I think another part of it is that there aren't much in the way of places for teens to hang out anymore that isn't somebody else's house. Malls, arcades, comic stores; skate parks, bowling alleys, etc are borderline nonexistent nowadays. Many of those spaces have been replaced by virtual equivalents or abandoned altogether. This is compounded by the rising costs of vehicles, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.
I totally agree. Anytime my daughter wants to hang with her friends it’s at their/my house. They may go to the movies, but I’m noticing that Target is the new hangout spot for teens in my area. My daughter said it’s because there is no where else to go. Which is sad.
I absolutely love how he voiced his take without being the least bit condescending. He voiced his opinion without implying that the younger generation was somehow weaker. Respect.
@@calandprem agreed, if anything it's fun to dive into a differently sculpted mindset. Especially since society has shifted so hard in the past few years, super interesting to see parents raise their children traditionally in a kind of modernized world.
@@zeosummers3984 I mean they're talking about how the older generation will always turn something that the younger generation does as them being weaker. They will always find a way to talk about how better it used to be
For me it was fear. At my high school they had an event every year that encouraged students to think about the consequences of unsafe/drunk driving. The fire department would come and play out a scene with student volunteers in front of the school to play out a car crash scene. Random students would get selected to pretend to be dead by being quiet all day and carry around a sign. They would play stuff over the intercom about the students who "died" between classes. My cousin had been in a horrible car accident a few years before that so I stayed home that week. People love scaring the shit out of us and then act surprised when their kids don't want to drive.
As a teen learning to drive right now, for me it’s the fear. I WANT to drive because I want that independence and to take a load off my parents with all the activities I’m involved in, but I’m just scared of getting in an accident because you see all these stories on the news nowadays and it’s basically unheard of to meet someone who hasn’t gotten in an accident at some point. It’s so normalized, it’s scary.
I've been driving for 20 years, I live in NYC, very high traffic and a lot of other drivers on the road. I've been involved in three accidents, all of them minor, one we didnt even report it, because there was no damage. Point being, the independence and ability to just get in a car and drive away outweighs the fear of driving. Dont get me wrong, people are getting worse every year, but if you keep your head on a swivel and dont drive like a moron, chances are you'll be ok
@@Lv-nq9qz I guess part of my fear is that even though I could learn to be a super responsible driver, that doesn't stop OTHER drivers from being irresponsible JERKS around me and that is a major turnoff for me because cars are expensive, I ain't gonna mess with that. (This is just me, no hate or dissent towards you personally. You are very brave)
@@silverdandylmao life is full of risks, you take a million chances each day. Part of dealing with fear is not worrying about all the things that could happen and focusing on what you want to happen. Other people are definitely a hazard while driving, but you deal with that by using your mirrors, a lot of cars even come with cameras now too. The more you do it, the better you become at being able to sense dangerous situations. Believe me, I was scared too at first. My first day in driver's ed, I almost got into an accident. But the more I drove, the more confident I became. Plus, I had to drive to school when I went to college, so I kinda didnt have a choice.
Car accidents _are_ normal though. You cannot avoid them forever so yes at some point EVERYONE will have been in a car accident. Most of them are small. I’ve been in several. 99% of them are not a huge deal.
@@silverdandylmao yes. This has always been true. That’s why being a defensive driver is important. You don’t not take risks because of fear of what could happen. I have anxiety so I get it, but if I worried about what other people MIGHT do, I’d never leave my house.
I think a there's a lot of kids who are afraid of driving too. My parents were constantly telling me "this is a 3000 pound weapon I'm letting you drive and making the smallest mistake could get you or someone else killed." Hearing that over and over again was enough to scare me out of wanting to. Also, adding a teenager to the car insurance is like $1100 now which is insane. Having parents talking about how expensive it is frequently is also offputting.
yeah i get that, im 16 and luckily my parents didnt shove that whole stuff down my throat, because they know that I already know it, also for some reason the car insurance didnt increase at all when they added me because i already have an older brother who is on it, so that certainly helps me
@@swampaids that's cool that it didn't increase. It was like $1100 to add me and then it would be an additional $1100 to add my sister so she's not getting her license anytime soon
Same type of people that don't understand gun ownership or operation and act like the gun is going to wake up and have a mind of its own and starts shooting you and everyone else in its vicinity. You're set up for failure if you live your life in fear, but you also want to be educated and taught in the proper way and both driving a car and operating a firearm.
this is the main reason i didn’t want to drive, i’m glad other people see the irony of parents talking about how dangerous cars can be then being like “here drive me to the store you’ll be fine, what are you afraid of?”
17 here. I had a “create your own activity” for school, and I asked my teacher permission to start on the road to driving. She essentially accused me of lying because at 17 I should already know how to drive and have my full license. The idea that driving wouldn’t have been my #1 priority was outrageous to her
@@nok4799 yeah I have the choice between learning to drive or living on campus at my college instead of at home when it’s not that bad of a commute, hence I gotta learn to drive
It's crazy because that's actually the norm in a lot of places outside the US All my peers are on their late 20s and only one of them has a licence and a car
......you have to be 18+ to have a full unrestricted drivers license.... maybe your teacher *should* go through with your idea so that she can brush up on her knowledge (plus I'm sure there's new laws enacted that she may not be aware of) Also 25 (going on 26) without my license...but I need to get it lol
@@Shrimple-Sheeple unrestricted true, but where I live you can get your permit at 15 and a half, and you can get a license to drive alone after driving for a year if you have a certain number of hours and miles driven. So I could have gotten my license almost a year ago had I been on top of it.
I think as others have mentioned is the lack of things to do as a teenager. I’m an older GenZ and I hung out with my friends recently but there isn’t any where to go that isn’t expensive AND in the city. Imagine you just learned to drive and all the cool experiences you could maybe have are expensive and in the city where it’s more prone to accidents,traffic and although you know the area you haven’t known what it’s like to drive there. Attributing to massive anxiety that isn’t worth the pressure.
@@ConnorsCrapTV So we can swing on the monkey bars? There’s nothing appealing about the park to teens, and honestly nowadays in my area at least, parks are either trashy uninhabitable wastelands that haven’t been taken care of in 10 years, or they’re just being torn down to make way for a new building or parking area. Parks aren’t an option, and tbh it pains me to say it because of how much I loved going when I was a younger kid
As someone who is younger gen z, the only reasons I want to drive are 1. Urban planning is the worst, and public transport where I live is an actual nightmare 2. I'm in school currently so I have to take the bus, which is usually late by at least 5-10 minutes. I would love it if everything was in walking distance, only needing to take the bus if it were too far, but that's not how it works nowadays.
In order to live in a place that actually has good public transportation, you need to be making 80,000 to a six figure salary to even afford it. I'm from northern Virginia and even the more suburban areas is expensive but eventually I'd like to move to Arlington which is one of the best walkable cities in the US however since it's a suburb of DC it's mad expensive even for a studio apartment. Trying to get a good paying tech job in the future. A 700-800 sqft studio apartment costs $220,000 - $300,000.
Glad to see I’m not alone. I’m 24 now, but when I was 16, I had no interest whatsoever in driving, and my parents were so perplexed. Like most people here, I had grown up being told stories of how dangerous driving was, and I was just terrified of it. My parents forced me to get my license, but I didn’t start actually driving all that much until my junior year of college, because it became a necessary part of my freedom/independence. I think an excitement for driving was part of the older generation’s being less risk adverse. My parents tell me all sorts of stories of things they did as teens-like playing pranks on neighbors and stealing their parents’ cars. I was always really straight-laced though, because I would get the police called on me for stuff like that these days, and even if I didn’t, my parents would kill me for doing 90% of what they got away with. It’s like our parents’ generation tried so hard to make sure we wouldn’t repeat their mistakes that they accidentally taught us to fear everything. That’s my take, anyway. 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah I was so confused when I got my driver license at 16 and now in my early 20’s so many of my friends from high school still don’t have licenses. Like idk my parents taught me that I should have a job at 18 so I can start making some money and honestly I don’t know how other kids have jobs at this age without a car. Like Ik people are going to college but you guys are gonna have to pay for it later on, might as well start racking up while in school.
@@Jeremy-bt8lo It is because most jobs these days cannot support all costs of living, so the logical thing is to cut out what you don't need. It just happens that a car is super expensive and serves very little purpose these days.
@@Jeremy-bt8lo I got a scholarship, so fortunately I didn’t have to pay much, and my jobs were always within walking distance-so depending on your circumstances, there are ways to get through college without a car. For a lot of people, it would probably be necessary to be more confident driving earlier than I was, but I got to avoid it for quite some time. (I will say, I’m now very comfortable driving and even enjoy it, so for any teens in the comments, don’t worry if you’re scared now. Practice little by little, and eventually it’ll become fairly automatic.)
I'm 24 and I've been up my parents asses over getting my license since I was 16. Throughout high school they just told me to get my grades up. Now that I'm 24 they still make no effort to get me my license. Even if I say hey I want to do this on this day they just find excuses to postpone it. They've also made excuses my entire life why they can't buy me a car then this past year they got a new dog and paid $10,000 to have him trained to go on airplanes. Right before covid my grandpa bought my brother a brand new 2019 Honda civic months after I buy a $300 beater that only ran once (living in my own apartment at this point and walking over an hour to and from work). I'm sick of having to devote entire days to hanging out with someone just because I asked them to help me run errands so I could get the materials to do what I actually want to do that I then have to postpone. I'm sick of ordering groceries. I'm beyond fucking sick of paying expensive ass $45+ Ubers to and from concerts on weekends and paying $20 grubhub deliveries. I don't have the confidence to talk to girls because I'm worried they'll stop talking to me over not driving. My dads taken me to drive a few times and he's taken me to take the test once and it pisses me off like crazy because I failed the parallel parking portion but did fine on the rest but he hasn't done anything about it since other than say oh I guess I forgot to teach you that. I blow holes through all of my pants, can barely make a pair of shoes last six months and half of my clothes are sun damaged from walking everywhere. I constantly almost get hit crossing intersections and have seen accidents in my direct walking path after the fact. I feel perpetually stuck in this and I'm sick of it I have no fucking clue how you were ok with not driving so long because this is torment and I feel like I have no freedom.
@@lunchbox1553 so you use the bus then right, because I worked a minimum wage job in California and saved up for a very cheap car. Well I started working when I was 16 to save up so your job doesn’t really define why you shouldn’t have a car within a couple of years dude
My mom was talking to me about how she doesn’t understand why teens don’t take risks or engage in risky behavior like her generation. I told her that some teens do, but for the most part, the punishments for those risky behaviors are way higher than when she was a teen. There are judicial consequences like going to jail or getting arrested for drug possession that didn’t occur nearly as frequently as when she was a teen. Natural consequences too: She told me how she would go to in a party in the 80s that had community punch bowls and you didn’t know that contents of them, now most parties, even wild ones, someone is always monitoring drinks and people are on their guard from having their drinks roofied. I had an uncle roll his eyes at me and call my generation weak, compared to his, where they would go car racing and drive under the influence, and I told him about my school yearly assembly where they would bring in the parents of teens who were killed by drunk drivers or who were paralyzed from a dui car crash. A huge reason of not wanting to drive is that we don’t trust ourselves behind the wheel of a 3 ton killing machine lmao
I wouldn't risk it with the drugs (fentynal lacing) or the community punch bowl ( don't want to get drugged). But driving?!?! Yall need have a thicker skin and start maturing b/c yall blame anxiety for everything. It's like a " get out of being responsible and growing up card". Social media got this generation weak as hell. Its sad really 😞
@@sbostic08the truth is the only kids not driving are the ones in bigger cities with decent public transit. If I can take the subway or a bus for a fraction of the price, why would I bother driving a car that’s way too expensive in a city where 5 car pileups happen on the daily?
@@sbostic08 maybe the fact that an entire generation claims to have terrible anxiety is indicative of a major issue or shift in modern society that should be resolved and not something that the collective youth should just tolerate and "grow thicker skin" to compensate for.
@@snugget7601 For real! I'm 40 and have major anxiety issues. It's not something exclusive to younger generations. I have a friend in her 60's with major anxiety, too. I can't help but think that with so many people of all ages having anxiety and depression issues, it must be symptomatic of a much larger issue, perhaps something to do with how much society has shifted so rapidly just in the last 30 years alone. Things have changed so much that some older people don't even realize how different the world today is from the one they grew up in. Some still think "You just gotta pull yerself up by yer boot straps!" Meanwhile they don't really even make boots with straps anymore, but the figurative ones they speak of also broke a long time ago. Or perhaps our anxiety and other issues stem from something else, I don't know. Doctors or psychiatrists or some other professionals should explore the why's of why these things are on the rise and get to the root cause, but it's far more profitable and simple to write prescriptions rather than help people actually overcome their issues and no longer need to be medicated.
I've been told again and again that I'm a danger on the road and that I need extra hours of supervised driving because I have ADHD and sure, extra hours would be great. But it's so heavily reinforced for people like me that if we make one little mistake, people could die. Lives could be ruined. Children orphaned. Thousands of dollars of damage done. It was on the news when I was a kid, I hear older folks (who don't actually know what ADHD is like) say it all the time, etc. But I'm looked at like a crazy person because decades of conditioning that told me that essentially we'd all be safer if I didn't drive makes me anxious to try to do it in the first place. Make it make sense 🙄
Adhd is fucking awful to live with, and thats without the stigmatisation that gets dumped on us by people without it. Especially when you become an adult and have to fit in with the rest of the normies
I had a similar experience due to a different neurological disorder, thanks to which I have had a very hard time to even learn to drive, and still do. The additional pressure from my mom wanting me to learn it and her constant judgment bc of my poor motor skills etc doesn't make any of it better. I'd rather just not drive at all. Learning new things is really hard for me and I don't wanna make an accident bc of one mistake.. These happen so often, I doubt I will ever learn driving
My mom has ADHD and she is one of the best drivers I know. She says think of it kinda like a video game where the objective is to pay attention to the road you are driving on. But you also have to watch out for anything that could come at you from the side of the road or from the side up ahead or make you need to stop or slow down like they are zombies or something. Nothing else matters, not songs on the radio, not conversations in your car and definitely not your phone (turn it off or silent before you start the car). Think of it like this and you'll be okay. That's the advice she gave me. I'm 24 and don't have my license yet but am working on it.
@@cameronk1632 I'm 32 and I do the same gameification thing when I drive and I've got ADHD too lol (anxiety and depression, too but eh.) I'm always watching every driver around me because I live in one of the top 10 cities of worst drivers in the US. Every single accident I've been in (none serious thank goodness) except 1 when I was 17 while driving distracted and lost, has been someone else not paying attention or driving wrecklessly hitting me. Just study the manual as much as you can, then practice as much as you can with another driver with you, if you're able to afford it, taking driver's ed was very helpful for me because most of the instructors are good at doing what they do. Once you do get your license make sure to turn on any music or podcast before you start driving, dont check your phone till you arrive at your destination, then gameify focusing on keeping a spatial awareness mental map of your surroundings, keep an eye on other drivers, look for any hazards or pedestrians and follow the driving laws and you'll be good. Just stay engaged while you drive and the anxiety will go away eventually once you've got enough practice, knowledge, and experience. 🙂👍
As a 22 year old who still doesn't have their license, I feel very validated by this comment section. I honestly didn'trealize that it was common for my generationto not drive. I am very insecurethat I can't drive and knowing that there are others who have yet to get it makes me feel a bit better. Though my reason for not driving is related to the health issues i had all through out high school that made driving/being in a car adifficult. It has been only like in the last year, that I am feeling like I am mostly better. I do share the anxiety of hitting someone or being hit . I also ran into a building when I was learning how to do drive which didn't help lol Edit: I got my license in the past year and have not totaled a car or killed anyone yet!! Woot woot!
I'm pushing 30 and I don't have my license lol. I used to, but it expired and I never got around to doing the test again. Do I know how to drive ya sure, do I enjoy it or am I legal to drive? Not really... I think its perfectly fine if you don't want to drive and no one should expect you to, but it's definitely helpful to know how to. Just take things at your own pace.
I got my license last year at 21, and only because I had to. My father got his (motorcycle) at 24 and his sister hates driving (only groceries) while her partner doesn’t have one. It isn’t just this generation that is less inclined to drive, many adults drive because they have to.
@@shinybearevidra yup. I'll be getting my licence soon. It's such a pain traveling without a car. I don't want to use Uber all the time. They're quite expensive now.
21 rn and at 18 I felt mad old that I couldn't drive yet. And right now like since last year I've realized that my time will come and I don't have nor want to compare myself to other people. I'm wishing the best for you, and all the other learners. Tips from my mistakes: Give yourself adequate time to study your book and have a friend show you how to operate a vehicle and go to the dmv (advice for if your parents refuse to take you). (Especially this economy) It's good to Invest in yourself by making moves even if you feel embarrassed. 😅
As a 15 yo, im honestly scared. I’ve been told my whole life these very real stories about all the dangers of the road. Even my parents, who are great drivers, warn me about paying attention to everyone else, as many people on the road, shouldn’t be there. For example, my grandfather literally ran into a tire on the highway (while we were all warning him about it being there) simply bc he’s loosing his vision. Scary place man
the thing is they're not wrong either. people drive like morons a lot of the time. a lot of truckers drive for days without sleep and it causes accidents. they want you to be safe but at the same time they want you to also do the thing that they just warned you about lmao. its really hard to do that.
You just need to balance it. Be aware of dangers, but don't live in paranoia. It's less scary with the more practice you have (which is why you should actually do the hours you're expected to for the license test), but that doesn't mean you won't pay more attention during heavier traffic. Don't be like my friends that are upper 20s that waste time and gas because they still refuse to drive on the oh so scary highway.
Teens today tend to be anxious, and the mental weight of being in control of a machine that could kill a whole family if you screw up is a big source of anxiety
It's why I'm 23 with a license and still getting driven places when I'm down at home Like I graduate in spring and I can't confidently operate anything with wheels
I can wholeheartedly validate this. I’m 17 and about a month ago caused a four car pile up on the highway in which I was at fault. Fortunately I received the most serious injuries but was hospitalized. I got the book thrown at me and almost spent time in jail for it. No I wasn’t intoxicated or on my phone, I just froze up and couldn’t stop. Most teens now are just too afraid to drive.
I was one of the kids who didn't care to learn how to drive. I didn't get my license till I was like 18 or 19. Big reason for me I think has been mentioned already, but it's the fact that there's not really spaces to just hang out with friends. Anywhere that was a "hangout space" required money, something that none of us really had. There wasn't really a reason for me to have a license until college, when I got a real job and had to drive myself to campus. But then I actually had money, so I was able to take or meet my friends places and get food or go to the one arcade half an hour away.
I also got my license at 18 or 19. I lived in a city with pretty good public transit so I didn't need it and I had to share a car with my family and siblings. But then I missed out on a party that was in a rural area where I would have needed to drive, so I realized I needed to learn.
I'm 22 and the reason why I don't drive is because of my fear and anxiety surrounding it. There just seems to be so much to keep in mind, so much to watch out for, it's all so overwhelming for me and I'd rather not risk getting out on the road and having a panic attack while on the freeway.
This I'm the same way, ive desperately tried to explain to family that "if i panic my hands WILL immediately come off the wheel!" And they don't believe me, keep telling me ill be fine and yadda yadda lol
I mean im your Age and I drive alot but I don't feel thay stressed tbh cause it's like just wired into me I guess cause at the start it was hard to drive for me especially driving an SUV but now it feels like a breeze ain't gonna lie even wanna get my own sports car or SUV one day aswell!
Its mostly the phrases like "young people kill so many people while driving" that were drilled into us CONSTANTLY while growing up. This inadvertently creates an extremely large amount of fear around it. We are a generation that is extremely afraid of a lot of stuff, because our parents were so extremely protective of us. Most of my deep rooted social anxiety is from the "stranger danger" thing being drilled into me almost daily, basically from the time I could understand words, until I was a teenager. I realize that our parents are just doing their bests to try to keep us safe, but it inadvertently turns us into very 'dysfunctional' members of society.
