As a middle schooler, I was always bothered by boisterous complaints from the adults around me to get off my screen, go outside and socialize with kids my age. When hearing such remarks, I’d often scoff, turn my head, and refocus my attention back onto whatever hyperfixation was currently holding my brain hostage. My annoyance, however, stemmed from a longing for community, and not just an addiction to my iPad.
Teen spaces are hubs of socialization that I find myself longing for. Especially after hearing an older generation’s experiences as teenagers, how they relished and remembered running around, hanging out outside in these community-based places, while having amazing fun and not breaking the bank, consistently fed my envy.
These spots, often known as third spaces, are informal public spots that aren’t a person’s home or work. In recent times, the disappearance of these third spaces has shrunk drastically due to a rise of social media, online life, economic shifts, and even safety concerns. I often find myself trading face time for FaceTime, and view connecting with friends through sending funny online videos because of how difficult hanging out with friends can be.
From heavy course loads, insufficient funds, and sometimes a messy home, when I want to relax and spend some good quality time with friends face-to-face, where should I go? The local mall? My empty pockets say otherwise. A cafe that caters to efficiency over socialization? I’ll pass.
The point is, cities are becoming extremely inaccessible for teenagers wanting to hang out without spending gobs of money on an hour-long activity. I want places created to be affordable, centered around community engagement and socialization, not for-profit lining the pockets of the greedy.
Additionally, this issue isn’t only based on one generation’s perspective; in fact, it extends to teenagers and adults alike. This phenomenon of disconnect has been exacerbated, becoming noticeable after the recent pandemic, as a decline of third spaces has become ever more prominent.
According to a 2021 BBC article written by Angela Henshall, “The Covid-19 pandemic catalyzed many major shifts in society, but there are two main social effects. First, our discrete work and home spaces immediately collapsed into one another […] And second, we lost all of our third places overnight.”
The article continues with American author and CEO of Berkshire Publishing Group, Karen Christensen, explaining, “Our relationships and responsibilities used to be easily compartmentalized: the intimate pieces at home, and the professional at work. This division made it easier to handle the stresses of our lives. But, when the two sides folded into each other at the start of the pandemic, we struggled to process the cognitive load, and the third places in which we tend to relieve these stressors disappeared at the same time. There’s been an outsize impact on people who also have caring responsibilities, as there’s literally been very little space for a break of any kind.”
To me, this is even more of a reason to seek out the reemergence of these third spaces in current society. These changes to society have shifted what it means to be human and to live: connection.
In a 2023 article for The Hill written by Daniel de Visé, focusing on teens spending less and less time with friends, Adam Hoffman, an assistant professor of psychology at Cornell University, explains that social media, “can really only supplement, and cannot replace, in-person relationships. We need to have both of these,” to stress the importance of friendships and relationships in adolescence.
What is living without having these spaces to unwind with friends, family, or a partner? Not only do teenagers need these things, but so does every generation. With an ever-growing market for electronics, social media, and online platforms, will we eventually eradicate unplugged hangouts? Will we forget how to socialize and talk to our peers truly? We are truly forgetting the importance of social connection.
