Teenage life — better now, or in the past?

    Does this situation sound familiar (熟悉)？

    You are complaining (抱怨) to your parents about something. Maybe your computer isn't powerful enough to play the latest games. Then you hear…

    When I was your age, there weren't any computers or video games. And I didn't get a bike until I was sixteen. And it was second-hand.

    So, is it really true that life is better for teenagers now? It is certainly true that many teenagers have got more things nowadays. So parents have got more money to spend on each child. And many things are cheaper than they were when our parents were children.

    Forty years ago, no one could imagine a world with tiny computers and amazing smart phones. And now these things are necessary — we can't imagine living without them!

    However, technology often means we spend more time at home. And often it is just us with our computer or television. Teenagers don't do enough exercise. And, although young people still get on well with their friends, some people think teenagers today don't have so many social activities as they did in the past.

    What do you think? How is teenage life better these days?