Shit… I hope I’m not doing that to my kids but I think I am. But could you blame us? With school shootings, kidnapping rise, fentanyl deaths, and suicides… these weren’t things my parents worried about when I was a growing up. Society forced us to be anxious parents churning out anxious kids because you can’t seem to trust anyone or the system.
@Mama MUA I think something my mother, a very anxious individual did that helped but she wasn't always perfect with, was letting us go out (my siblings and I) together, or with friends, but never alone. One of us had to have the "kids phone" and she had to know where we were going. As a child who grew up with careful parents, they have to experience the world if you want them to survive in it. It's hard but you cannot protect them forever, but you can teach them how to protect themselves and stay safe.
@@mamamua4644 it might help to try and refocus your thinking. Instead of thinking in terms of “I am the mother and I need to shield them from all the danger out there,” maybe think more like “I am the mother so I need to teach them how to problem solve and be resourceful and responsible so they can deal with everything that’s out there.”
It’s also because for a lot of us, driving doesn’t give you freedom like it used to, because even if you’re away from home your parents can still track and micromanage every move you make
@@bisahnchen8727 Not in the Philippines. In said country, we ain’t adults until we’re done with college. Which happens when we’re *22.* But even then, our parents still won’t let go.
As a 30 year old who hates to drive, it was the fear for me - I've always been very aware of how dangerous cars are. I got my license at 22 and to this day consider driving a necessary evil to get me to my workplaces. . Edit: btw, the fear of driving is not a new thing, my mom told me that she was really excited to learn how to drive as a teen, then she almost run over a pedestrian and was so traumatised by the experience that she gave up driving. She was forced to learn when my brother and I were kids so she could take us to school and such, but she also hates driving to this day and will avoid it whenever possible.
I'm a few years older than you and dislike driving too. It took me years to get on the highway by myself and I got comfortable with it due to the distance between work and home. But I've had a few accidents and also seen how crazy some other people drive too. I live in the Atlanta area, and 285 is literally one of deadliest highways. Plus our traffic is just terrible. I've been able to WFH the last few years and love not dealing with all that. Add in Lyft and all the delivery services, and I've considered giving up my car.
a big one for me is fear. it was awful being 16 and having to drive alone on a busy highway at 7am in the morning. especially in the winter when you have to deal with snow and ice just to get out of your own neighborhood. like i was really risking my life every single day to go to school with so little experience. i was also in a pretty terrifying accident with my sister when she was driving us both home from school on an icy road, well before i even began drivers ed. she was being a hormonal careless teenager and basically landed us both in a ditch. we really almost died and that sort of fear has stayed with me as a driver this whole time. if anything, it’s experiences like these that make more and more people question the cultural norm of giving teenagers these huge death machines and letting them fly off on their own every day
In my town in Iowa, there is nowhere for teens to hang out. I witnessed a group of teens being told to leave the mall because they were not buying things- just window shopping. I should have stepped in and said something but I'm ashamed to admit I was scared. Teens can't hang out at the mall. The downtown is full of homeless people who will harass them and besides the businesses are all closed down so unless you to to a bar or the library there isn't anything to do downtown. They keep closing the skate park which the city purposely put in the worst place ever so it's hard to get to without a car and no public transport goes by. They say it's for repairs but my city is shady and corrupt. They want that park gone. Even as a college kid, there isn't anything to do that isn't drugs or booze. You can go to someone's house but you always end up watching CZcams or something. For all the "go outside " folks' outside isn't safe. The walkable neighborhoods you enjoyed as a teen are now 4 lane street-roads or multilane highways and endless commercial districts. Nowhere allows people to hang out without spending money and the free places are the library. The parks are taken over by the homeless and unsafe. There are no skate rings or bowling alleys there is nothing that isn't online.
My friend in high school was raped by a homeless person in a park in broad daylight. Police never came to save her. She had to escape on her own after being knocked unconscious. She's brain-damaged now and was never able to live a normal life after.
Universal Basic income doesn't work And the entire downtown near me is devoted to homeless shelter and it hasn't helped It just has turned it into a dead downtown Maybe we need more social programs to get them jobs I dunno
As a older member of Gen z without a license, it might also have to do with the fact younger generations have higher levels of anxiety and car crashes are the leading cause of death until you are 55. I have been working on learning to drive, but I get panic attacks about every other driving session. Its not about being lazy for me, it’s about the frightening awareness that you have control of a 2 ton machine that will kill more of your peers than anything else. I don’t know how pilots do it but I respect them. -✌🏻
Agreed if you live in Kentucky you see the amount of crosses in the road I was looking at Dad you dont have to make that Cross sign everytime we pass a Cross in the road from a Driving Accident
@@DJ-iu5bb yeah, i live in a rural area and that's pretty common. also i think that kids aren't taught the same anymore. i heard they took out drivers ed from the school curriculum but that could just be a rumor. The first thing i was taught is not to be anxious, if you are anxious you crash. anxiety is bad. (if you want to know a reason why watch Canada's worst driver) that and don't be scared to crash, crashes happen after all and most cars have good enough safety equipment that if you crash going the speed limit you won't die. the chances of you dying in a crash is pretty low if you go the speed limit.
I mean driving and anxiety.... storming the beaches into certain death to defeat someone trying to take over the world. Every generation equally has their struggles
@@ricethetacu going the speed limit isn’t always gonna stop somebody else from crashing into you while they’re recklessly driving though. That’s what I’m nervous about on the road 😅
@@ricethetacu also you’re right about the lack of driver’s ed classes in school- at least in the state where I live. Now the only driver’s ed classes that are available are the ones that the DMV provides (which costs $500 - $600 I believe?) or you can learn from a relative/friend 🤷🏽♀️
I'm a millennial, I remember when I was about 15 I was actually excited about learning to drive and that I'd learn to drive a car, but I really wanted to learn to drive a motorcycle too. I actively talk about this with my parents. How I wanted to get a job and save up to buy those things. Come Christmas, they hyped me up by taking me outside and in the driveway was a tiny plastic toy motorcycle. And they laughed and laughed at their little joke. It took all the excitement about learning to drive out of me though. I didn't care until I needed to learn bc I was moving out at 19. I eventually bought my own motorcycle though. I still have the little plastic one on my key chain...
Wow, that's horrible! If you're gonna do something like that at least have the real deal hidden around the corner or something. I'm so sorry they did that to you :(
Cars are expensive, gas is expensive, insurance is expensive, and teens now live in a world where "get a job working fast food to get a car" isn't no where near enough especially since allot of them are going to get saddled with student loan debt or helping with family
I’m 21 now, but I still don’t like driving. I have my license and a car but it’s just something about it that scares me. People drive crazy and it seems like a lot to keep in mind, and watch out for when driving. If you have bad anxiety and question yourself a lot, like myself, it will be even worse. My mom practices with me and helps me a lot. Don’t push your kids out there to quick, or force them to do something somewhat dangerous if they aren’t in the right head space for it.
I’m 26, an older/cusp member of Gen Z. I was also very reluctant to drive when I turned 16. For me it was an anxiety thing - I was terrified of the prospect of getting into an accident or breaking something on a car that I didn’t own. It wasn’t until I realized that I wanted to move away from home after high school and live in a different city for university and starting my career that I got motivated and actually saw the value in driving, because it was part of my ticket to freedom.
thats the thing, you wanted freedom. millenials and gen z dont have a reason to need that freedom because of how adults treated us as kids. we got babied and why would you want to leave that environment of being pampered? lol. i hate saying it but i think parents have to be horrible so the kids want that freedom, the teen has to be triggered to want that freedom and these days it doesn't happen at all.
@@Parasiteve I kinda disagree. I think that yeah, terrible parents make you want freedom, that's undeniable, but they don't need to be terrible for you to want freedom. My parents are awesome and I love them, but I still wanted freedom. Not from them in particular but from the town I grew up in. I wanted to be able to go wherever I wanted without having to abide to others (bus routes or hours, people driving me, etc), just being in control of the time I left and time I arrived, and being able to leave on a whim if I wanted to. Also I think that some people actually want to go away from being pampered at some point, I know I wouldn't want to be taken care of and treated like a precious baby my whole life, but that's a personality thing. I'm not Gen Z but I'm a late milenial (1994), so I guess I have a lot in common with the oldest part of their generation
@@Parasiteve Literally half of this generation was abused by their parents. It’s only the rich kids and those with better off families that got pampered. I could be oversimplifying with the ladder statement, but still.
I was terrified at the idea of driving due to all the horror stories of accidents and all the terrible things that could happen while driving that I heard from my parents, I didn’t even wanna try driving until my mom basically dragged me to an empty parking lot to practice, I was so scared that I would crash into a tree or something and my mom would make me pay for the damage lol
My 16 year old daughter has no desire to drive. But she’s like me. I’m 38 and don’t drive. I was excited about it as a teen and even had my own car, but a series of vehicular traumas in my life made me not want to. Fast forward to recent years, I was determined to try and learn. I should mention that at 16 I did get my permit and took the road test once. I failed parallel parking (which fails the entire test here no matter how good you did on everything else’s). This was then followed by the traumatic occurrences. So trying again seemed doable now that I’m older. I bought myself a nice car and gave in to relearning. That is until I started having random blackouts and memory loss from my CPTSD. I had to give up because obviously that’s not safe. My daughter is Autistic and has Anxiety and ADHD. I think her lack of desire comes from, in part, seeing how hard it’s been for me. I hope she changes her mind and gives it a chance, but even if she doesn’t, that’s her choice.
A combination of autism, anxiety and adhd means it's better if your daughter doesn't drive, those three will pile up at the first sign of an accident, and put both her and everyone else at risk, as people need a clear mind when in danger.
Don’t feel bad. I’m 68 and never learned how to drive tho my brother and sister did. I was too chicken. I like to say that technology has caught up to me (in the form of Lyft/Uber). And working throughout my life I either took public transport or was close enough to walk/bike. Is it a skill that would be nice to have? Yes. Mentally, if magic somehow gave me the technical skills to do it, would I? No. I’d be a TERRIBLE driver, always jumping at every little thing.
It sounds like you let your fears take something away from your daughter. We have to control our own issues so we aren’t burdening our children with our trauma. I’m concerned that at the end you put this all on her. The person who needs work is you. You need to change and work on yourself. You need to be strong enough to not let your own fears seep into your parenting.
@@FirstNameLastName-wt5to?? When did she ever say she's the one making her daughter scared of driving? My parents never said anything about cars or driving or whatever and it still scares me so much I don't ever want to get my license
It's probably because teens don't really have anywhere to go, at least not where I live. Unchaperoned teenagers are banned in so many spaces and I feel so bad for them sometimes.
There’s no where to hang out at all. I kid you not my people is hanging out in Walmart parking lots. House meet ups r boring too, parents wanna kill the vibe.
I can vouch for the Walmart parking lot. That’s my friends and I go to for hanging out. There isn’t really anywhere else (where I’m at), gas is expensive as it is. And anything outside of that costs money, some places require that you buy something just to be there. So we bring snacks and stuff from home and do our thing. It’s the only spot where ppl won’t bother you for being there.
I'm 18. My entire life, my mom would have freak outs driving during in the snow, she'd talk about accidents she's seen, and has on multiple occasions brought up a very brutal, very EXPLICIT and detailed story about how one of her cousins got driven over by a semi truck, with his head dismembered and such. She constantly fed me these awful, terrible stories about how dangerous driving can be.. and now she's mad that I don't want to drive. She tells me "she was trying to prepare me to be an aggressive driver" by telling me all of these stories.
Haha I'm actually filled with such relief that I'm not the only gen z scared to drive. Like... maybe this could be the rise of actually increasing public transportation and bettering it in America. I am 100% on board with less cars on the road. I'm way too scared as well.
@Jared Jams wish for auto corporations to not have gotten so out of control instead. Cars were useful until they clogged the streets with only 1-2 people in a 7x15(ish)sqft space. Each.
I feel for you i don´t think your mom was very wise telling you that stuff driving is nothing scary there´s endless ways to die dying is normal and random. Anything that scares you is worth doing it grows you as a person
How the heck does one go about expecting those stories to make an AGGRESSIVE DRIVER?! If any activity is infamous for being dangerous/hard/whatever, the tendency is for people to become more cautious and calculative in how they go about it, not the other way around! If she wanted an aggressive driver she should've lied to you and said that accidents only happen to others and that you're immortal. That way you'd maybe become an aggressive driver.
I’m 19 now-for me at 15 I was just totally terrified - my parents made me start right away but I didn’t even think about the benefits, I just thought I was literally gonna die whenever I drove😆 Now being a college commuter who’s gained a lot of confidence behind the wheel, driving has helped me sooo much & my car is my safe space to sing loudly and listen to audiobooks, so yes I’m happy my parents made me learn. To any anxious or lazy feeling teens out there - it’s better to just get the training over with as soon as u can so u can begin to enjoy driving 👌
I'm 31 and never learned how to drive. I think there is a lot to this, but I do believe that technology is a part of why. Also things like: anxiety, cost, availability of public transportation and how it's better environmentally, as well as other factors that play in.
i drove for the first time when i was 17 and my mom was literally screaming on my ear for making mistakes.. it made me not want to drive again.. i didn’t want to drive again but i know i had to.. it took me until i was 19 to gain the confidence to take a government issued drivers ED course and i had a licensed instructor showing me what to do. I got the hang of it quickly and got my drivers license a month later. I’ll be 20 next month.
My dad was a drill instructor so you can imagine the stress I went through while he was teaching me. And my mom wouldn’t teach me because she’d get overwhelmed. I was fortunate to get my first car weeks into the pandemic when my dad convinced my mom I needed one since I was college by then and those Uber fees were racking up (my college town didn’t have Instacart yet so going to the grocery store and back was hell since). I didn’t drive by myself until I got called in for a job interview one day and both my parents were at work. I was nervous as hell.
Same but at 16 (traumatized by learning from a parent). I tried to learn again at 18 (passed rules portion but failed the diver's test and got discouraged)... a sidenote: our school didn't have driver's ed....Okay, at 20, I finally passed the driving portion of the test. It took years before became confident and felt comfortable driving a car (still scared of highways).
As a 16 year old, I have to say that another part of it is the feeling of growing up. A lot of us really don’t like the idea of becoming adults too quickly.
@@iiCounted-op5jx essentially that feeling of “and now you’re supposed to have your life figured out.” There’s an imbalance between the amount of pressure to have things planned out/know what we want to do and the support preparing us to make those decisions, so it’s really not a nice feeling.
No one is mentioning the fact that driving is way tougher nowadays than it was when y’all learned to drive. When my mom learned to drive her biggest concern was getting pulled over speeding. When I was learning to drive my biggest concern was that the entire road was packed anytime I wanted to go anywhere and half the people on it didn’t drive properly. The first time I went out on the actual road my moms said if she’d had to learn to drive with this many people on the road she’d never have even bothered trying.
As a 19 year old who just got her license, I just feel so isolated here. There’s no where to go so driving doesn’t really make me feel independent or free. So it feels pointless to risk it more than I have to. I just drive to and from class and that’s it. (I’m in community college downtown but live in the suburbs)
I recommend planning an outing in a nearby town/city wether with friends or just a self care thing. I'm from a empty town as well. Also check for local events like concerts, plays, pop up events/shops, ect.
It's so nice to see someone giving an explanation about a younger generation than them without putting those younger people down in the process. It's sincerely so refreshing cuz I've been seeing too much of that lately. Like you actually just came up with a genuine theory as to why instead of taking the opportunity to insult younger people.
Am I the only teenager here that wants to drive but just doesn’t want to pay money to do so ? Like driving classes are expensive I’m surprised no brought that up
@@blessingknowseverything9609 definitely not, i think almost all of my friends wants to drive but were too busy or broke to learn. i ended up getting a license first despite not wanting it at all
Yeah I was totally expecting a theory like "they are irresponsible/dont care about shit anymore/too reliant on others" or stuff like that. But this dude's opinion makes a lot of sense and is understanding. I like that at least some adults are willing to listen. For me I just havent had any use for driving so far and I am pretty socially awkward too that I dont go out a lot with friends. Though I will need to take care of stuff on my own, live on my own and do shopping etc. in the near future so I have been trying to make time for learning.
@@blessingknowseverything9609 I want to take so many classes on literally everything. Having money is the first step so atp we can't do anything 💁 I feel ya
@@blessingknowseverything9609 I’m 13, but maybe it comes with age because I don’t wanna learn because like, what if you crash..? It’s very scary imo lol. I like the idea of it, not the actual fact I have to do it.
Nami, same fears. Also not helpful driving with family and friends cursing out other drivers driving. I have a license but I don't drive. Only learned just in case I had to take the wheel. Lastly, I also have anxiety crossing the street because I see how drivers are reckless.
This is the reason for me too, but I had to face my fears recently. I need to drop off both of my kids at school every morning and pick them in the afternoon at different times and using ride sharing apps was becoming a challenge so now I drive but still trying to deal with the anxiety of it.
Same, I’ve almost been in car crashes and where I live, people don’t even know how to drive calmly like c’mon. Forgot to mention I’m also legally blind without my glasses and need a new prescription every year
To be fair I was nervous about driving as a teen too. Not because I didn’t want to drive, but because I realized that I was in control of a potential death trap speeding down the road with other metal death traps doing the same and one wrong move and I or someone else could be killed or injured. So it was more so out of caution to make sure I was ready.
As a teen, this is partially true but my main reasons for not wanting to drive are fear and cost. It sucks that driving is so dangerous even if you’re driving responsibly, anything can happen. Also my minimum wage job can’t even pay for college tuition, or a place to live, or just the basic needs for my future let alone a car or car insurance. I’m fortunate enough to have parents to help with those costs but it still takes a toll. So yeah, why would I wanna drive if I can already talk to my friends with other ways?
When I was 16 I didn’t want to drive because I was afraid of the responsibility. I saw it as another step I had to take to becoming an adult and it honestly terrified me. Maybe it’s different for you old heads but the concept of growing up was so scary to me back then because it felt so inevitable like death.
Back before the recessions being a grown up didn't seem so bad. No wonder kids couldn't wait to grow up back then, compared to now where it's like they're looking over the edge into the pit of hell itself. I understand.
A month ago I was operating a snow clearing tractor and had my signals on and hazards. I was about to make a left hand turn and this young girl in her little sedan, illegally tried to pass and she ran her car into the solid metal bucket of the tractor.. it went through her car like cheese passed the front tires up to her fender. If I raised the bucket a couple feet which I was about to do, it would of went though her windshield and would easily kill her.. so I agree most of gen z shouldn't be driving without proper drivers ed.
I’m 23, been driving since age 17, but I still hate it so much and it still always terrifies me because of how focused I have to be. I am undiagnosed but am 90% sure I have ADHD which makes me so unfocused in many situations and many times while I am driving. Always on edge but I have no choice because I live in a suburb where it still would take at least a 30 min walk to the nearest shopping centers and bus stop 😐
As an older Gen Z (I’m 25 now), I got my full license on my 16th birthday. For me, it was that I wanted to autonomy to do a part-time job and go to extracurricular activities that my parents were unwilling to schedule around. I wanted to grow up fast. I think the bulk of Gen Z has less incentive to grow up, though. Not in a bad way, I just mean that they don’t have the same rewards for overcoming the insane thing that is becoming an adult. Why would they hustle so hard in high school when they are dispassionate about their future lives? What do they have to look forward to in adulthood or from independence? Society has cast a bleak view of the future.
I'm 25 too. I got my license asap as well. Not because I wanted to "grow up" or anything. I did it because it's what you do. It's the next logical step in life and I wanted to take it. I do think you're right that there's a lot of pessimism about the future. To all the younger people, though, even if the future is bleak, just know that you will always have the ability to make a good life for yourself if you choose to. Don't bother worrying about the rest of the world, just learn to make your way in the world, find a few things you like, and just be happy to be alive. Life is as difficult and complicated as you make it.
