Why are many teens apathetic about driving?
Guest Contributor: Mary Petersen, LMSW, ACSW is a clinical social worker and psychotherapist. For more information please visit http://marypetersen.com/
Driving a car can be a great right of passage for many young people. Yet to the surprise and puzzlement of older generations (who often couldn’t wait to realize the great freedom that driving gave them), many teens today seem apathetic about driving. To understand how to communicate with teens about anything – including driving – it helps to understand what impacts them.
The biggest psychological right of passage for developing adolescents is a shift of focus from family to peers. Obviously, teens have a significant influence on each other. But for older generations, to engage in peer interaction without actually being physically present meant finding freedom with peers by locating the landline phone in the house that had the longest cord and dragging it under your parents’ bedroom door. This was the same generation that “waited home by the phone for someone to call.” Now teens have direct access to friends right through their various forms of social media anywhere and anytime. They can type, chat, see, hear and even watch videos or engage in live interactions in real time across the globe. Who needs a driver’s license? I have spoken with teens who still covet this privilege, especially when they are active in doing things out and about with others. Other teens don’t care much and are content or just feel safer in their rooms, where yet others are downright afraid to drive -- afraid of other drivers who may be impaired or distracted by their cell phones. Since there is no urgency to drive to get their needs met, teens seem more fixated on the fears and drawbacks of driving than previous generations.
It used to be that some adults felt kids were desensitized to real-life violence by playing video games. I don’t believe that kids struggle to drive because they see it as a “live video game” or because they might take the developed hand-eye coordination for granted. However, I do think they are accustomed to activities that demand shorter attention spans, and also games can easily be re-started to try again with minimal serious consequences, and driving simply requires extensive practice to develop proficiency. Kids often balk at the minimum practice hours the states require and often want to “fudge” their driving logs. Additionally and alternatively, by nature, many young people also have a tendency to feel a sense of invincibility or that something won’t happen to them, so the need to gain experience in various situations with a seasoned driver in the car to help navigate does not seem as important as it really is. Many have said after a few months of practice, “I’m not a new driver…” when insurance companies feel that to be true only after 5 years’ experience.
Consider also that denying the importance of driving may also be a form of rebellion for the new generation who sees the perplexed (or vexed) looks on their parents’ faces to see them abdicating the driver’s seat.
Keeping candid and open lines of communication with your kids about driving and the challenges involved is the best way to illuminate and overcome issues and navigate through them.
