TalkZone Talk Channel

September 09, 2017

The iGeneration

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The first generation that spent their adolescence with smart phones- the so called iGen Generation- maybe significantly underprepared for adulthood. Then, more and more bike riders risk death on the roads, as bicyclists fatalities rise by double digits. Who is at fault? Car Drivers, according to our expert guest.

Episode Segments

Growing Up in the Age of the Smartphone

Jean Twenge, Ph.D is Professor of Psychology at San Diego State University, author of iGen: Why Today’s Super-Connected Kids Are Growing Up Less Rebellious, More Tolerant, Less Happy--and Completely Unprepared for Adulthood--and What That Means for the Rest of Us
Dr. Twenge discussed the mental health and development of iGen, the first generation to spend their entire adolescence in the age of the smartphone. With social media and texting replacing other activities, she said Americans born between 1995 and 2012 spend less time with their friends in person and are experiencing unprecedented levels of anxiety, depression, loneliness, and suicide. She said iGen is growing up more slowly than previous generations, as reflected in delayed experiences with driving, dating, finding a job, drinking, and sex. She offered advice for parents.

Bicycle Safety

Pam Shadel Fischer is a traffic safety expert, Special Projects Consultant for the Governors Highway Safety Administration. Ms. Fischer led a study that found that bicyclist deaths have risen more than 12%, the largest percentage increase of all roadway user groups. She said the average age of those killed is 45, and most are male. She talked about the factors that cause bicycle/car collisions, and what bikers and drivers can do to reduce them.

The Case Against the $100 bill

Even as people in advanced economies are using less paper money, there is more cash in circulation―$4,200 for every American, mostly in $100 billsKenneth S. Rogoff, PhD, author of The Curse of Cash: How Large-Denomination Bills Aid Crime and Tax Evasion and Constrain Monetary Policy believes the United States should discontinue the use of $50 and $100 bills, because they are primarily used as vehicles for tax evasion, the drug trade, terrorism, human trafficking, and other criminal enterprises. He outlined his plan for it phasing out, and said he believes it could cut criminal activity by 5-10%.

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