Teaching Basic Social Skills

Something is trending among British teenagers that has left us wondering if we will ever see it here. A survey of two thousands parents and their teenage children offered some insight into how social interactions are changing in our increasingly digitized world. Ninety two percent of the teenagers surveyed said that they are much more comfortable and at ease communicating with someone via text or emoji than they are at communicating face-to-face. In addition, fifty-six percent of the teens surveyed are uncomfortable engaging in small talk, and they admit that they’d go to lengths to avoid it. And finally, twenty four percent of the teens say they cannot deliver a handshake that’s confident. Parents, I’m guessing that you were trained to look people in the eye, carry on a conversation, and deliver a firm handshake. We need to foster face-to-face intergenerational communication, and our churches are a great place for making that happen!