@@ziebplew I will enjoy my life if I live with my principles.. And for me it means caring for the rest of the world too. Even if I don't have kids myself, there still will be another generation atfer ours, and I want them to have a good life too. And I generally am happy because of others things, things that are in danger or getting worse as time goes by. I enjoy linving in the area I'm from, but I can't because it's getting too expensive for most people. I enjoy traveling, but it's getting really expensive too. I enjoy working, but I don't want making money to be the purpose of my life. And I don't enjoy the fact that we'll need to make more money to live worse, or even to live at all, as dumb as it sound. So yeah, the future doesn't look good when not many are fighting for it
I am 22 and I certainly don't have one. My family worries I won't be able to help them in a case of emergency if I have no license... But that's what my phone is for, hello? Ambulance? Taxi? I still don't need to drive.
I used to be kinda intimidated about getting my license, I finally got it when I was 18 and it changed my life, I really can't imagine what I would do without it. Driving on your own is kinda scary the first couple times but honestly you get over it super quickly as you get more comfortable, plus your parents aren't freaking out next to you every 10 seconds
as someone who is 17 and still working towards getting a driver's license, what makes me not want to drive is the fear of doing something wrong. I think a part of the reason why I'm scared of that is due to the driver's ed course I took, where it went over all sorts of stories about folks who were driving and got themselves killed or permanently injured. That's scary.
As a teen who lives in California, many of the steps you need to take to get a license are pretty expensive, so it’s more of a cost issue than me not wanting to learn
My girlfriend at the time taught me how to drive when I was 23 yrs old. She knew it gave me anxiety,( my mother got overwhelmed, and then my ex boyfriend before tried teaching me and yelled and got frustrated) she was so calm and encouraging, gave me detailed instructions step by step. Told me how much pressure to use on the pedals and had the most in depth tips and tricks. She would drive somewhere new and have me drive back. And eventually the highway and across states. I'll never forget it. Driving is a skill that can lead to a terrible accident and I think having a cool head is key when teaching someone. She never ridiculed or laughed at me and now I'm a pro at parallel parking in the city at night. If I wasn't comfortable she never judged me if I didn't want to do something. Very grateful
Being that I’m pretty close to the teen age range (20), I can say that most of my peers have/had an interest in driving. I didn’t get my license until after high school and it was always something I got made fun of for. My incentive started as wanting to be independent of my parents and quickly became that I didn’t want to feel bad about it anymore. I’m kind of surprised to hear that it’s a trend, but it makes so much sense when you realize gen z has been told cars are dangerous their whole lives
I just turned 24 and I never wanted to drive. I have a few reasons why. 1. The idea of driving a car that could possibly kill people or me if I made a mistake was too scary. 2. Getting lost and stuck who knows where without any way of getting home is terrifying 3. I can't see well enough to legally be allowed to drive without glasses.
People don’t let their kids go outside by themselves anymore. Period. I’m 21 and I couldn’t go walk around the block in my neighborhood until I left high school, and I knew lots of other people my age who had the same experiences. I don’t necessarily blame parents for being afraid for the safety of their kids, but I think it’s been a bit extreme for this generation. If kids are told from a young age to stay inside the house where it’s safe, they’re not really going to have much of a reason to go out on their own
There's nowhere to go anywhere. Parks been bulldozed, shops to hang out at are all shuttered up, nobody can afford movies and bowling alleys. The only places kids got to go now is hanging out in parking lots and being derelicts
the day after I was born was the day of the Columbine shooting. my entire life, my parents required their express permission and that they get to meet the parents of whoever i was hanging out with. as a result, i never really asked to go anywhere. i assumed that there was some baseline risk and i didn't really know anybody so i just sat in my room and played with legos for most of my childhood.
Going to the mall with my friends is a ONCE a year thing. I’m lucky if my parents allow a sleepover without overanalyzing each person who is gonna be there. (Love them tho ❤)
same i had to move out my fathers house. i couldnt go to the park in view of my house without permission in high school. when my friends came to my place on their bikes id never be able to go with them
For me, it was the fact that from a young age everyone around me (parents, grandparents, teachers etc) drilled into my skull about why driving was such a big responsibility because when it goes wrong, it goes very wrong. I didn't feel comfortable to even start trying to drive until I was 18 and when I picked up the learners manual, the first line was something along the lines of 'the leading cause of serious injury and death among young people is vehicular accidents" followed by 10 pages of sharing statistics about how often young people get into crashes and why, it didn't instill me with confidence, it instilled me with fear. I did get 100% on my driving test however when it came to actually driving I still felt like I had no idea what to do. I practiced for about 3~months when I accidentally took a turn to sharp in a parking lot and hit a trolley bay. I couldn't even be a passenger in a car for a few months after that. Suffice to say, I still haven't learnt to drive and I really don't have the desire to either.
Yeah. Singular people driving 2-ton heaps of metal everywhere gets crazy when it gets a cult following. Like really, half the time there arent even sidewalks outside of urban areas
@Planet Earth The wheel turning one and a half full turns is so you have less steering sensitivity, more control over the car because you can make small adjustments easily, and it also gives you a better turning radius
As a soon to be 25 year old, I got my drivers license at 16. Pretty much everyone in my friend group got it around 16/17 so I’m surprised to hear so many others around my age in this comment section had the exact opposite experience. If I wanted to work after school, hang out with friends, etc. I didn’t want to be reliant on my parents to do that and I don’t live in a city with a reliable transportation system, so learning how to drive was the only option. I personally love to drive and always have so it’s been interesting reading everyone’s views on the matter
Im a shy introvert with no friends in real life that I would call being close to. I had no interest in driving and still don't, as others said its probably the fact that its been drilled into their head by parents that you could easily kill someone and it makes them anxious and paranoid. Of course I'm scared to drive still, I still don't have a drivers license. I'll be envious of those who don't have to have one cause they live on areas not required and easily walk from place to place or have easily accessible transportation.
@Princess of Keys my exact experience too! I'm heading to college next year and I chose somewhere with public transit, and I still feel like I should learn to drive even though it sounds awful.
I was struggling with school and loneliness at that age and I was too busy working so hard to stop those things overcoming me. Learning to drive on top of all that would've just been impossible.
@@PrincessofKeys My parents also drilled it into my head that you could easily get into an accident…as they should, there are risks to driving. But there’s risks to everything in life. For me, the benefits have always far outweighed the risks. I was scared of driving on the highway until my job was across town and I had to take it everyday. Now I take it without thinking twice. If and when you decide to get behind the wheel, best of luck - the more you do it the more confident you’ll become in your abilities to drive and you’ll find that the same things that scared you before won’t be as scary anymore.
In the 1980’s there wasn’t shit else to do except drive around with a friend. My dad said he would often just go driving with a buddy down by the shoreline to meet girls, like that was their Thursday evening. Nowadays we’ve got television, online gaming, FaceTime, etc… we don’t have to leave the house to pass the time or be social anymore, so there’s less of a desire to learn to drive. Of course it’s not always for healthy reasons. Personally, I didn’t get my drivers liscense until I was 18, and that was only because my dad made me lol. I had no desire to drive, which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it was due to depression, anxiety, poor self esteem, etc that I didn’t feel like doing it. I imagine a lot of our youth today feel the same way.
I'm terrified of driving and cars in general. I am extremely uncomfortable anytime I'm in one, and it's some what relieving to see that other people share my fear. I get bashed on it a lot, but there's so many people dying from these horrific accidents. I just lost a friend this week in a car accident and it only makes me more and more afraid of ever taking up a wheel.
i feel you, i had a friend lose her life in an accident too, and she was a passenger. i also live in a densely populated area where car accidents are a daily norm…
And it's completely unacceptable. Driving isn't for anyone and shouldn't be required to live your life. I'm gonna assume you're an American, well the car dependency as in the US is very weird in the rest of the world. In Europe, or even in Latin America, many people can just take a bus, tram, metro or bike, and many things are available within walking distance too. Much better for the health and safety of everyone involved.
As a 23 year old almost ready to get my license, this was def a big reason I didnt push to want to learn how to drive. Another was anxiety, but not really needing somewhere to go def kept me from feeling like I needed a license for a long time. A big motivator to getting myself to learn is finding interesting places I couldnt go myself on google maps and bookmarking them in a sort of bucket list once I can drive alone. Also for the love of God THANK YOU for not being judgemental about it, most people wouldve said "ah theyre lazy and can just talk on their phones" and its so tiring to hear that. Thank you so much
It’s such a freeing and blissful feeling to venture down twisty backroads with a nice scenic view where you can just listen to and sing your favorite songs and enjoy the independence. Depending on where you live and your schedule, this can be either readily accessible or something you’ll have to really go far out to find. Regardless, if you plan out some extra time to take a scenic route, this will likely result in less time monotonously inching forward in traffic and can really relieve some stress -especially if the weather’s nice and you have a sunroof or convertible. Exploring or going on forums to find those hidden gem places and local secrets can also spark an impromptu drive to somewhere new. There’s some online forums of various unique places closer than you’d think, everything from abandoned buildings to picturesque views to the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants you’ll ever eat at!
Why wouldn’t you want to learn just to learn? Learning and having a license doesn’t mean you HAVE to drive. It just means you have that opportunity available to you. You intentionally took that option off the table out of fear. That is unhealthy. This is a serious issue.
This is so interesting. I got my license at 18 back in 2010 and I had NO interest in driving whatsoever, either, so I totally relate to this. I was terrified and there wasn’t really an incentive for me to, as all my social activities at the time were primarily online, even in HS. There aren’t really places for teens to gather and hang out anymore, and most people communicate remotely now…
as someone who recently got their license (literally yesterday) i think it really depends on where you live. i live in the tampa bay area and it seems like everyone my age has a car/license or wants a car/license. i feel like there's alot more to do here such as going to the beach as opposed to somewhere like vermont for example where you dont have anything to do except die of frostbite
It's actually fear, honestly. We've had so many stories about the dangers of driving shoved down our throats, not to mention that we're also constantly being told it's better for the environment not to own a car and take public transport instead. When I did finally start learning, at 23 (didn't pass until I was 25), both my instructor and my parents kept pointing out every little mistake and error I made while I was learning. It was hell. Somehow I got through it and I'm so glad I can drive now, but getting there was a struggle - not to mention the high cost of lessons and then tests piling up if you don't pass first time, which can happen unfairly if you have a strict examiner. Want us to learn to drive? Make the road to getting there easier, and encourage us with the benefits instead of the horror stories.
100% agree with this! I'm 28 and I did NOT want to drive as a teen bc I was terrified. then i got into a major accident my very first time driving and was required to take a class by the DMV that culminated in us all signing some sort of statement that we understood how dangerous/deadly MVs were and I was like "umm YEAH I KNOW that's why i did not want to drive" 🤦🏼♀️ needless to say, my driving confidence has not improved much lol 😆
THIS. IM FRIGHTENED bro. I just don’t think I can do it lol, I’m low key freaking out in 3 years I can learn. My mom doesn’t want me to because she’s scared aswell and I’m like “so am I 💀” but I will try and overcome it as years pass.
I also had little interest to start driving and didn't get my license until I was 18. But that was due to my dad getting his license suspended, so I had to drive him around.
Very similar, I was so scared of getting into an accident, and when I would try it seemed so confusing and difficult. I'm 24 and still only have a license where I need someone else with a license to be with me to drive. Those 50 hours are very hard to come by so I can take the driving test at the OMV. My mother doesn't feel comfortable with me driving her around and I do not really have friends so it is very difficult to get the 50 hours.
I'm surprised nobody brought up the entire pandemic and how isolated & depressed teens and many of us became. Many of them missed big events, lost family members, and lost motivation. Do we have amnesia??
Absolutely. I see a lot of older people blaming phones and being sensitive and “weak” (whatever that means) and not the entire pandemic situation we just had. That affected an entire generation of kids
@@CrystalRose1111 Yea some of these older folks don't know how to talk to people, but instead of thinking "Maybe I should actually calm down & LISTEN to understand, not to argue" they just call you weak to put all the blame on you. Gen z didn't raise themselves. I worked at a middle school & the parents that complained the most were the most ignorant and short tempered, they were problem 🤷🏽♀️
Fr. Lost my grandma, she was 60, she died new years day last year. I'm going to go see about a permit in a week or so at 23... it's rough in a lot of ways.
the reason me and a lot of my friends are procrastinating on driving is because we live in a city with really convenient public transport. there’s no point in learning to drive right away because anywhere can be reached easily by bus, or by bike. I think these other reasons also apply as well.
I absolutely loved it when I got my license a year ago, it was nice not having to be dropped off everywhere and being able to just drive myself to work
As a native new yorker... it never crossed my mind to learn to drive. Trains and buses went everywhere I wanted to go in Manhattan and the bronx... my main stomping grounds. And our neighborhoods had all kinds of stores and services. Downtown had department stores and we could easily access movies, theaters, central Park and more. I moved to dc and quickly realized driving was a necessity!
It’s a similar story in London; you can get anywhere you want to go on the bus, train, tube, overground etc. The streets of London are incredibly congested so you’d be silly to drive.
As someone from Gen Z, age 21, my biggest fear behind the wheel is accidentally taking a life. I am absolutely scared of making one slip up that will be the end of someone else's life, and then I forever have to live with that.
Thats what Inlove about living in an European city with great public transport, no stress related to daily commutes, as you can get a train or a bus. They are also cheap and quick.
I’m a senior gen z (24) and haven’t gotten my license bc of this too :”) a horrible accident almost took my moms life as a kid while we were in the car together … so I really don’t want to be in the drivers seat still.
I am 32 so I feel like my teen years were sort of the last batch of those who really wanted to learn how to drive…because we still had places to go. We went to the mall. We went to the movies. We went to youth groups. We went to concerts. We went to the park. We went out to eat. I even took forever to GET my license because I was afraid of failing lol (which I did the first time). But I had it at 17. Consider that, though. To my generation, a license at 17 was late! A bunch of my friends had theirs a year before. I had several friends who got theirs even later than I did, and it was like c’mon already! But they had strict immigrant parents who were really fearful. Most of the stuff we did for fun is now gone or super limited. Malls are dead. People watch new movies from home. Order in from restaurants. Friends live far or you can just FaceTime or text all day… also, keep in mind that _these_ teens now have grown up with the messaging that we should have fewer cars on the road and rely more on public transportation, etc. to combat pollution. Plus, insurance and gas are ridiculous. So I get why there’s no interest in driving.
Omg. Can i just say wow to your AMAZING explanation? That makes great sense. Different generations have different situations. I love your comedy but this was TRUTH. Thank you.
My dad taught me how to drive by screaming at me for every little thing. When I couldn’t get the hang of parking, he screeched that I’d never learn and was useless. So there’s a lot of different reasons.
My driving instructor shouted almost exclusively - I am surprised that this man still has a functioning voice considering he does it for a living/on a daily basis.
I've also yet to see anybody bring up that families now are so much poorer than families 30 years ago. It's harder to buy your kid their very own car, which means even if they do drive they're limited by the adults' schedules (Dad needing to drive to work always beats teenager wanting tohang out with friends). My parents had to give up their car when the engine gave out and all we had left was a huge van, which is much harder to learn how to drive in. My parents said they'd teach me how to drive when they got another standard-sized car but... that's $20,000 they didn't have, and still don't have. I moved to a city where having a car is more of a hassle than not having one and I'm happy with that. Maybe I'll get my license some day but even if I had one now I don't have the funds for a car, and gas, and repairs, and parking. Sucks to be the poor generation :/
When i got my first car i had to save up for mine. I found a job 10min away, my parents had to drive me there of course. I bought a $2-3k car. It was a piece of crap but it got the job done lol
omg yes this is a great point! It's more expensive for young people to learn to drive now, not only because of the costs directly associated with the vehicle itself, but the education required to earn your license too. I grew up in Ohio and we did not have driver's ed in schools at all, so families had to pay for driving school and then pay for driving sessions with an instructor. It was like $1,000 just for ed alone 😬
@@meridoughten9425 Honestly yeah. Im From EU but mandatory driving classes and test cost about 1k euros for the easiest grade. And that doesn't even include practise driving
Im 18 and got my license this past November... I had very little interest in driving, mostly due to fear of other drivers, my parents included, I was sheltered but also well aware of the dangers of humans. Anxiety is one if the main reasons I waited this long to get a license. And I turned 16 during the initial lockdown of 2020, I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to
So I’m a part of this generation and I am one of the few friends of mine who actually can drive. I think the reason why that is mainly because anxiety is so high for people in my generation that they are afraid of crashing. I also think the reward isn’t worth it for many people because of technology like you said. And I don’t know how common this is for other people as well, but my parents for the most part never let me practice. We had to get in the habit of it. I know some of my friends parents didn’t either because they couldn’t afford any damages if something happened. I also have an odd case of a friend of mine wanting to drive but the day I took her to get her permit her mom crashed her car into a cliff a few days later. (Don’t know if intentional or not timing is extremely odd.) Which I think more so ties to things like the Mice Utopia experiment if your familiar with that. A lot of people also bring up not having places to go to for my generation and that’s completely true.
Exactly I knew a professional that got rid of her $1k+ spent in car payments, gas, upkeep, and insurance. She worked from home, lived downtown-close to the action. If she needed to go anywhere she’d ride with friends or Uber. Her monthly uber fees were far less than what she’d spent monthly on her car. Now that I think about it again….I’m side eyeing my car as I write this! 🤔
This is the exact reason I got rid of my car. My son hates driving, but bought a car for work. He later found a job only 4 blocks from home. He now walks to work and I drive his car when needed. He pays the note, I pay for gas, insurance and maintenance, which is minimal . A win for both. I could care less about a car.
My daughter drives because I always had to be at work at 5 and 6 in the morning so she didn’t have a choice. She suffer from anxiety but she gets out there. It’s killing me in insurance and but she a careful driver. I keep cameras on my car because we live near Nashville Tennessee and they are some of the most aggressive drivers I’ve ever seen and I’ve been to 26 different states. We have people here who use the road like it’s the speedway and some who had never driven in their life until they moved here where you have to have a car. And trust me, you can tell the difference between those who have driven and those who never have without even asking. And when they tell you they got their license for the first time when they move to Tennessee I let them know we can tell. The public transportation in Nashville and the outlying cities is mediocre at best. I left the area very young and moved back in my 30s and was in shock. A lot of their highways and roadways are very obsolete compared to other cities. Instead of going on and building them they’re bringing in all these people and companies and have nowhere to build roads. I-24 and I-40 are the biggest nightmares you can travel on so I understand why teenagers don’t want to drive around here. I don’t want to the majority of the time.
Yeah, cars are stupidly expensive, payments, even if it’s a used car, insurance, gas, and maintenance costs. I don’t live in a city though so I have no choice but to own one.
This is exactly my life! When I hear especially us equate car ownership to success, I internally giggle. Other people ask me ,"how do you get places?" because they haven't heard of me needing rides. I used to say "taxis, trains, buses, shuttles, and planes." Replaced taxis with rideshares (Uber etc.).Thanks for lifting up the example not everyone wants a two door garage.
I mean my reason is because I don't want my parents yelling in my ears on every single mistake I'm making. This is just something I've heard from many other adults who also have a hard time getting into driving. It's a "I have anxiety because my family didn't teach us the right way." I feel like a lot of people jump to conclusions instead of asking young people why. Edit : I love how the generations before trying to gaslight and invalidate how kids now should feel about verbal abuse and yelling, as if that should've been apart of raising a child at all. If you're going to do so, please don't jump in here saying something stupid. It gives me "This new generation is too sensitive," instead of asking yourself how that made you feel as a child and also stopping to think that just because this a norm in our community, don't mean it's still needed. Discipline ? Yes, and there's a clear distinction, but I digress. Once again, ask this younger generation, as this is the generation you're bringing up, the way we act is, in of itself,is something we can blame on yall (But there are things beyond control) and stop going on social media to get confirmation from other people who also don't know or care how the younger generation works.
i felt that.. i was 17 when i drove with my mom and she was literally going crazy because of my mistakes.. it made me not want to drive ever again lmao
You gotta understand where they coming from tho cuz new drivers will drive y'all off a cliff talking about, "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that" you just gotta accept that you're going to be trash at first but the only way you're going to get better is by putting in the practice.
