   
School leavers reminisce over days gone by by posting photos and videos of their school days on Facebook and YouTube.  A group of students now scattered all over the world can now see each other's photos and remember the good times they had together.

It is a well known fact that the majority of teenagers do not watch much news.  It's not that we don't care about what's going on in the world, but there's just something about the monotonous, emotionless voice on the news anchor that just puts us off. 

It is a well known fact that the majority of teenagers do not watch much news.  It's not that we don't care about what's going on in the world, but there's just something about the monotonous, emotionless voice on the news anchor that just puts us off.  Instead, we have our own way of being clued up with what's going on in the world. Yahoo has a daily news update, whether it be about sports, Hollywood, politics, or business. 

We form news-orientated groups on our social networks (think of all the groups that sprang up in support of Barack Obama during the US presidential election).  Technology is the new way for us to be informed of what's going on in various parts of the world, and is also a way to find people who share our beliefs, whether they are Chelsea supporters or are against global warming.  Plus, you have to admit it's far more interesting than watching the news or reading the newspaper.

It is the one place where people can share ideas and be free from fear of punishment, promoting tolerance and understanding between the peoples of the world.

Technology, I believe, is the one thing that can link us all together. It doesn’t discriminate, it only appreciates.  It is a way to see the world through the eyes of different people, giving better understanding of various cultures, religions, and traditions.  It is the one place where people can share ideas and be free from fear of punishment, promoting tolerance and understanding between the peoples of the world.  And we, the young generation, have the key to unlock technology's full potential.

- By M. Muzenda for The Zimbo Jam
(The writer is a 16 year old student who finished her O’ Levels last year [2009]).

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JOe  - I feel old reading this   |2010-01-09 13:00:16 Great article and brilliant insight into the life of teenagers - I still find it amazing at how a teen can txt while doing an assignment - respond to msgs on facebook all at the same time a doing an assignment ... Reply 0   0

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