Potential Magazine Fall 2015 - Georgia Edition | Page 9

5 things 5 tech treasures things you have that your parents didn’t So we all get tired of the “Back in my day, we walked five miles in the blinding snow to school” stories from our elders, but the truth is, today’s teens have a plethora of resources that make almost every aspect of their daily lives easier. Here are five things you have that your parents didn’t have. 1 2 3 4 5 Smartphones You know that thing that’s glued to your hand? That tiny thing that’s a computer, radio, camera, calendar, TV, video game, and oh, yeah, also makes and receives calls? You may take your smartphone for granted, but only 10 years ago, they were a revolutionary new product. And your parents? Depending on their age, they probably lived the first half of their lives without any kind of mobile phone. Social Media When she was your age, your mom didn’t have 500 Instagram followers, but she may have enjoyed her meals out more, since the thought of photographing her food and then coming up with a string of snappy hashtags was still decades away. Endless Entertainment On-demand, DVR, Netflix, Hulu, hundreds of cable channels: Movie and television fans are living in a “you want it, you can watch it” wonderland. Your parents remember using the newspaper or a magazine called “TV Guide” to decide what to watch on the handful of channels they got. If they missed an episode, they were out of luck. Instant Information Wanna know if you’ll need a raincoat today? Check a weather app. It wasn’t so easy for your parents. They had to remember to watch the forecast on the news the night before. SHE SUCCESSFULLY PLAYED THE SAME PRANK ON HER MOTHER THREE TIMES IN A SINGLE DAY AND REMAINS CONFIDENT SHE COULD DO IT AGAIN. C H I L D R E N A M A Z E U S E V E R Y D AY and at Children’s of Alabama we want to see every child grow up and live to their fullest potential. That’s why we recruit, train and retain the most inquiring minds, the most skilled hands and the most compassionate hearts in pediatric medicine. 1600 7TH AVENUE SOUTH BIRMINGHAM, AL 35233 (205) 638-9100 ChildrensAL.org Detailed Directions Your map app on your smartphone will give you turn-byturn directions and choose the fastest route, whihc makes knowing how to read an actual map almost irrelevant. And you don’t even have to type in your destination. Just press a button and ask your virtual assistant to do it for you. But beware the cell phone dead zones. Maybe knowing how to read a paper map isn’t a bad idea after all. www.potentialmagazine.com PotentialMagazine_COA_HeadlineAd_Prank.indd 1 9 2/10/15 4:20 PM