Well when I ask my younger brother who is about to be 30 why he doesn't want a license he says "I don't know" lol so not everyone gives an answer. What you said is true tho. My mom almost caused me to have an accident when I was learning because she didn't like the way I was about to make a left hand turn and decided to smack me mid turn. I will never forget that 😂 I suggest you take what you learn from your parents and make it your mission to expand upon it as the years go on
Gas prices, urban planning, the environment are reasons I might not drive if I were 5 years younger. To me the appeal of driving was personal space and control of Destination.
If you think about it, this could be a way to promote more walkable cities with GOOD public transit. Less harm to the environment with fewer drivers on the road. There are wins to this. They see past the BS of cars giving folks freedom and how much of a liability and EXPENSE cars actually are.
This is the one through one hundred of it! When I was a teenager, we live in Brooklyn, I was excited to learn to drive but my mom said uh uh you will not run up my insurance as a young driver. You can wait, take public transportation. So I have now I'll be 26 in less than 2 months and I finally want to get up and go when I feel like it and stop asking people for rides everywhere I can't uber.
Wrong. It’s only going to imprison people into the cities. Permits needed in order to travel to districts, even just to walk there. And one system error, the whole city shuts down and goes chaotic. The Joker has always been right about people.
Truthfully, as a member of Gen Z, the answer is a little more complicated than that. A lot of us hate driving, unless we are literally car people which no knock to them because cars are cool in their own right. However, I grew up in suburbs far away from anything requiring a minimum of 15+ minutes of driving but most of the time 30+ minutes because of traffic. Not to mention, traffic makes me stressed out because of aggressive car drivers and the obvious effect it had on my parents growing up. I used to hang out with the kids across the street, but only them because there was really nowhere else for us to go. Even if we wanted to go to a park or store, it had to be within 15 minutes of walking distance (which is not very far) and a lot of places in this country actively refuse to design their cities and towns that way. Technology may play a role sure, but think about the places where they meet online. These places fulfill a need for something called the third place. The appeal of a car with the maintenance, cost of operation, explicit danger, and the unnecessary stress while driving is not worth it. I share the sentiment with many among my generation that we'd rather walk, bike, or use public transit to get to places. Also, I'm not saying ban suburbs, they have existed since cities have existed and they will continue to do so. The problem is the random middle of nowhere suburb connected directly to a six-lane highway and calling that "urban planning." We don't want that.
Bit of a car fan myself I’m just in no rush really. Probably doesn’t help that I feel like the odd one out irl so I feel I have less incentive to go anywhere for myself.
@@DJ-fn9zk hey man that’s totally okay. I like cars, I just don’t like driving. I also dislike that in almost all cities, that’s the only intentionally planned for way to get around. We’re just advocating for safer and more diverse options to get around. That would make the road safer and clearer for you too 😁
I also think it’s because many schools stopped providing drivers Ed programs because of budget cuts. My mom and older relatives would always tell me of learning to drive through their Highschool. But, now my Highschool and all the other highschools my friends go to do not provide this program anymore
Yes! The dmv is nowhere close to school and permit exams in my state are not online. You need a car to learn so.... LOL some people wonder why kids today don't want to or physically are u able to drive yet.
I’m 25 and I hate driving. It’s a mix of not having a place to go in town and also I’ve been in quite a few wrecks, none of which were my fault. I still get a sort of PTSD when another car does something unexpected, I tense up a lot. Also I have a friend and her husband died in a car wreck recently and she needed facial surgery. It’s scary knowing you can be doing everything right but someone else can just change your life instantly
When I was 16, I was looking forward to driving. I still love to drive at 25, although that might be because I'm a speed demon. Regardless, once I got my license I realized that there was no where I could go. I went to the mall and had security following me around because I was a lone black teen that had a tendency to wear darker outfits. Went to a skating rink, but they wanted $40 for 1 person, that's damn near a new game, why would I pay that for a couple hours at best. I went to the games shop at another mall, but that closed down. The Arcade I frequent was an hour and some change away, $20 for an all day pass was a steal, but gas prices have skyrocketed and few people are interested in arcades these days, which is sad because that arcade has some machines that were exclusively japanese releases like the Castlvania Arcarde game and the F-zero machine with the hydraulic seats. Point is, even at 25 I either don't have the time, or the place is too damn expensive to be worth it. And it's been that way since I was a teen.
A lot of older people have told me with shame that driving always scared them. I think now we have destigmatized airing your fears, so more people don't feel embarrassed to admit driving scares them and they prefer not to do it
Honestly, that's probably a good thing. I wish people were more self-aware and less afraid to get teased for not wanting to do something. It's better than forcing nervous drivers to drive, since drivers who lack confidence can actually lead to accidents (same goes for drivers who are overly confident too, of course). Plus if a lot less people drive, it might encourage more people to exercise (because many non-drivers have to ride their bike or walk to school/work), cities to put more emphasis on public transit, and traffic will be less of an issue. I wish more people were brave enough to admit that they're not ready to drive on the road. There are a lot of overly confident or unconfident people driving and causing problems every day.
@@jazzyj7834 this gonna be me. Me and my brother (even though he technically has his now) will ALWAYS find a way to get around. Uber, friends, bus, skateboard, scooter, or even if we have to walk to our destination and get exercise. I online shop anyway because our stores irl in our area are nasty and ghetto 🤢
My reason was I didn’t want to really interact with my father. My mom lived in another state and being the oldest I could only drive with him. He gave me anxiety and I was afraid he’d try to start a fight. He was a narcissist and I would stay in my room rather than be in a room with him. Having lived on my own a state away I can handle a week at his house
Im an older Gen Z. I frickin relate with this deeply lol. Omg my dad is like that. In HS I wasn't allowed to work for example. He's not at all open to scrutiny. Even though he knows how old I am bro still hasn't taught me to drive. Lol at my big age I'm taking ish into my own hands. Parents tend to be stuck in their ways so live your life especially if he doesn't change. Best of luck to you!!
As a gen Z teen, I view driving as work. It just doesn't seem exciting. My dad has always driven me if I ask anyways (not this year because he wants me to be motivated to drive. Jokes on him, now I walk A LOT). It's like having a chauffeur suddenly tell you to drive. Nah bro, i'm comfy here in this seat with my phone and no lives in my hands, thank you. My theory: Gen X, the generation that raised itself since your parents kinda left you to your own devices, from what I understand. You gave your children the attention you always craved, but never had. You do so much for us, like driving us to soccer games, and friends houses, and to school. We don't have that driving force to get away from you because you're good to us. A car doesn't feel like freedom because we don't feel trapped or board or restless. You've been nice enough to be around to drive us, and be caring and understanding enough to go out of you way to do so, giving us the freedom anyways. And now I'm all comfortable in the passenger's seat and you're telling me to start putting effort into the freedom you've already given me? Nah, keep chauffeuring me 😌🍷
Honestly, it’s really encouraging to see folks sharing similar sentiments. I turned 16 less than a month ago, without a learners. And my parents and younger sister have been badgering to be about it constantly. I’ve since studied for it, but I never feel like I’ll know enough. Like, I’ll get pulled over for something, I’ll get in a wreck because I miscalculated how far away a person is, I’ll miss a turn, I won’t figure out the sensitivity of the gas pedal and steering wheel. And while not an incredibly anxious person, the idea that I’m pressured to drive, along with pressures to do well in school (and this is coming from a homeschooler who doesn’t deal with the social and academic pressures most teens do) and be involved in my present social activities, and prepare for a future, being able to sustain life for myself, the idea of getting a job, etc… it’s just very draining and stressful that I’m really offput by the idea of driving. I haven’t had a bad experience. I just… don’t want to. I don’t want to spend time on it, I don’t HAVE the time to just get a learners mid-day, I don’t want to disappoint everybody but at the same time I really don’t feel like I know enough or would do well enough to drive. I’m sure it’s great. I’m sure I’ll be fine at it eventually. But for now, while I live in a small town with little to no close friends, I really don’t NEED to drive, and my word, I don’t want to.
I’m 19 and still don’t have mine. Don’t sweat it. My sister didn’t get hers till she was 18 without permit, same for my mom and my brother waited till his 30’s
I was a bit apprehensive like you. When I first started driving lessons, I was scared of the car & specifically the brake. I froze once & my instructor had to stop the car before ramming into a bus. So you know what he did, he made me follow cars very closely (like 2 inches away, no joke) & made me brake JUST before crashing, it showed me that I could make the car do whatever I wanted. My point is, you need to have faith in the car, yourself & your feet, a well maintained car will be perfectly fine & organised feet will make sure you're pressing the right pedals. It's not scary at all. Also I recommend driving with experienced boy racers (not f1, like the young lads with done up cars & modified Mercs etc) when you see how much trust they have in their car & themselves, you'll realise a car is nothing to be afraid of. Get some confidence!
@@guesswho484 You sound a lot like my inner monologue (lol). I understand you point, and have had a conversation with my mom since writing this comment. I've been really stressed about the future and stuff, and on top of life just being busy, I just haven't felt like driving and haven't wanted it. Luckily, I still have a couple years until I really need to be competent at it. If you're anything like me (given again, this form of writing looks a lot like my negative thought patterns), I'm sorry you feel like you can't burden people. I hope you have people in your life you can rely on. I'm trying not to cry in a hole all day long, but I'm the kind of person that under stressed circumstances gets rattled easily. (Otherwise I'm decently even keel.) But, I will take your advice somewhat and assess situations and find the best actions instead of falling into a sea of emotions.
@@islandpersuasion4690 Thank you. It's really encouraging to see other people who share similar experiences. I've only had one experience trying to drive around my church's parking lot with my dad. It was one of those "exhilarating but nerve wracking" experiences. Because it was fun, but I didn't know what I was doing in the slightest. I'll likely be working towards getting outside my comfort zone in a few months (the closest to when I'll actually have time to take a night or two to practice). You really seem to know what you're talking about! :D
Pandemic also had an effect as well. No one had much motivation or incentive to go out for the last two years, and wfh jobs exploded. Horrible older parents yelling while teaching, rideshares, and connecting with your friends virtually also plays a role
No... They simply don't wanna grow up. It's a harsh truth. Most job's on applications nowadays say "requires driver's license" usually because they want to know your going to be able to commute back and forth to work. COVID has nothing to do with it. Back then during COVID the state of Georgia was literally handling out driver's license to people. And even if it effected it in the slightest back then... What's everyone's excuse right now in 2023? During COVID so many people foolishly quit their jobs so they could collect extra stimulus for being " unemployed parents". They became lazy over those 2 year's and act entitled now that some have returned to work. This new generation doesn't want their driver's license because then mom or dad may ask them to get a job at a local fast food restaurant. And they wouldn't want to miss out on a new TikTok trend while learning to work. It's different if you live in a city then you could just ride a bus or whatever. But I'm sure the teenagers would make up an excuse for getting a bus pass too. All I got to say is parents change your WiFi passwords and I'm sure they'll want a job and driver's license so they can "escape" your home! Cause it's time to get ready for the coming of age. Growing up has to happen it's part of life.
For me growing up a huge thing was the genuine fear I experienced while growing up with cars. Watched family get in nearly fatal wrecks when I was the age to learn and it’s turned being in any car into a fearful experience.
17 here. i signed up for my learners test the day i turned 16. then i begged my parents to let me use the car. i tried with them for months and months but they were too scared to let me drive, even WITH them present. they would scream and yell so horribly…i’m still traumatized. they made me cancel my first driving test bc i “wasn’t prepared enough”. I quickly booked my second one and this time i didn’t take a change. i dished out hundreds of dollars on driving lessons that i could have saved had i had a decent parent driver. i didn’t bother telling them about my test, dished out another couple hundred, borrowed a car, went to testing site and passed, got my license and kept it a secret until eventually my sister spread the news. no hate, love my parents to death, but i think you guys should stop blaming technology bc there is something wrong with your generation, millennials and gen X’s. ya’ll are mad stressed out and take it out on your kids without realizing, then wonder why they don’t want to take any risks or do anything with their lives. i mean i get it, insurance is crazy high and cars even used are more expensive then ever, but this is psychotic. and fyi, there is still definitely a trend where you’re “cool” if you have a car, I just don’t think EVERYBODY cares anymore i’m the oldest child, so maybe that’s why they weren’t inclined to take the risk?
Um, I’m X-ennial and this is so inaccurate. Don’t throw a bunch of negative characteristics onto two whole generations just bc your parents were emotionally unstable…my 13 year old is already super excited to get her license and is asking me to teach her to drive and I’m happy to do so. My parents started teaching me around her age and I took drivers ed in school and my dad went with me to get my license when I was 16. I passed first try and I’m still a great driver. I Can’t wait to teach my daughter and encourage her to be a safe driver. And she has lots of goals and aspirations so not all teens have your problems you’re describing. That sounds “psychotic” as you put it. 😂
@@Kdk058 its true though.. not saying hes wrong about his family, but he took his anecdotal experience and applied it to all families/parents. I'm not saying it was malicious or that there was some underlying nefarious purpose, but still, that doesn't make it true. He could probably give us examples that would show proof of the contrary as well.
As a millennial with Gen X parents, I can agree with some of your points. My parents were the same way with me and I literally had to move to a whole new state at 18 to be able to do any of the adult things that I wanted to do. They kept nagging at me for being a useless good for nothing but never wanted to teach me to drive. My friend's parents were the same way and the ones that got their driver's license around that age was because they had older siblings to help them instead of their parents. I also notice that Gen Z's generally are less quick to grow up. I'm a training manager and the 18 year old new hires are nothing like the ones I trained 4-5 years ago pre COVID. It feels like I'm talking to entitled middle schoolers who think they're too good to do anything and are extremely disrespectful.
I, a millennial, felt so lonely being one of the few people in my high school to not at least have their temps. Over the years I've made my peace with not driving. I s'pose teens now are more reliant on services like Uber & Lyft. Plus have y'all seen gas prices let alone car prices? Those are enough to deter anyone 😭
Hi, millennial here. I also don't have an interest in driving. I actually think more people should make use of public transportation because it's just so super convenient. I think cars should only be used for long distance traveling. But that's just me. I'm good with being a Passenger Princess for life. 👸🏾💖
Omgoodness I thought I was the only one, you really have to dedicate time and energy to drive. It something I wanted but I will make my peace with not being a driver if it's not for me.
Yes I'm a millennial that did not get a license until 24 and I'm now 35. I didn't give a damn about driving and getting a license my friends in high school, though my mom did attempt to teach me at 16. I basically was a young mom who finally did get my license after two tries. Also it wasn't until 18 or 19 that I realized I should of been wearing classes since elementary school but I never told my mom it was needed then so I have to wear glasses or contacts to drive.
I'm Gen X guys I haven't driven in 2 years and to be honest I love it no car payments, no insurance and I get a Lyft or Uber and I'm good I've saved almost 5,000 dollars not owning a car
@@mellow_vybes understandable. I've only had a temp after high school but I let it expire. I've learned how to drive for emergency purposes which has come in handy a few times. For my safety and the safety of others is for the best that I don't drive. I, too leave the driving to my partner. If he's up for it, he drives where I or we need to go.
i'm 20 and i hate driving. it's good to know it's at least somewhat a generational thing bc my parents always give me shit when i talk about disliking it. for me it's just incredibly stressful, dangerous, and i hate that i basically have to drive bc where i live there is very limited public transportation and my job/school are not walking distances. i hate that i have no option other than to pay thousands of dollars for a huge piece of metal that i lock myself into at ridiculous speeds. the only reason i even got my license while still in high school was bc i was sick of all the homophobic kids on my school bus.
Wow that is an interesting thought process. Makes me really wonder if Gen Z kids are just that different from the previous generation. I must say, you do have a pretty pessimistic view of something mundane as a car LOL. But there is both sides of a coin to everything, so you put up some valid poitns.
That is a really good theory, Kev! Cause yeah, I’ve seen it in todays teens too. Even my brother who’s only 8 years younger than me (I’m 33) he only just recently learned how to drive and very recently got his first car. He’s happy as heck now with driving and owning a car, but I and others my age were all over that the moment it became accessible to us! Not his generation, and especially not the generations after that.
I'm 21 and I have to drive pretty much every day. I hate it cuz it's dangerous. I do everything I can to make sure I am the safest driver possible, but since I'm young I'll get blamed if someone crashes into me. Moral of the story is, buy a dash cam and drive safe. I wish we had good public transit in the US. Our cities aren't walkable, traffic is always insane, and everything is too far away. I'm continuously amazed by Japan's city design and how most places are easily walkable and trains run on time, and there is more space for businesses to open, etc. Not to mention the cities are connected by bullet trains
Tokyo is the most populated city on Earth. However, I'm looking at the wikipedia list for most densely populated cities in the world and Tokyo is not there (there are 77 cities) - I don't know how accurate this is, tough.
Millennial here. I got my driver's license at 19. I was a "gifted kid" in an advanced program, and MANY of my peers put off learning how to drive - I'd say over half waited until after graduation. Maybe it was because we felt disempowered because of our helicopter parents... Maybe it was because we had phones... But I think the main reason amongst me and my peers was simply because we were too fucking busy to practice driving! That, and we already had off-the-charts stress levels from school, so we didn't have the bandwidth to add more with learning to drive. We did have to pass driver's ed (the written bit) in order to graduate. If that hadn't been a requirement, I definitely wouldn't have done it until college at least. Only within the last year, at age 30, have I become truly confident and comfortable behind the wheel. Driving is scary, man.
I took driver's ed and never upgraded past my learner's permit because that required a car and auto insurance, which are things people can't do for free and I wasn't about to trade SAT prep and studying for a job. Then, once IN college, I did not need a car at all and still just focused on my GPA and building my resume. I don't think driving is hard at all, people do it just fine even with intellectual disabilities, and millions of elderly people are driving every day. Maybe it is because I played video games, but the coordination bit was not at all hard for me. It seems more that it just isn't worth the price of admission, and it isn't my problem that that is the case. I saw my friend get a parking ticket and a speeding ticket and how much it ruined her semester to have to pay fines and go to court and it was just the last thing to make me lose all interest. I'm 33 and have an expired learner's permit. I don't even care anymore. I save tons of money and time.
I'm 44 and I never got my license. My eyes are too bad now anyway but back then I was too afraid of being pulled over 😂 Alfred Hitchcock also had the same fear.
I’m 18 rn and I got my license when I was 17. I was TERRIFIED of driving. I had nightmares all the time of the brakes not working. My in-cars with my driving instructor made me so nervous and uncomfortable I’d start crying beforehand, but despite the discomfort I pushed through and got my license because I knew I needed to drive to get a job. I didn’t want a job either tbh, but I also knew I needed one.
For me I think it’s a combination of that, not being super confident in my driving ability even now that I have my license, and having been scared of driving because of videos I had to watch. In 9th grade they were teaching us about not texting and driving, and decided to show us several horrific car crash videos, which didn’t just make me not want to text and drive, but made me not want to drive at all.
I'm in my 40s and learning how to drive right now. When I was younger, I had an awful experience with my mom in the car and lost the desire to drive. Luckily, I lived in a major city as an adult so I never needed to learn. Now, I live in the suburbs and driving is a necessity.
I'm 27 and looking at getting my license now bc of work. I've driven before but not motivated to get a license because I like living in the city and traveling longer distances for vacations. Also, not having a monthly car payment, plus insurance, plus gas helps me save more quickly for things that I actually want.
High school teacher here. I think this is very much a product of y’all living in big cities with access to public transport & ride sharing apps. I am in a small city (60,000 people) & it’s very much the opposite of what you’re describing: they cannot wait to drive. They grumble about gas costs etc like we all did, but at 15-16, they are soo excited to get their licenses. I see really no differences from when we millennials were teens. But I’m comparing apples to apples since I grew up in the burbs of a larger city.
Oh yea that's definitely a thing. Even before rideshare there was always the city bus. Our friends in the city never had license or intentions on getting one quickly far as I know. They had the city bus. We in the small town everybody had license the first chance they got.
True. I live in TN and if you live in Nashville teens may not want to drive and I didn't need a car til I had my first child. But the more rural cities the kids are driving dang near in middle school.
@@arleedennis791 lol that is so funny bc I grew up in Nashville. But I was a teenager driving 20 years ago when the city was a very different place & way less urban than it is now. Living there without a car would have been very, very difficult
Another thing is, I think, driving in small towns and rural cities is a lot easier than driving in a major city. I probably would’ve learned to drive if I wasn’t worried about random people running out into the street or cars ignoring traffic rules. It’s scary driving in a major city and that’s one of the reasons I don’t drive lol.😂
Massive respect from this millenial to all the younger peeps saying they're aware of the risks and they fear hurting others or themselves. If you eventually pick up driving you're going to hella responsible and good drivers.
I'm 18 and personally I was interested in driving and I have my license, but for a long time I just wasn't interested because, and I know this is a situational thing not gonna apply to most people, because I have narcolepsy so I was like "I won't be able to drive anywhere by myself so what's the point". Until my dad had ankle surgery coming up so I got my permit and all that so I could drive him to and from appointments when needed. I agree with your assessment, most kids just don't see the utility in it, they chat with friends online all the time and can watch whatever events they want to online. In my opinion the best way to grow that want for driving is giving kids the utility for driving, for me that was my family needing me cuz my mom can't drive more than a couple minutes at a time and my dad's recovery from surgery.
Gen X here. I think you are spot on. Driving was a right of passage, and it was a part of school curriculum. We have 3 kids the last just graduated high school and Driver's Education was not part of their high school elective choices (neither was home economics). I think this has had a direct influence on the quality of Driver's on the rode and teens interest in learning.
@@Raya-ir4tm It seems to me there are many life skills/extra curricular programs that have been gutted, which had practical use in our public schools. Not every parent can teach another person how to drive. And given that America by and large was built for the motorcar, and many places within it not having public transit or ride share services every 5 feet, choosing not to teach kids that skill in particular could be compared to making them too cognitively stunted to function in normal day to day society. Beyond that, if driving was a part of the OP's curriculum, why wouldn't they expect it to be part of their kids? We also were taught calculus, algebra I & II, geometry, world history, biology, chemistry etc. if those get cut, are we going to have to hear from someone wagging their finger, saying that we should have assumed the schools we pay for through our taxes, would just dump educating our kids off on us? The point of schooling is to make children functional professionals, kind of hard to do that if you just cut programs, and puke out excuses about how it's everyone else's burden but the people who's job it is to educate them. That's to say nothing of the skills gap as it relates to careers; but hey, who needs shop? Who needs home economics? It's not like people ever get anything useful out of those. I'm sure when the less academically gifted, newly minted graduates get out in the world, they will be glad when they don't have to fix the car they couldn't budget for even if they wanted to. Along with the minimum wage job they received due to their lack of skills, and experience all the joys of choking down the gas station food. Not to mention whatever McGarbage they bring home from work after a hard day of scraping gum off the underside of tables, and cleaning french fry grease, because they have no clue how to cook for themselves. That is until they become a fat diabetic, with broken teeth, failing kidneys, and one day die in a miserable cramped studio apartment, or their parents basement; since they can't afford their own healthcare or place to live. Some people need to be locked outside for a day, might help them come down off their high horse. Especially the ones who haven't accomplished anything yet. XD
Gen X here. Was never interested in learning to drive. Finally got there on my late 30s just to drive other ppl around. I’m much more excited about walking, boating, railway journeys and biking. Cars suck everything up.
My parents were way too scared until I turned 17. And even now that I am 17, and DO wanna go places with my friends.... where do I go? A little park near me is my only option. If I wanted to learn to skateboard, I wouldn't be able to do it anywhere except for a skatepark, because I constantly notice little extra bits of metal designed to stop a skateboard. But yeah, similar to what another comment said, my parents were very scared my whole childhood. I had to fight to be able to walk home from school during the second semester of 8th grade even though it was barely 15 minutes away. 🙃 ( my mom, after agreeing, said she should've spanked me more as a child and said normal kids would love to be driven every day) I just got my first key to the house a few months ago, and I'll be an adult in half a year. I was never allowed to go to summer camp because "bad people would do bad things to me". Same reaction to sleepovers until I was 14. I feel very incapable of doing anything and am scared to go into adulthood. Not as scared as 16, though, because I was able to get a summer job and find out for myself that I can actually learn pretty quickly. My boss even called me a hard worker, even though I've probably done about 30 chores in my whole life. So, uh... maybe it's mostly you guys, not us? (Ps, I love my parents, and they'd done many things right. For some reason however, they chose to coddle me to a bad extent, that's all I'm saying)
I can relate to everything that you said. I have never had a sleepover with a friend (even though at that time we were friends for 5-6 years). I was not allowed to ride to school with my bike or anywhere else because there could be accidents. My father bought me a scooter but I never used it because he was scared I could get in an accident 💀. And now that I'm 21 he's confused why I don't want to learn to drive a car.
If you have a moment to ask your parents, I want you to ask who is parenting them when they are making decisions for themselves? They have to realize if you present it to them that they won’t always be around forever, and you need to be able to take care of yourself.
Your parents didn't let you walk home from school?? Bruh everyone where i live that didn't live far away(or did,if they couldn't afford transport) walked and came home from school at like age 8
This is so exactly me and my parents with the addition of me suddenly being expected to do all these things bc I’m an adult now even tho like two years ago i wasn’t trustworthy to go get the mail on my own bc i might get kidnapped 💀💀 they done fucked me up with how over protective they were and now i don’t even like leaving the house bc I’m so paranoid bc of them
I think another part of it is that there aren't much in the way of places for teens to hang out anymore that isn't somebody else's house. Malls, arcades, comic stores; skate parks, bowling alleys, etc are borderline nonexistent nowadays. Many of those spaces have been replaced by virtual equivalents or abandoned altogether. This is compounded by the rising costs of vehicles, insurance, gas, maintenance, etc.
Yup another good point
Spot on
I totally agree. Anytime my daughter wants to hang with her friends it’s at their/my house. They may go to the movies, but I’m noticing that Target is the new hangout spot for teens in my area. My daughter said it’s because there is no where else to go. Which is sad.
🎯
good point
I absolutely love how he voiced his take without being the least bit condescending. He voiced his opinion without implying that the younger generation was somehow weaker. Respect.
Yeah talking shi about younger people is such a boomer thing
@@calandprem agreed, if anything it's fun to dive into a differently sculpted mindset. Especially since society has shifted so hard in the past few years, super interesting to see parents raise their children traditionally in a kind of modernized world.
Yeah he's a true chad 👑
How would you spin it to make them weak? It’s driving you need a reason. You’re only gonna run errands at most.
@@zeosummers3984 I mean they're talking about how the older generation will always turn something that the younger generation does as them being weaker. They will always find a way to talk about how better it used to be
For me it was fear. At my high school they had an event every year that encouraged students to think about the consequences of unsafe/drunk driving. The fire department would come and play out a scene with student volunteers in front of the school to play out a car crash scene. Random students would get selected to pretend to be dead by being quiet all day and carry around a sign. They would play stuff over the intercom about the students who "died" between classes. My cousin had been in a horrible car accident a few years before that so I stayed home that week. People love scaring the shit out of us and then act surprised when their kids don't want to drive.
Well it's the truth about drunk driving. Very deadly stuff.
This activity is the most dangerous thing you will do on a daily basis.
Teenagers: Message received.
Society: Wait no.
@@Illegiblescream lmao fr
@@Illegiblescream headline: GEN Z IS KILLING THE MOTOR INDUSTRY
yeah no fn shit sherlock LMAOO
@Conservitarian 17 "This is your brain on drugs" doesn't work well. Tell people the facts in detail.
As a teen learning to drive right now, for me it’s the fear. I WANT to drive because I want that independence and to take a load off my parents with all the activities I’m involved in, but I’m just scared of getting in an accident because you see all these stories on the news nowadays and it’s basically unheard of to meet someone who hasn’t gotten in an accident at some point. It’s so normalized, it’s scary.
I've been driving for 20 years, I live in NYC, very high traffic and a lot of other drivers on the road. I've been involved in three accidents, all of them minor, one we didnt even report it, because there was no damage.
Point being, the independence and ability to just get in a car and drive away outweighs the fear of driving. Dont get me wrong, people are getting worse every year, but if you keep your head on a swivel and dont drive like a moron, chances are you'll be ok
@@Lv-nq9qz I guess part of my fear is that even though I could learn to be a super responsible driver, that doesn't stop OTHER drivers from being irresponsible JERKS around me and that is a major turnoff for me because cars are expensive, I ain't gonna mess with that.
(This is just me, no hate or dissent towards you personally. You are very brave)
@@silverdandylmao life is full of risks, you take a million chances each day. Part of dealing with fear is not worrying about all the things that could happen and focusing on what you want to happen. Other people are definitely a hazard while driving, but you deal with that by using your mirrors, a lot of cars even come with cameras now too. The more you do it, the better you become at being able to sense dangerous situations.
Believe me, I was scared too at first. My first day in driver's ed, I almost got into an accident. But the more I drove, the more confident I became. Plus, I had to drive to school when I went to college, so I kinda didnt have a choice.
Car accidents _are_ normal though. You cannot avoid them forever so yes at some point EVERYONE will have been in a car accident. Most of them are small. I’ve been in several. 99% of them are not a huge deal.
@@silverdandylmao yes. This has always been true. That’s why being a defensive driver is important. You don’t not take risks because of fear of what could happen. I have anxiety so I get it, but if I worried about what other people MIGHT do, I’d never leave my house.
I think a there's a lot of kids who are afraid of driving too. My parents were constantly telling me "this is a 3000 pound weapon I'm letting you drive and making the smallest mistake could get you or someone else killed." Hearing that over and over again was enough to scare me out of wanting to. Also, adding a teenager to the car insurance is like $1100 now which is insane. Having parents talking about how expensive it is frequently is also offputting.
yeah i get that, im 16 and luckily my parents didnt shove that whole stuff down my throat, because they know that I already know it, also for some reason the car insurance didnt increase at all when they added me because i already have an older brother who is on it, so that certainly helps me
@@swampaids that's cool that it didn't increase. It was like $1100 to add me and then it would be an additional $1100 to add my sister so she's not getting her license anytime soon
Jesus car insurance for me in NZ is like $400 a year and im 19. For adults it’s even less. Plus our money is worth like half a USD
Same type of people that don't understand gun ownership or operation and act like the gun is going to wake up and have a mind of its own and starts shooting you and everyone else in its vicinity. You're set up for failure if you live your life in fear, but you also want to be educated and taught in the proper way and both driving a car and operating a firearm.
this is the main reason i didn’t want to drive, i’m glad other people see the irony of parents talking about how dangerous cars can be then being like “here drive me to the store you’ll be fine, what are you afraid of?”
17 here. I had a “create your own activity” for school, and I asked my teacher permission to start on the road to driving. She essentially accused me of lying because at 17 I should already know how to drive and have my full license. The idea that driving wouldn’t have been my #1 priority was outrageous to her
I didn't learn to drive until 19, and even then I had no choice because it was for a good job landed💀
@@nok4799 yeah I have the choice between learning to drive or living on campus at my college instead of at home when it’s not that bad of a commute, hence I gotta learn to drive
It's crazy because that's actually the norm in a lot of places outside the US
All my peers are on their late 20s and only one of them has a licence and a car
......you have to be 18+ to have a full unrestricted drivers license....
maybe your teacher *should* go through with your idea so that she can brush up on her knowledge (plus I'm sure there's new laws enacted that she may not be aware of)
Also 25 (going on 26) without my license...but I need to get it lol
@@Shrimple-Sheeple unrestricted true, but where I live you can get your permit at 15 and a half, and you can get a license to drive alone after driving for a year if you have a certain number of hours and miles driven. So I could have gotten my license almost a year ago had I been on top of it.
I think as others have mentioned is the lack of things to do as a teenager. I’m an older GenZ and I hung out with my friends recently but there isn’t any where to go that isn’t expensive AND in the city. Imagine you just learned to drive and all the cool experiences you could maybe have are expensive and in the city where it’s more prone to accidents,traffic and although you know the area you haven’t known what it’s like to drive there. Attributing to massive anxiety that isn’t worth the pressure.
And this is why my generation are clowns.
You can go to a park
@@ConnorsCrapTV So we can swing on the monkey bars? There’s nothing appealing about the park to teens, and honestly nowadays in my area at least, parks are either trashy uninhabitable wastelands that haven’t been taken care of in 10 years, or they’re just being torn down to make way for a new building or parking area. Parks aren’t an option, and tbh it pains me to say it because of how much I loved going when I was a younger kid
@@nevisnebis1207 for you at least
@@ConnorsCrapTV yeah, it’s hard to be completely non-subjective when talking about your experiences
As someone who is younger gen z, the only reasons I want to drive are
1. Urban planning is the worst, and public transport where I live is an actual nightmare
2. I'm in school currently so I have to take the bus, which is usually late by at least 5-10 minutes.
I would love it if everything was in walking distance, only needing to take the bus if it were too far, but that's not how it works nowadays.
Plus europe hates us and it's nearly impossible to move somewhere with actual good urban planning...
I didn’t think anyone was going to mention Urban Planning. I moved to a lot of cities and they all have such horrible infrastructure.
glad that a fellow gen z'er also realizes just how bad our urban planning is.
In order to live in a place that actually has good public transportation, you need to be making 80,000 to a six figure salary to even afford it. I'm from northern Virginia and even the more suburban areas is expensive but eventually I'd like to move to Arlington which is one of the best walkable cities in the US however since it's a suburb of DC it's mad expensive even for a studio apartment. Trying to get a good paying tech job in the future. A 700-800 sqft studio apartment costs $220,000 - $300,000.
exactly we need more walkability 🙏
Glad to see I’m not alone. I’m 24 now, but when I was 16, I had no interest whatsoever in driving, and my parents were so perplexed. Like most people here, I had grown up being told stories of how dangerous driving was, and I was just terrified of it. My parents forced me to get my license, but I didn’t start actually driving all that much until my junior year of college, because it became a necessary part of my freedom/independence.
I think an excitement for driving was part of the older generation’s being less risk adverse. My parents tell me all sorts of stories of things they did as teens-like playing pranks on neighbors and stealing their parents’ cars. I was always really straight-laced though, because I would get the police called on me for stuff like that these days, and even if I didn’t, my parents would kill me for doing 90% of what they got away with. It’s like our parents’ generation tried so hard to make sure we wouldn’t repeat their mistakes that they accidentally taught us to fear everything.
That’s my take, anyway. 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah I was so confused when I got my driver license at 16 and now in my early 20’s so many of my friends from high school still don’t have licenses. Like idk my parents taught me that I should have a job at 18 so I can start making some money and honestly I don’t know how other kids have jobs at this age without a car. Like Ik people are going to college but you guys are gonna have to pay for it later on, might as well start racking up while in school.
@@Jeremy-bt8lo It is because most jobs these days cannot support all costs of living, so the logical thing is to cut out what you don't need. It just happens that a car is super expensive and serves very little purpose these days.
@@Jeremy-bt8lo I got a scholarship, so fortunately I didn’t have to pay much, and my jobs were always within walking distance-so depending on your circumstances, there are ways to get through college without a car. For a lot of people, it would probably be necessary to be more confident driving earlier than I was, but I got to avoid it for quite some time. (I will say, I’m now very comfortable driving and even enjoy it, so for any teens in the comments, don’t worry if you’re scared now. Practice little by little, and eventually it’ll become fairly automatic.)
I'm 24 and I've been up my parents asses over getting my license since I was 16. Throughout high school they just told me to get my grades up. Now that I'm 24 they still make no effort to get me my license. Even if I say hey I want to do this on this day they just find excuses to postpone it. They've also made excuses my entire life why they can't buy me a car then this past year they got a new dog and paid $10,000 to have him trained to go on airplanes. Right before covid my grandpa bought my brother a brand new 2019 Honda civic months after I buy a $300 beater that only ran once (living in my own apartment at this point and walking over an hour to and from work). I'm sick of having to devote entire days to hanging out with someone just because I asked them to help me run errands so I could get the materials to do what I actually want to do that I then have to postpone. I'm sick of ordering groceries. I'm beyond fucking sick of paying expensive ass $45+ Ubers to and from concerts on weekends and paying $20 grubhub deliveries. I don't have the confidence to talk to girls because I'm worried they'll stop talking to me over not driving. My dads taken me to drive a few times and he's taken me to take the test once and it pisses me off like crazy because I failed the parallel parking portion but did fine on the rest but he hasn't done anything about it since other than say oh I guess I forgot to teach you that. I blow holes through all of my pants, can barely make a pair of shoes last six months and half of my clothes are sun damaged from walking everywhere. I constantly almost get hit crossing intersections and have seen accidents in my direct walking path after the fact. I feel perpetually stuck in this and I'm sick of it I have no fucking clue how you were ok with not driving so long because this is torment and I feel like I have no freedom.
@@lunchbox1553 so you use the bus then right, because I worked a minimum wage job in California and saved up for a very cheap car. Well I started working when I was 16 to save up so your job doesn’t really define why you shouldn’t have a car within a couple of years dude
My mom was talking to me about how she doesn’t understand why teens don’t take risks or engage in risky behavior like her generation. I told her that some teens do, but for the most part, the punishments for those risky behaviors are way higher than when she was a teen. There are judicial consequences like going to jail or getting arrested for drug possession that didn’t occur nearly as frequently as when she was a teen. Natural consequences too: She told me how she would go to in a party in the 80s that had community punch bowls and you didn’t know that contents of them, now most parties, even wild ones, someone is always monitoring drinks and people are on their guard from having their drinks roofied. I had an uncle roll his eyes at me and call my generation weak, compared to his, where they would go car racing and drive under the influence, and I told him about my school yearly assembly where they would bring in the parents of teens who were killed by drunk drivers or who were paralyzed from a dui car crash. A huge reason of not wanting to drive is that we don’t trust ourselves behind the wheel of a 3 ton killing machine lmao
I wouldn't risk it with the drugs (fentynal lacing) or the community punch bowl ( don't want to get drugged). But driving?!?! Yall need have a thicker skin and start maturing b/c yall blame anxiety for everything. It's like a " get out of being responsible and growing up card". Social media got this generation weak as hell. Its sad really 😞
@@sbostic08the truth is the only kids not driving are the ones in bigger cities with decent public transit. If I can take the subway or a bus for a fraction of the price, why would I bother driving a car that’s way too expensive in a city where 5 car pileups happen on the daily?
@@sbostic08 maybe the fact that an entire generation claims to have terrible anxiety is indicative of a major issue or shift in modern society that should be resolved and not something that the collective youth should just tolerate and "grow thicker skin" to compensate for.
@@snugget7601 For real! I'm 40 and have major anxiety issues. It's not something exclusive to younger generations. I have a friend in her 60's with major anxiety, too. I can't help but think that with so many people of all ages having anxiety and depression issues, it must be symptomatic of a much larger issue, perhaps something to do with how much society has shifted so rapidly just in the last 30 years alone. Things have changed so much that some older people don't even realize how different the world today is from the one they grew up in. Some still think "You just gotta pull yerself up by yer boot straps!" Meanwhile they don't really even make boots with straps anymore, but the figurative ones they speak of also broke a long time ago. Or perhaps our anxiety and other issues stem from something else, I don't know. Doctors or psychiatrists or some other professionals should explore the why's of why these things are on the rise and get to the root cause, but it's far more profitable and simple to write prescriptions rather than help people actually overcome their issues and no longer need to be medicated.
@@gypsywoman9140 i think the parenting also changed, recent parents have been WAY overprotective. That induces anxiety too.
I've been told again and again that I'm a danger on the road and that I need extra hours of supervised driving because I have ADHD and sure, extra hours would be great. But it's so heavily reinforced for people like me that if we make one little mistake, people could die. Lives could be ruined. Children orphaned. Thousands of dollars of damage done. It was on the news when I was a kid, I hear older folks (who don't actually know what ADHD is like) say it all the time, etc. But I'm looked at like a crazy person because decades of conditioning that told me that essentially we'd all be safer if I didn't drive makes me anxious to try to do it in the first place. Make it make sense 🙄
Adhd is fucking awful to live with, and thats without the stigmatisation that gets dumped on us by people without it. Especially when you become an adult and have to fit in with the rest of the normies
I had a similar experience due to a different neurological disorder, thanks to which I have had a very hard time to even learn to drive, and still do. The additional pressure from my mom wanting me to learn it and her constant judgment bc of my poor motor skills etc doesn't make any of it better. I'd rather just not drive at all. Learning new things is really hard for me and I don't wanna make an accident bc of one mistake.. These happen so often, I doubt I will ever learn driving
My mom has ADHD and she is one of the best drivers I know. She says think of it kinda like a video game where the objective is to pay attention to the road you are driving on. But you also have to watch out for anything that could come at you from the side of the road or from the side up ahead or make you need to stop or slow down like they are zombies or something. Nothing else matters, not songs on the radio, not conversations in your car and definitely not your phone (turn it off or silent before you start the car). Think of it like this and you'll be okay. That's the advice she gave me. I'm 24 and don't have my license yet but am working on it.
@@Breezeyheart that's such a genius way to think of it! Gamification is really effective for me (and I'm sure a lot of us ND folks)
@@cameronk1632 I'm 32 and I do the same gameification thing when I drive and I've got ADHD too lol (anxiety and depression, too but eh.)
I'm always watching every driver around me because I live in one of the top 10 cities of worst drivers in the US. Every single accident I've been in (none serious thank goodness) except 1 when I was 17 while driving distracted and lost, has been someone else not paying attention or driving wrecklessly hitting me. Just study the manual as much as you can, then practice as much as you can with another driver with you, if you're able to afford it, taking driver's ed was very helpful for me because most of the instructors are good at doing what they do.
Once you do get your license make sure to turn on any music or podcast before you start driving, dont check your phone till you arrive at your destination, then gameify focusing on keeping a spatial awareness mental map of your surroundings, keep an eye on other drivers, look for any hazards or pedestrians and follow the driving laws and you'll be good. Just stay engaged while you drive and the anxiety will go away eventually once you've got enough practice, knowledge, and experience.
🙂👍
As a 22 year old who still doesn't have their license, I feel very validated by this comment section. I honestly didn'trealize that it was common for my generationto not drive. I am very insecurethat I can't drive and knowing that there are others who have yet to get it makes me feel a bit better.
Though my reason for not driving is related to the health issues i had all through out high school that made driving/being in a car adifficult. It has been only like in the last year, that I am feeling like I am mostly better. I do share the anxiety of hitting someone or being hit . I also ran into a building when I was learning how to do drive which didn't help lol
Edit: I got my license in the past year and have not totaled a car or killed anyone yet!! Woot woot!
I'm pushing 30 and I don't have my license lol. I used to, but it expired and I never got around to doing the test again. Do I know how to drive ya sure, do I enjoy it or am I legal to drive? Not really... I think its perfectly fine if you don't want to drive and no one should expect you to, but it's definitely helpful to know how to. Just take things at your own pace.
I got my license last year at 21, and only because I had to. My father got his (motorcycle) at 24 and his sister hates driving (only groceries) while her partner doesn’t have one.
It isn’t just this generation that is less inclined to drive, many adults drive because they have to.
@@shinybearevidra yup. I'll be getting my licence soon. It's such a pain traveling without a car. I don't want to use Uber all the time. They're quite expensive now.
You feel better being surrounded by other losers. Makes sense lol
21 rn and at 18 I felt mad old that I couldn't drive yet. And right now like since last year I've realized that my time will come and I don't have nor want to compare myself to other people. I'm wishing the best for you, and all the other learners. Tips from my mistakes: Give yourself adequate time to study your book and have a friend show you how to operate a vehicle and go to the dmv (advice for if your parents refuse to take you).
(Especially this economy) It's good to Invest in yourself by making moves even if you feel embarrassed. 😅
As a 15 yo, im honestly scared. I’ve been told my whole life these very real stories about all the dangers of the road. Even my parents, who are great drivers, warn me about paying attention to everyone else, as many people on the road, shouldn’t be there. For example, my grandfather literally ran into a tire on the highway (while we were all warning him about it being there) simply bc he’s loosing his vision. Scary place man
My grandpa always wants to drive also, but he's too old for it. We try to hide the keys from him, and he gets mad about it.
the thing is they're not wrong either. people drive like morons a lot of the time. a lot of truckers drive for days without sleep and it causes accidents. they want you to be safe but at the same time they want you to also do the thing that they just warned you about lmao. its really hard to do that.
naw, get your license. Driving is so much fun
You just need to balance it. Be aware of dangers, but don't live in paranoia. It's less scary with the more practice you have (which is why you should actually do the hours you're expected to for the license test), but that doesn't mean you won't pay more attention during heavier traffic. Don't be like my friends that are upper 20s that waste time and gas because they still refuse to drive on the oh so scary highway.
Yeah thats too much fear. Mitigate issues and youll be as safe as at home where a jet engine could fall on you or you could get robbed and murdered
Teens today tend to be anxious, and the mental weight of being in control of a machine that could kill a whole family if you screw up is a big source of anxiety
if they die they die
It's why I'm 23 with a license and still getting driven places when I'm down at home
Like I graduate in spring and I can't confidently operate anything with wheels
“Somebody get a doctor”
Facts! I didn't want to drive because it was terrifying. That's why Uber and, self-driving Teslas and doordash is so popular. People are terrified 😨
I can wholeheartedly validate this. I’m 17 and about a month ago caused a four car pile up on the highway in which I was at fault. Fortunately I received the most serious injuries but was hospitalized. I got the book thrown at me and almost spent time in jail for it. No I wasn’t intoxicated or on my phone, I just froze up and couldn’t stop. Most teens now are just too afraid to drive.
I was one of the kids who didn't care to learn how to drive. I didn't get my license till I was like 18 or 19. Big reason for me I think has been mentioned already, but it's the fact that there's not really spaces to just hang out with friends. Anywhere that was a "hangout space" required money, something that none of us really had. There wasn't really a reason for me to have a license until college, when I got a real job and had to drive myself to campus. But then I actually had money, so I was able to take or meet my friends places and get food or go to the one arcade half an hour away.
I can relate with the "going somewhere requires money" part...
Good point. Free hangout spots need to come back
I also got my license at 18 or 19. I lived in a city with pretty good public transit so I didn't need it and I had to share a car with my family and siblings. But then I missed out on a party that was in a rural area where I would have needed to drive, so I realized I needed to learn.
I'm 22 and the reason why I don't drive is because of my fear and anxiety surrounding it. There just seems to be so much to keep in mind, so much to watch out for, it's all so overwhelming for me and I'd rather not risk getting out on the road and having a panic attack while on the freeway.
This I'm the same way, ive desperately tried to explain to family that "if i panic my hands WILL immediately come off the wheel!" And they don't believe me, keep telling me ill be fine and yadda yadda lol
I mean im your Age and I drive alot but I don't feel thay stressed tbh cause it's like just wired into me I guess cause at the start it was hard to drive for me especially driving an SUV but now it feels like a breeze ain't gonna lie even wanna get my own sports car or SUV one day aswell!
Its mostly the phrases like "young people kill so many people while driving" that were drilled into us CONSTANTLY while growing up. This inadvertently creates an extremely large amount of fear around it. We are a generation that is extremely afraid of a lot of stuff, because our parents were so extremely protective of us. Most of my deep rooted social anxiety is from the "stranger danger" thing being drilled into me almost daily, basically from the time I could understand words, until I was a teenager. I realize that our parents are just doing their bests to try to keep us safe, but it inadvertently turns us into very 'dysfunctional' members of society.
Damn I’m sorry for you, I’m assuming I’m also around your age and I can’t relate. You got this though! You’ll get through it just don’t give up
You ate so right.
Shit… I hope I’m not doing that to my kids but I think I am. But could you blame us? With school shootings, kidnapping rise, fentanyl deaths, and suicides… these weren’t things my parents worried about when I was a growing up. Society forced us to be anxious parents churning out anxious kids because you can’t seem to trust anyone or the system.
@Mama MUA I think something my mother, a very anxious individual did that helped but she wasn't always perfect with, was letting us go out (my siblings and I) together, or with friends, but never alone. One of us had to have the "kids phone" and she had to know where we were going. As a child who grew up with careful parents, they have to experience the world if you want them to survive in it. It's hard but you cannot protect them forever, but you can teach them how to protect themselves and stay safe.
@@mamamua4644 it might help to try and refocus your thinking. Instead of thinking in terms of “I am the mother and I need to shield them from all the danger out there,” maybe think more like “I am the mother so I need to teach them how to problem solve and be resourceful and responsible so they can deal with everything that’s out there.”
It’s also because for a lot of us, driving doesn’t give you freedom like it used to, because even if you’re away from home your parents can still track and micromanage every move you make
I can agree with that 2 of my friends had to get one of those tracker things on their phone so their parents know where there are and we are 18/19
exactly
My friend would get text messages from his mom telling him to slow down lmfao
@@jadas8686at that point parents should really start to let go, like, your child is legally an adult now, stop acting like a mother hen goddammit
@@bisahnchen8727 Not in the Philippines. In said country, we ain’t adults until we’re done with college. Which happens when we’re *22.* But even then, our parents still won’t let go.
As a 30 year old who hates to drive, it was the fear for me - I've always been very aware of how dangerous cars are. I got my license at 22 and to this day consider driving a necessary evil to get me to my workplaces.
.
Edit: btw, the fear of driving is not a new thing, my mom told me that she was really excited to learn how to drive as a teen, then she almost run over a pedestrian and was so traumatised by the experience that she gave up driving. She was forced to learn when my brother and I were kids so she could take us to school and such, but she also hates driving to this day and will avoid it whenever possible.
I'm a few years older than you and dislike driving too. It took me years to get on the highway by myself and I got comfortable with it due to the distance between work and home. But I've had a few accidents and also seen how crazy some other people drive too. I live in the Atlanta area, and 285 is literally one of deadliest highways. Plus our traffic is just terrible. I've been able to WFH the last few years and love not dealing with all that. Add in Lyft and all the delivery services, and I've considered giving up my car.
a big one for me is fear. it was awful being 16 and having to drive alone on a busy highway at 7am in the morning. especially in the winter when you have to deal with snow and ice just to get out of your own neighborhood. like i was really risking my life every single day to go to school with so little experience. i was also in a pretty terrifying accident with my sister when she was driving us both home from school on an icy road, well before i even began drivers ed. she was being a hormonal careless teenager and basically landed us both in a ditch. we really almost died and that sort of fear has stayed with me as a driver this whole time. if anything, it’s experiences like these that make more and more people question the cultural norm of giving teenagers these huge death machines and letting them fly off on their own every day
In my town in Iowa, there is nowhere for teens to hang out. I witnessed a group of teens being told to leave the mall because they were not buying things- just window shopping. I should have stepped in and said something but I'm ashamed to admit I was scared. Teens can't hang out at the mall. The downtown is full of homeless people who will harass them and besides the businesses are all closed down so unless you to to a bar or the library there isn't anything to do downtown. They keep closing the skate park which the city purposely put in the worst place ever so it's hard to get to without a car and no public transport goes by. They say it's for repairs but my city is shady and corrupt. They want that park gone.
Even as a college kid, there isn't anything to do that isn't drugs or booze. You can go to someone's house but you always end up watching CZcams or something.
For all the "go outside " folks' outside isn't safe. The walkable neighborhoods you enjoyed as a teen are now 4 lane street-roads or multilane highways and endless commercial districts. Nowhere allows people to hang out without spending money and the free places are the library. The parks are taken over by the homeless and unsafe. There are no skate rings or bowling alleys there is nothing that isn't online.
We need to do more for homeless people tbh. Like universal basic income and giving more funding to the section 8 housing program.
My friend in high school was raped by a homeless person in a park in broad daylight. Police never came to save her. She had to escape on her own after being knocked unconscious. She's brain-damaged now and was never able to live a normal life after.
@@Joy-zz8wz universal basic income doesnt work, however the housing project would
Universal Basic income doesn't work
And the entire downtown near me is devoted to homeless shelter and it hasn't helped
It just has turned it into a dead downtown
Maybe we need more social programs to get them jobs I dunno
@@Joy-zz8wz or shipping them off to a desert island and letting them make their own Lord of the Flies society
As a older member of Gen z without a license, it might also have to do with the fact younger generations have higher levels of anxiety and car crashes are the leading cause of death until you are 55.
I have been working on learning to drive, but I get panic attacks about every other driving session. Its not about being lazy for me, it’s about the frightening awareness that you have control of a 2 ton machine that will kill more of your peers than anything else.
I don’t know how pilots do it but I respect them.
-✌🏻
Agreed if you live in Kentucky you see the amount of crosses in the road I was looking at Dad you dont have to make that Cross sign everytime we pass a Cross in the road from a Driving Accident
@@DJ-iu5bb yeah, i live in a rural area and that's pretty common. also i think that kids aren't taught the same anymore. i heard they took out drivers ed from the school curriculum but that could just be a rumor.
The first thing i was taught is not to be anxious, if you are anxious you crash. anxiety is bad. (if you want to know a reason why watch Canada's worst driver) that and don't be scared to crash, crashes happen after all and most cars have good enough safety equipment that if you crash going the speed limit you won't die.
the chances of you dying in a crash is pretty low if you go the speed limit.
I mean driving and anxiety.... storming the beaches into certain death to defeat someone trying to take over the world. Every generation equally has their struggles
@@ricethetacu going the speed limit isn’t always gonna stop somebody else from crashing into you while they’re recklessly driving though. That’s what I’m nervous about on the road 😅
@@ricethetacu also you’re right about the lack of driver’s ed classes in school- at least in the state where I live. Now the only driver’s ed classes that are available are the ones that the DMV provides (which costs $500 - $600 I believe?) or you can learn from a relative/friend 🤷🏽♀️
I'm a millennial, I remember when I was about 15 I was actually excited about learning to drive and that I'd learn to drive a car, but I really wanted to learn to drive a motorcycle too. I actively talk about this with my parents. How I wanted to get a job and save up to buy those things. Come Christmas, they hyped me up by taking me outside and in the driveway was a tiny plastic toy motorcycle. And they laughed and laughed at their little joke. It took all the excitement about learning to drive out of me though. I didn't care until I needed to learn bc I was moving out at 19. I eventually bought my own motorcycle though. I still have the little plastic one on my key chain...
Wow, that's horrible! If you're gonna do something like that at least have the real deal hidden around the corner or something. I'm so sorry they did that to you :(
You should tell them they're gonna be grandparents, get them all excited and hype it up, then reveal that you got a dog.
@@Lv-nq9qz that’s hilarious
@@Lv-nq9qz I did that but it was a dishwasher instead lol
Cars are expensive, gas is expensive, insurance is expensive, and teens now live in a world where "get a job working fast food to get a car" isn't no where near enough especially since allot of them are going to get saddled with student loan debt or helping with family
Internet is expensive too.
@@curious1053 Not nearly to the same degree though
@@curious1053internet is equivalent to paying your phone bill it is far more valuable then a car now
I’m 21 now, but I still don’t like driving. I have my license and a car but it’s just something about it that scares me. People drive crazy and it seems like a lot to keep in mind, and watch out for when driving. If you have bad anxiety and question yourself a lot, like myself, it will be even worse. My mom practices with me and helps me a lot. Don’t push your kids out there to quick, or force them to do something somewhat dangerous if they aren’t in the right head space for it.
Agreed. I'm the same way
Me too... I have my license and a car but I hate driving. I get frustrated way too easily because people get on my nerves while I'm on the road.
Same, I hate driving
You're absolutely correct! Thank you for your insightful perspective. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽💯💯💯
Omg I’m working on getting it bc I’m 20 and we’ll responsibility’s but I’m having really bad anxiety about it 😭
I’m 26, an older/cusp member of Gen Z. I was also very reluctant to drive when I turned 16. For me it was an anxiety thing - I was terrified of the prospect of getting into an accident or breaking something on a car that I didn’t own. It wasn’t until I realized that I wanted to move away from home after high school and live in a different city for university and starting my career that I got motivated and actually saw the value in driving, because it was part of my ticket to freedom.
thats the thing, you wanted freedom. millenials and gen z dont have a reason to need that freedom because of how adults treated us as kids. we got babied and why would you want to leave that environment of being pampered? lol. i hate saying it but i think parents have to be horrible so the kids want that freedom, the teen has to be triggered to want that freedom and these days it doesn't happen at all.
26 is not gen z
Edit: after a quick Google search, I stand corrected. 1997 is apparently the start of gen z. Thought it was 1998 or 99
@@Parasiteve I kinda disagree. I think that yeah, terrible parents make you want freedom, that's undeniable, but they don't need to be terrible for you to want freedom.
My parents are awesome and I love them, but I still wanted freedom. Not from them in particular but from the town I grew up in. I wanted to be able to go wherever I wanted without having to abide to others (bus routes or hours, people driving me, etc), just being in control of the time I left and time I arrived, and being able to leave on a whim if I wanted to.
Also I think that some people actually want to go away from being pampered at some point, I know I wouldn't want to be taken care of and treated like a precious baby my whole life, but that's a personality thing.
I'm not Gen Z but I'm a late milenial (1994), so I guess I have a lot in common with the oldest part of their generation
@@Parasiteve this is such an awful thing to say/think
@@Parasiteve Literally half of this generation was abused by their parents. It’s only the rich kids and those with better off families that got pampered. I could be oversimplifying with the ladder statement, but still.
I was terrified at the idea of driving due to all the horror stories of accidents and all the terrible things that could happen while driving that I heard from my parents, I didn’t even wanna try driving until my mom basically dragged me to an empty parking lot to practice, I was so scared that I would crash into a tree or something and my mom would make me pay for the damage lol
My 16 year old daughter has no desire to drive. But she’s like me. I’m 38 and don’t drive. I was excited about it as a teen and even had my own car, but a series of vehicular traumas in my life made me not want to. Fast forward to recent years, I was determined to try and learn. I should mention that at 16 I did get my permit and took the road test once. I failed parallel parking (which fails the entire test here no matter how good you did on everything else’s). This was then followed by the traumatic occurrences. So trying again seemed doable now that I’m older. I bought myself a nice car and gave in to relearning. That is until I started having random blackouts and memory loss from my CPTSD. I had to give up because obviously that’s not safe. My daughter is Autistic and has Anxiety and ADHD. I think her lack of desire comes from, in part, seeing how hard it’s been for me. I hope she changes her mind and gives it a chance, but even if she doesn’t, that’s her choice.
Damn your daughter has all the same problems I do.
A combination of autism, anxiety and adhd means it's better if your daughter doesn't drive, those three will pile up at the first sign of an accident, and put both her and everyone else at risk, as people need a clear mind when in danger.
Don’t feel bad. I’m 68 and never learned how to drive tho my brother and sister did. I was too chicken. I like to say that technology has caught up to me (in the form of Lyft/Uber). And working throughout my life I either took public transport or was close enough to walk/bike.
Is it a skill that would be nice to have? Yes. Mentally, if magic somehow gave me the technical skills to do it, would I? No. I’d be a TERRIBLE driver, always jumping at every little thing.
It sounds like you let your fears take something away from your daughter. We have to control our own issues so we aren’t burdening our children with our trauma. I’m concerned that at the end you put this all on her. The person who needs work is you. You need to change and work on yourself. You need to be strong enough to not let your own fears seep into your parenting.
@@FirstNameLastName-wt5to?? When did she ever say she's the one making her daughter scared of driving? My parents never said anything about cars or driving or whatever and it still scares me so much I don't ever want to get my license
It's probably because teens don't really have anywhere to go, at least not where I live. Unchaperoned teenagers are banned in so many spaces and I feel so bad for them sometimes.
There’s no where to hang out at all. I kid you not my people is hanging out in Walmart parking lots. House meet ups r boring too, parents wanna kill the vibe.
I can vouch for the Walmart parking lot. That’s my friends and I go to for hanging out. There isn’t really anywhere else (where I’m at), gas is expensive as it is. And anything outside of that costs money, some places require that you buy something just to be there.
So we bring snacks and stuff from home and do our thing. It’s the only spot where ppl won’t bother you for being there.
@@sunirozen1629 So real, it shouldn't always have to cost to have a good time...
The groups of unchaperoned teenagers that behave like wild animals in a pack have ruined it for the groups that act normally
banned?! wow! that's messed up.
I'm 18. My entire life, my mom would have freak outs driving during in the snow, she'd talk about accidents she's seen, and has on multiple occasions brought up a very brutal, very EXPLICIT and detailed story about how one of her cousins got driven over by a semi truck, with his head dismembered and such. She constantly fed me these awful, terrible stories about how dangerous driving can be.. and now she's mad that I don't want to drive. She tells me "she was trying to prepare me to be an aggressive driver" by telling me all of these stories.
Haha I'm actually filled with such relief that I'm not the only gen z scared to drive. Like... maybe this could be the rise of actually increasing public transportation and bettering it in America. I am 100% on board with less cars on the road. I'm way too scared as well.
@Jared Jams wish for auto corporations to not have gotten so out of control instead. Cars were useful until they clogged the streets with only 1-2 people in a 7x15(ish)sqft space. Each.
I feel for you i don´t think your mom was very wise telling you that stuff driving is nothing scary there´s endless ways to die dying is normal and random. Anything that scares you is worth doing it grows you as a person
@Jared Jams Well… cars were a great invention but they shouldn’t be the only means of transportation.
How the heck does one go about expecting those stories to make an AGGRESSIVE DRIVER?! If any activity is infamous for being dangerous/hard/whatever, the tendency is for people to become more cautious and calculative in how they go about it, not the other way around! If she wanted an aggressive driver she should've lied to you and said that accidents only happen to others and that you're immortal. That way you'd maybe become an aggressive driver.
I’m 19 now-for me at 15 I was just totally terrified - my parents made me start right away but I didn’t even think about the benefits, I just thought I was literally gonna die whenever I drove😆
Now being a college commuter who’s gained a lot of confidence behind the wheel, driving has helped me sooo much & my car is my safe space to sing loudly and listen to audiobooks, so yes I’m happy my parents made me learn. To any anxious or lazy feeling teens out there - it’s better to just get the training over with as soon as u can so u can begin to enjoy driving 👌
I'm 31 and never learned how to drive. I think there is a lot to this, but I do believe that technology is a part of why. Also things like: anxiety, cost, availability of public transportation and how it's better environmentally, as well as other factors that play in.
i drove for the first time when i was 17 and my mom was literally screaming on my ear for making mistakes.. it made me not want to drive again.. i didn’t want to drive again but i know i had to.. it took me until i was 19 to gain the confidence to take a government issued drivers ED course and i had a licensed instructor showing me what to do. I got the hang of it quickly and got my drivers license a month later. I’ll be 20 next month.
My dad was a drill instructor so you can imagine the stress I went through while he was teaching me. And my mom wouldn’t teach me because she’d get overwhelmed. I was fortunate to get my first car weeks into the pandemic when my dad convinced my mom I needed one since I was college by then and those Uber fees were racking up (my college town didn’t have Instacart yet so going to the grocery store and back was hell since). I didn’t drive by myself until I got called in for a job interview one day and both my parents were at work. I was nervous as hell.
Same here.. license at 19 and smooth sailing after that because I pretty much taught myself 😳
My mother was the same way omg I couldn't stand it, I had to also go to driving school and finally got my license later in life 🙃
Same but at 16 (traumatized by learning from a parent). I tried to learn again at 18 (passed rules portion but failed the diver's test and got discouraged)... a sidenote: our school didn't have driver's ed....Okay, at 20, I finally passed the driving portion of the test. It took years before became confident and felt comfortable driving a car (still scared of highways).
Saaame. To this day honestly I don’t like to drive with my mother in the car.
As a 16 year old, I have to say that another part of it is the feeling of growing up. A lot of us really don’t like the idea of becoming adults too quickly.
wdym by "growing up"?
You basically become an adult at 16
@@iiCounted-op5jx essentially that feeling of “and now you’re supposed to have your life figured out.” There’s an imbalance between the amount of pressure to have things planned out/know what we want to do and the support preparing us to make those decisions, so it’s really not a nice feeling.
@@TricksterLawlet Tell me you arn't even 20 without telling me.
@@TricksterLawlet If that’s true than God help us all.
No one is mentioning the fact that driving is way tougher nowadays than it was when y’all learned to drive. When my mom learned to drive her biggest concern was getting pulled over speeding. When I was learning to drive my biggest concern was that the entire road was packed anytime I wanted to go anywhere and half the people on it didn’t drive properly. The first time I went out on the actual road my moms said if she’d had to learn to drive with this many people on the road she’d never have even bothered trying.
As a 19 year old who just got her license, I just feel so isolated here. There’s no where to go so driving doesn’t really make me feel independent or free. So it feels pointless to risk it more than I have to. I just drive to and from class and that’s it. (I’m in community college downtown but live in the suburbs)
I recommend planning an outing in a nearby town/city wether with friends or just a self care thing. I'm from a empty town as well. Also check for local events like concerts, plays, pop up events/shops, ect.
It's so nice to see someone giving an explanation about a younger generation than them without putting those younger people down in the process. It's sincerely so refreshing cuz I've been seeing too much of that lately. Like you actually just came up with a genuine theory as to why instead of taking the opportunity to insult younger people.
Am I the only teenager here that wants to drive but just doesn’t want to pay money to do so ? Like driving classes are expensive I’m surprised no brought that up
@@blessingknowseverything9609 definitely not, i think almost all of my friends wants to drive but were too busy or broke to learn. i ended up getting a license first despite not wanting it at all
Yeah I was totally expecting a theory like "they are irresponsible/dont care about shit anymore/too reliant on others" or stuff like that. But this dude's opinion makes a lot of sense and is understanding. I like that at least some adults are willing to listen.
For me I just havent had any use for driving so far and I am pretty socially awkward too that I dont go out a lot with friends. Though I will need to take care of stuff on my own, live on my own and do shopping etc. in the near future so I have been trying to make time for learning.
@@blessingknowseverything9609 I want to take so many classes on literally everything. Having money is the first step so atp we can't do anything 💁 I feel ya
@@blessingknowseverything9609 I’m 13, but maybe it comes with age because I don’t wanna learn because like, what if you crash..? It’s very scary imo lol. I like the idea of it, not the actual fact I have to do it.
Personally I’m deathly afraid of being in a car accident or worst being the cause of one. People drive crazy and I have anxiety so it’s hard for me.
Nami, same fears. Also not helpful driving with family and friends cursing out other drivers driving. I have a license but I don't drive. Only learned just in case I had to take the wheel. Lastly, I also have anxiety crossing the street because I see how drivers are reckless.
This is random but you are very pretty! I also really like your hair.
This is the reason for me too, but I had to face my fears recently. I need to drop off both of my kids at school every morning and pick them in the afternoon at different times and using ride sharing apps was becoming a challenge so now I drive but still trying to deal with the anxiety of it.
Personally, I've been injured just going about my life and had a couple near-death experiences, including a car accident. I'm so jaded 😂
Same, I’ve almost been in car crashes and where I live, people don’t even know how to drive calmly like c’mon. Forgot to mention I’m also legally blind without my glasses and need a new prescription every year
To be fair I was nervous about driving as a teen too. Not because I didn’t want to drive, but because I realized that I was in control of a potential death trap speeding down the road with other metal death traps doing the same and one wrong move and I or someone else could be killed or injured.
So it was more so out of caution to make sure I was ready.
As a teen, this is partially true but my main reasons for not wanting to drive are fear and cost. It sucks that driving is so dangerous even if you’re driving responsibly, anything can happen. Also my minimum wage job can’t even pay for college tuition, or a place to live, or just the basic needs for my future let alone a car or car insurance. I’m fortunate enough to have parents to help with those costs but it still takes a toll. So yeah, why would I wanna drive if I can already talk to my friends with other ways?
When I was 16 I didn’t want to drive because I was afraid of the responsibility. I saw it as another step I had to take to becoming an adult and it honestly terrified me. Maybe it’s different for you old heads but the concept of growing up was so scary to me back then because it felt so inevitable like death.
Felt the same way
Back before the recessions being a grown up didn't seem so bad. No wonder kids couldn't wait to grow up back then, compared to now where it's like they're looking over the edge into the pit of hell itself. I understand.
A month ago I was operating a snow clearing tractor and had my signals on and hazards. I was about to make a left hand turn and this young girl in her little sedan, illegally tried to pass and she ran her car into the solid metal bucket of the tractor.. it went through her car like cheese passed the front tires up to her fender. If I raised the bucket a couple feet which I was about to do, it would of went though her windshield and would easily kill her.. so I agree most of gen z shouldn't be driving without proper drivers ed.
I’m 23, been driving since age 17, but I still hate it so much and it still always terrifies me because of how focused I have to be. I am undiagnosed but am 90% sure I have ADHD which makes me so unfocused in many situations and many times while I am driving. Always on edge but I have no choice because I live in a suburb where it still would take at least a 30 min walk to the nearest shopping centers and bus stop 😐
@@BestKCL We are literal being handed a $hit show and a dead economy that is being artificially pump/ life line .
As an older Gen Z (I’m 25 now), I got my full license on my 16th birthday. For me, it was that I wanted to autonomy to do a part-time job and go to extracurricular activities that my parents were unwilling to schedule around. I wanted to grow up fast. I think the bulk of Gen Z has less incentive to grow up, though. Not in a bad way, I just mean that they don’t have the same rewards for overcoming the insane thing that is becoming an adult. Why would they hustle so hard in high school when they are dispassionate about their future lives? What do they have to look forward to in adulthood or from independence? Society has cast a bleak view of the future.
Exactly, that too !
I'm 25 too. I got my license asap as well. Not because I wanted to "grow up" or anything. I did it because it's what you do. It's the next logical step in life and I wanted to take it.
I do think you're right that there's a lot of pessimism about the future. To all the younger people, though, even if the future is bleak, just know that you will always have the ability to make a good life for yourself if you choose to. Don't bother worrying about the rest of the world, just learn to make your way in the world, find a few things you like, and just be happy to be alive. Life is as difficult and complicated as you make it.
@@ziebplew I will enjoy my life if I live with my principles.. And for me it means caring for the rest of the world too. Even if I don't have kids myself, there still will be another generation atfer ours, and I want them to have a good life too.
And I generally am happy because of others things, things that are in danger or getting worse as time goes by. I enjoy linving in the area I'm from, but I can't because it's getting too expensive for most people.
I enjoy traveling, but it's getting really expensive too.
I enjoy working, but I don't want making money to be the purpose of my life. And I don't enjoy the fact that we'll need to make more money to live worse, or even to live at all, as dumb as it sound. So yeah, the future doesn't look good when not many are fighting for it
I’m 25 too, and I still don’t have mine lol.
I am 22 and I certainly don't have one. My family worries I won't be able to help them in a case of emergency if I have no license... But that's what my phone is for, hello? Ambulance? Taxi? I still don't need to drive.
I used to be kinda intimidated about getting my license, I finally got it when I was 18 and it changed my life, I really can't imagine what I would do without it. Driving on your own is kinda scary the first couple times but honestly you get over it super quickly as you get more comfortable, plus your parents aren't freaking out next to you every 10 seconds
as someone who is 17 and still working towards getting a driver's license, what makes me not want to drive is the fear of doing something wrong. I think a part of the reason why I'm scared of that is due to the driver's ed course I took, where it went over all sorts of stories about folks who were driving and got themselves killed or permanently injured. That's scary.
As a teen who lives in California, many of the steps you need to take to get a license are pretty expensive, so it’s more of a cost issue than me not wanting to learn
At least free driver’s ed exists, just one less expense to deal with, and it’ll often lower the cost of insurance as well.
My girlfriend at the time taught me how to drive when I was 23 yrs old. She knew it gave me anxiety,( my mother got overwhelmed, and then my ex boyfriend before tried teaching me and yelled and got frustrated) she was so calm and encouraging, gave me detailed instructions step by step. Told me how much pressure to use on the pedals and had the most in depth tips and tricks. She would drive somewhere new and have me drive back. And eventually the highway and across states. I'll never forget it. Driving is a skill that can lead to a terrible accident and I think having a cool head is key when teaching someone. She never ridiculed or laughed at me and now I'm a pro at parallel parking in the city at night. If I wasn't comfortable she never judged me if I didn't want to do something. Very grateful
That's so sweet of her. I hope for a friend of mentor to help me out just like that.
@@surreallane9730 Um....driving was school....
@@delix8869 how
@@delix8869 huh? What are you saying?
@@delix8869 Nowhere did OP mention their girlfriend leaving lmao
Being that I’m pretty close to the teen age range (20), I can say that most of my peers have/had an interest in driving. I didn’t get my license until after high school and it was always something I got made fun of for. My incentive started as wanting to be independent of my parents and quickly became that I didn’t want to feel bad about it anymore. I’m kind of surprised to hear that it’s a trend, but it makes so much sense when you realize gen z has been told cars are dangerous their whole lives
I just turned 24 and I never wanted to drive. I have a few reasons why.
1. The idea of driving a car that could possibly kill people or me if I made a mistake was too scary.
2. Getting lost and stuck who knows where without any way of getting home is terrifying
3. I can't see well enough to legally be allowed to drive without glasses.
Dang me and you got the same problem😂
People don’t let their kids go outside by themselves anymore. Period. I’m 21 and I couldn’t go walk around the block in my neighborhood until I left high school, and I knew lots of other people my age who had the same experiences. I don’t necessarily blame parents for being afraid for the safety of their kids, but I think it’s been a bit extreme for this generation. If kids are told from a young age to stay inside the house where it’s safe, they’re not really going to have much of a reason to go out on their own
There's nowhere to go anywhere. Parks been bulldozed, shops to hang out at are all shuttered up, nobody can afford movies and bowling alleys. The only places kids got to go now is hanging out in parking lots and being derelicts
the day after I was born was the day of the Columbine shooting. my entire life, my parents required their express permission and that they get to meet the parents of whoever i was hanging out with. as a result, i never really asked to go anywhere. i assumed that there was some baseline risk and i didn't really know anybody so i just sat in my room and played with legos for most of my childhood.
You could get shot by other Americans or get arrested by police if you look threatful
Going to the mall with my friends is a ONCE a year thing. I’m lucky if my parents allow a sleepover without overanalyzing each person who is gonna be there. (Love them tho ❤)
same i had to move out my fathers house. i couldnt go to the park in view of my house without permission in high school. when my friends came to my place on their bikes id never be able to go with them
For me, it was the fact that from a young age everyone around me (parents, grandparents, teachers etc) drilled into my skull about why driving was such a big responsibility because when it goes wrong, it goes very wrong. I didn't feel comfortable to even start trying to drive until I was 18 and when I picked up the learners manual, the first line was something along the lines of 'the leading cause of serious injury and death among young people is vehicular accidents" followed by 10 pages of sharing statistics about how often young people get into crashes and why, it didn't instill me with confidence, it instilled me with fear. I did get 100% on my driving test however when it came to actually driving I still felt like I had no idea what to do. I practiced for about 3~months when I accidentally took a turn to sharp in a parking lot and hit a trolley bay. I couldn't even be a passenger in a car for a few months after that. Suffice to say, I still haven't learnt to drive and I really don't have the desire to either.
Yeah. Singular people driving 2-ton heaps of metal everywhere gets crazy when it gets a cult following.
Like really, half the time there arent even sidewalks outside of urban areas
@Planet Earth The wheel turning one and a half full turns is so you have less steering sensitivity, more control over the car because you can make small adjustments easily, and it also gives you a better turning radius
As a soon to be 25 year old, I got my drivers license at 16. Pretty much everyone in my friend group got it around 16/17 so I’m surprised to hear so many others around my age in this comment section had the exact opposite experience. If I wanted to work after school, hang out with friends, etc. I didn’t want to be reliant on my parents to do that and I don’t live in a city with a reliable transportation system, so learning how to drive was the only option. I personally love to drive and always have so it’s been interesting reading everyone’s views on the matter
Im a shy introvert with no friends in real life that I would call being close to. I had no interest in driving and still don't, as others said its probably the fact that its been drilled into their head by parents that you could easily kill someone and it makes them anxious and paranoid. Of course I'm scared to drive still, I still don't have a drivers license.
I'll be envious of those who don't have to have one cause they live on areas not required and easily walk from place to place or have easily accessible transportation.
@Princess of Keys my exact experience too! I'm heading to college next year and I chose somewhere with public transit, and I still feel like I should learn to drive even though it sounds awful.
I was struggling with school and loneliness at that age and I was too busy working so hard to stop those things overcoming me. Learning to drive on top of all that would've just been impossible.
@@PrincessofKeys My parents also drilled it into my head that you could easily get into an accident…as they should, there are risks to driving. But there’s risks to everything in life. For me, the benefits have always far outweighed the risks.
I was scared of driving on the highway until my job was across town and I had to take it everyday. Now I take it without thinking twice.
If and when you decide to get behind the wheel, best of luck - the more you do it the more confident you’ll become in your abilities to drive and you’ll find that the same things that scared you before won’t be as scary anymore.
In the 1980’s there wasn’t shit else to do except drive around with a friend. My dad said he would often just go driving with a buddy down by the shoreline to meet girls, like that was their Thursday evening.
Nowadays we’ve got television, online gaming, FaceTime, etc… we don’t have to leave the house to pass the time or be social anymore, so there’s less of a desire to learn to drive.
Of course it’s not always for healthy reasons. Personally, I didn’t get my drivers liscense until I was 18, and that was only because my dad made me lol. I had no desire to drive, which isn’t inherently a bad thing, but it was due to depression, anxiety, poor self esteem, etc that I didn’t feel like doing it. I imagine a lot of our youth today feel the same way.
I'm terrified of driving and cars in general. I am extremely uncomfortable anytime I'm in one, and it's some what relieving to see that other people share my fear. I get bashed on it a lot, but there's so many people dying from these horrific accidents. I just lost a friend this week in a car accident and it only makes me more and more afraid of ever taking up a wheel.
Same, it’s so nerve-wracking to be behind the wheel
I know that feeling, it's like one slip up and I'm gone
i feel you, i had a friend lose her life in an accident too, and she was a passenger. i also live in a densely populated area where car accidents are a daily norm…
I'm sorry for your loss
And it's completely unacceptable. Driving isn't for anyone and shouldn't be required to live your life. I'm gonna assume you're an American, well the car dependency as in the US is very weird in the rest of the world. In Europe, or even in Latin America, many people can just take a bus, tram, metro or bike, and many things are available within walking distance too. Much better for the health and safety of everyone involved.
As a 23 year old almost ready to get my license, this was def a big reason I didnt push to want to learn how to drive. Another was anxiety, but not really needing somewhere to go def kept me from feeling like I needed a license for a long time. A big motivator to getting myself to learn is finding interesting places I couldnt go myself on google maps and bookmarking them in a sort of bucket list once I can drive alone.
Also for the love of God THANK YOU for not being judgemental about it, most people wouldve said "ah theyre lazy and can just talk on their phones" and its so tiring to hear that. Thank you so much
It’s such a freeing and blissful feeling to venture down twisty backroads with a nice scenic view where you can just listen to and sing your favorite songs and enjoy the independence.
Depending on where you live and your schedule, this can be either readily accessible or something you’ll have to really go far out to find. Regardless, if you plan out some extra time to take a scenic route, this will likely result in less time monotonously inching forward in traffic and can really relieve some stress -especially if the weather’s nice and you have a sunroof or convertible.
Exploring or going on forums to find those hidden gem places and local secrets can also spark an impromptu drive to somewhere new. There’s some online forums of various unique places closer than you’d think, everything from abandoned buildings to picturesque views to the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants you’ll ever eat at!
Why wouldn’t you want to learn just to learn? Learning and having a license doesn’t mean you HAVE to drive. It just means you have that opportunity available to you. You intentionally took that option off the table out of fear. That is unhealthy. This is a serious issue.
This is so interesting. I got my license at 18 back in 2010 and I had NO interest in driving whatsoever, either, so I totally relate to this. I was terrified and there wasn’t really an incentive for me to, as all my social activities at the time were primarily online, even in HS. There aren’t really places for teens to gather and hang out anymore, and most people communicate remotely now…
as someone who recently got their license (literally yesterday) i think it really depends on where you live. i live in the tampa bay area and it seems like everyone my age has a car/license or wants a car/license. i feel like there's alot more to do here such as going to the beach as opposed to somewhere like vermont for example where you dont have anything to do except die of frostbite
It's actually fear, honestly. We've had so many stories about the dangers of driving shoved down our throats, not to mention that we're also constantly being told it's better for the environment not to own a car and take public transport instead. When I did finally start learning, at 23 (didn't pass until I was 25), both my instructor and my parents kept pointing out every little mistake and error I made while I was learning. It was hell. Somehow I got through it and I'm so glad I can drive now, but getting there was a struggle - not to mention the high cost of lessons and then tests piling up if you don't pass first time, which can happen unfairly if you have a strict examiner. Want us to learn to drive? Make the road to getting there easier, and encourage us with the benefits instead of the horror stories.
100% agree with this! I'm 28 and I did NOT want to drive as a teen bc I was terrified. then i got into a major accident my very first time driving and was required to take a class by the DMV that culminated in us all signing some sort of statement that we understood how dangerous/deadly MVs were and I was like "umm YEAH I KNOW that's why i did not want to drive" 🤦🏼♀️ needless to say, my driving confidence has not improved much lol 😆
That’s nothing new. We were all told you could die driving irresponsibly. Your generation is just more fearful overall.
THIS. IM FRIGHTENED bro. I just don’t think I can do it lol, I’m low key freaking out in 3 years I can learn. My mom doesn’t want me to because she’s scared aswell and I’m like “so am I 💀” but I will try and overcome it as years pass.
I also had little interest to start driving and didn't get my license until I was 18. But that was due to my dad getting his license suspended, so I had to drive him around.
Very similar, I was so scared of getting into an accident, and when I would try it seemed so confusing and difficult. I'm 24 and still only have a license where I need someone else with a license to be with me to drive. Those 50 hours are very hard to come by so I can take the driving test at the OMV. My mother doesn't feel comfortable with me driving her around and I do not really have friends so it is very difficult to get the 50 hours.
I'm surprised nobody brought up the entire pandemic and how isolated & depressed teens and many of us became. Many of them missed big events, lost family members, and lost motivation. Do we have amnesia??
Absolutely. I see a lot of older people blaming phones and being sensitive and “weak” (whatever that means) and not the entire pandemic situation we just had. That affected an entire generation of kids
@@CrystalRose1111 Yea some of these older folks don't know how to talk to people, but instead of thinking "Maybe I should actually calm down & LISTEN to understand, not to argue" they just call you weak to put all the blame on you. Gen z didn't raise themselves. I worked at a middle school & the parents that complained the most were the most ignorant and short tempered, they were problem 🤷🏽♀️
@@CrystalRose1111 It was not the pandemic. It was all the adults that acted like hysterical children during pandemic.
Fr. Lost my grandma, she was 60, she died new years day last year. I'm going to go see about a permit in a week or so at 23... it's rough in a lot of ways.
@@CHIMI365 I'm sorry to hear that.❤️You got this.
the reason me and a lot of my friends are procrastinating on driving is because we live in a city with really convenient public transport. there’s no point in learning to drive right away because anywhere can be reached easily by bus, or by bike. I think these other reasons also apply as well.
I absolutely loved it when I got my license a year ago, it was nice not having to be dropped off everywhere and being able to just drive myself to work
As a native new yorker... it never crossed my mind to learn to drive. Trains and buses went everywhere I wanted to go in Manhattan and the bronx... my main stomping grounds. And our neighborhoods had all kinds of stores and services. Downtown had department stores and we could easily access movies, theaters, central Park and more. I moved to dc and quickly realized driving was a necessity!
It’s a similar story in London; you can get anywhere you want to go on the bus, train, tube, overground etc. The streets of London are incredibly congested so you’d be silly to drive.
Same, native New Yorker, just turned 28 and unless I move, it doesn't seem worth it to drive since I can't afford or house a car at the moment. Lol
BASED
Nah more like all of you don’t need a car cause you don’t need to work
theres no need for cars if youre a city boy, if youre more rural living tho, well yea
As someone from Gen Z, age 21, my biggest fear behind the wheel is accidentally taking a life. I am absolutely scared of making one slip up that will be the end of someone else's life, and then I forever have to live with that.
Thats what Inlove about living in an European city with great public transport, no stress related to daily commutes, as you can get a train or a bus. They are also cheap and quick.
Yeah, that is one of my reasons too
But well, public transport is good where I live so I never bothered
I’m a senior gen z (24) and haven’t gotten my license bc of this too :”) a horrible accident almost took my moms life as a kid while we were in the car together … so I really don’t want to be in the drivers seat still.
I think alot of younger people are actively aware of the responsibility behind a wheel and don't want to screw up too
skill issue
I am 32 so I feel like my teen years were sort of the last batch of those who really wanted to learn how to drive…because we still had places to go. We went to the mall. We went to the movies. We went to youth groups. We went to concerts. We went to the park. We went out to eat. I even took forever to GET my license because I was afraid of failing lol (which I did the first time). But I had it at 17. Consider that, though. To my generation, a license at 17 was late! A bunch of my friends had theirs a year before. I had several friends who got theirs even later than I did, and it was like c’mon already! But they had strict immigrant parents who were really fearful.
Most of the stuff we did for fun is now gone or super limited. Malls are dead. People watch new movies from home. Order in from restaurants. Friends live far or you can just FaceTime or text all day… also, keep in mind that _these_ teens now have grown up with the messaging that we should have fewer cars on the road and rely more on public transportation, etc. to combat pollution.
Plus, insurance and gas are ridiculous.
So I get why there’s no interest in driving.
Omg. Can i just say wow to your AMAZING explanation? That makes great sense. Different generations have different situations. I love your comedy but this was TRUTH. Thank you.
My dad taught me how to drive by screaming at me for every little thing. When I couldn’t get the hang of parking, he screeched that I’d never learn and was useless. So there’s a lot of different reasons.
Yup, agreed
pay for lessons dont let that deter you. I think that happens often when taught by family and friends. Its mainly because they are scared.
I think you suck at driving
My driving instructor shouted almost exclusively - I am surprised that this man still has a functioning voice considering he does it for a living/on a daily basis.
@Gabby bcuz men can’t control their anger
I've also yet to see anybody bring up that families now are so much poorer than families 30 years ago. It's harder to buy your kid their very own car, which means even if they do drive they're limited by the adults' schedules (Dad needing to drive to work always beats teenager wanting tohang out with friends). My parents had to give up their car when the engine gave out and all we had left was a huge van, which is much harder to learn how to drive in. My parents said they'd teach me how to drive when they got another standard-sized car but... that's $20,000 they didn't have, and still don't have. I moved to a city where having a car is more of a hassle than not having one and I'm happy with that. Maybe I'll get my license some day but even if I had one now I don't have the funds for a car, and gas, and repairs, and parking. Sucks to be the poor generation :/
When i got my first car i had to save up for mine. I found a job 10min away, my parents had to drive me there of course. I bought a $2-3k car. It was a piece of crap but it got the job done lol
omg yes this is a great point! It's more expensive for young people to learn to drive now, not only because of the costs directly associated with the vehicle itself, but the education required to earn your license too. I grew up in Ohio and we did not have driver's ed in schools at all, so families had to pay for driving school and then pay for driving sessions with an instructor. It was like $1,000 just for ed alone 😬
Entering our great depression era :D eggs getting more expensive as well... I'm saving Depression era meal recipes rn as I type
@@ldive Isnt the eggs thing because of an avian flu going around?
@@meridoughten9425 Honestly yeah. Im From EU but mandatory driving classes and test cost about 1k euros for the easiest grade. And that doesn't even include practise driving
Im 18 and got my license this past November... I had very little interest in driving, mostly due to fear of other drivers, my parents included, I was sheltered but also well aware of the dangers of humans. Anxiety is one if the main reasons I waited this long to get a license. And I turned 16 during the initial lockdown of 2020, I couldn't go anywhere even if I wanted to
So I’m a part of this generation and I am one of the few friends of mine who actually can drive. I think the reason why that is mainly because anxiety is so high for people in my generation that they are afraid of crashing. I also think the reward isn’t worth it for many people because of technology like you said.
And I don’t know how common this is for other people as well, but my parents for the most part never let me practice. We had to get in the habit of it. I know some of my friends parents didn’t either because they couldn’t afford any damages if something happened.
I also have an odd case of a friend of mine wanting to drive but the day I took her to get her permit her mom crashed her car into a cliff a few days later. (Don’t know if intentional or not timing is extremely odd.) Which I think more so ties to things like the Mice Utopia experiment if your familiar with that.
A lot of people also bring up not having places to go to for my generation and that’s completely true.
Exactly I knew a professional that got rid of her $1k+ spent in car payments, gas, upkeep, and insurance. She worked from home, lived downtown-close to the action. If she needed to go anywhere she’d ride with friends or Uber. Her monthly uber fees were far less than what she’d spent monthly on her car. Now that I think about it again….I’m side eyeing my car as I write this! 🤔
This is the exact reason I got rid of my car. My son hates driving, but bought a car for work. He later found a job only 4 blocks from home. He now walks to work and I drive his car when needed. He pays the note, I pay for gas, insurance and maintenance, which is minimal . A win for both. I could care less about a car.
My daughter drives because I always had to be at work at 5 and 6 in the morning so she didn’t have a choice. She suffer from anxiety but she gets out there. It’s killing me in insurance and but she a careful driver. I keep cameras on my car because we live near Nashville Tennessee and they are some of the most aggressive drivers I’ve ever seen and I’ve been to 26 different states. We have people here who use the road like it’s the speedway and some who had never driven in their life until they moved here where you have to have a car. And trust me, you can tell the difference between those who have driven and those who never have without even asking. And when they tell you they got their license for the first time when they move to Tennessee I let them know we can tell. The public transportation in Nashville and the outlying cities is mediocre at best. I left the area very young and moved back in my 30s and was in shock. A lot of their highways and roadways are very obsolete compared to other cities. Instead of going on and building them they’re bringing in all these people and companies and have nowhere to build roads. I-24 and I-40 are the biggest nightmares you can travel on so I understand why teenagers don’t want to drive around here. I don’t want to the majority of the time.
YES!
Yeah, cars are stupidly expensive, payments, even if it’s a used car, insurance, gas, and maintenance costs. I don’t live in a city though so I have no choice but to own one.
This is exactly my life! When I hear especially us equate car ownership to success, I internally giggle. Other people ask me ,"how do you get places?" because they haven't heard of me needing rides. I used to say "taxis, trains, buses, shuttles, and planes." Replaced taxis with rideshares (Uber etc.).Thanks for lifting up the example not everyone wants a two door garage.
I mean my reason is because I don't want my parents yelling in my ears on every single mistake I'm making. This is just something I've heard from many other adults who also have a hard time getting into driving. It's a "I have anxiety because my family didn't teach us the right way."
I feel like a lot of people jump to conclusions instead of asking young people why.
Edit : I love how the generations before trying to gaslight and invalidate how kids now should feel about verbal abuse and yelling, as if that should've been apart of raising a child at all. If you're going to do so, please don't jump in here saying something stupid. It gives me "This new generation is too sensitive," instead of asking yourself how that made you feel as a child and also stopping to think that just because this a norm in our community, don't mean it's still needed. Discipline ? Yes, and there's a clear distinction, but I digress. Once again, ask this younger generation, as this is the generation you're bringing up, the way we act is, in of itself,is something we can blame on yall (But there are things beyond control) and stop going on social media to get confirmation from other people who also don't know or care how the younger generation works.
Ohh I paid for drivers training and it was worth the money
i felt that.. i was 17 when i drove with my mom and she was literally going crazy because of my mistakes.. it made me not want to drive ever again lmao
You gotta understand where they coming from tho cuz new drivers will drive y'all off a cliff talking about, "I didn't know I wasn't supposed to do that" you just gotta accept that you're going to be trash at first but the only way you're going to get better is by putting in the practice.
Well when I ask my younger brother who is about to be 30 why he doesn't want a license he says "I don't know" lol so not everyone gives an answer. What you said is true tho. My mom almost caused me to have an accident when I was learning because she didn't like the way I was about to make a left hand turn and decided to smack me mid turn. I will never forget that 😂 I suggest you take what you learn from your parents and make it your mission to expand upon it as the years go on
As an adult, I totally agree.
Gas prices, urban planning, the environment are reasons I might not drive if I were 5 years younger. To me the appeal of driving was personal space and control of Destination.
If you think about it, this could be a way to promote more walkable cities with GOOD public transit. Less harm to the environment with fewer drivers on the road. There are wins to this. They see past the BS of cars giving folks freedom and how much of a liability and EXPENSE cars actually are.
Exactly 💯
YES!!!!!!!!
This is the one through one hundred of it! When I was a teenager, we live in Brooklyn, I was excited to learn to drive but my mom said uh uh you will not run up my insurance as a young driver. You can wait, take public transportation. So I have now I'll be 26 in less than 2 months and I finally want to get up and go when I feel like it and stop asking people for rides everywhere I can't uber.
Wrong. It’s only going to imprison people into the cities. Permits needed in order to travel to districts, even just to walk there. And one system error, the whole city shuts down and goes chaotic.
The Joker has always been right about people.
AMEN!!!
Truthfully, as a member of Gen Z, the answer is a little more complicated than that. A lot of us hate driving, unless we are literally car people which no knock to them because cars are cool in their own right. However, I grew up in suburbs far away from anything requiring a minimum of 15+ minutes of driving but most of the time 30+ minutes because of traffic. Not to mention, traffic makes me stressed out because of aggressive car drivers and the obvious effect it had on my parents growing up.
I used to hang out with the kids across the street, but only them because there was really nowhere else for us to go. Even if we wanted to go to a park or store, it had to be within 15 minutes of walking distance (which is not very far) and a lot of places in this country actively refuse to design their cities and towns that way. Technology may play a role sure, but think about the places where they meet online. These places fulfill a need for something called the third place. The appeal of a car with the maintenance, cost of operation, explicit danger, and the unnecessary stress while driving is not worth it.
I share the sentiment with many among my generation that we'd rather walk, bike, or use public transit to get to places. Also, I'm not saying ban suburbs, they have existed since cities have existed and they will continue to do so. The problem is the random middle of nowhere suburb connected directly to a six-lane highway and calling that "urban planning." We don't want that.
Based Not Just Bikes fan?
@@spidertyler Most likely
@@BoredCapturer hehe yes, but I've felt this way long before NJB and becoming a Strong Towns Local Conversation advocate
Bit of a car fan myself I’m just in no rush really. Probably doesn’t help that I feel like the odd one out irl so I feel I have less incentive to go anywhere for myself.
@@DJ-fn9zk hey man that’s totally okay. I like cars, I just don’t like driving. I also dislike that in almost all cities, that’s the only intentionally planned for way to get around.
We’re just advocating for safer and more diverse options to get around. That would make the road safer and clearer for you too 😁
I also think it’s because many schools stopped providing drivers Ed programs because of budget cuts. My mom and older relatives would always tell me of learning to drive through their Highschool. But, now my Highschool and all the other highschools my friends go to do not provide this program anymore
Yes! The dmv is nowhere close to school and permit exams in my state are not online. You need a car to learn so....
LOL some people wonder why kids today don't want to or physically are u able to drive yet.
I’m 25 and I hate driving. It’s a mix of not having a place to go in town and also I’ve been in quite a few wrecks, none of which were my fault. I still get a sort of PTSD when another car does something unexpected, I tense up a lot. Also I have a friend and her husband died in a car wreck recently and she needed facial surgery. It’s scary knowing you can be doing everything right but someone else can just change your life instantly
When I was 16, I was looking forward to driving. I still love to drive at 25, although that might be because I'm a speed demon. Regardless, once I got my license I realized that there was no where I could go. I went to the mall and had security following me around because I was a lone black teen that had a tendency to wear darker outfits. Went to a skating rink, but they wanted $40 for 1 person, that's damn near a new game, why would I pay that for a couple hours at best. I went to the games shop at another mall, but that closed down. The Arcade I frequent was an hour and some change away, $20 for an all day pass was a steal, but gas prices have skyrocketed and few people are interested in arcades these days, which is sad because that arcade has some machines that were exclusively japanese releases like the Castlvania Arcarde game and the F-zero machine with the hydraulic seats. Point is, even at 25 I either don't have the time, or the place is too damn expensive to be worth it. And it's been that way since I was a teen.
A lot of older people have told me with shame that driving always scared them. I think now we have destigmatized airing your fears, so more people don't feel embarrassed to admit driving scares them and they prefer not to do it
I used to be scared of driving as well. I got my license on my 21st birthday. It took me that long
@@gildishchambino2259 I'm 33 and I still don't have mine. I get around just fine. And I can always just order stuff to be delivered too.
@@gildishchambino2259 21 is not long at all lmao
Honestly, that's probably a good thing. I wish people were more self-aware and less afraid to get teased for not wanting to do something. It's better than forcing nervous drivers to drive, since drivers who lack confidence can actually lead to accidents (same goes for drivers who are overly confident too, of course). Plus if a lot less people drive, it might encourage more people to exercise (because many non-drivers have to ride their bike or walk to school/work), cities to put more emphasis on public transit, and traffic will be less of an issue. I wish more people were brave enough to admit that they're not ready to drive on the road. There are a lot of overly confident or unconfident people driving and causing problems every day.
@@jazzyj7834 this gonna be me. Me and my brother (even though he technically has his now) will ALWAYS find a way to get around. Uber, friends, bus, skateboard, scooter, or even if we have to walk to our destination and get exercise. I online shop anyway because our stores irl in our area are nasty and ghetto 🤢
My reason was I didn’t want to really interact with my father. My mom lived in another state and being the oldest I could only drive with him. He gave me anxiety and I was afraid he’d try to start a fight. He was a narcissist and I would stay in my room rather than be in a room with him. Having lived on my own a state away I can handle a week at his house
Im an older Gen Z. I frickin relate with this deeply lol. Omg my dad is like that. In HS I wasn't allowed to work for example. He's not at all open to scrutiny. Even though he knows how old I am bro still hasn't taught me to drive. Lol at my big age I'm taking ish into my own hands. Parents tend to be stuck in their ways so live your life especially if he doesn't change. Best of luck to you!!
As a gen Z teen, I view driving as work. It just doesn't seem exciting. My dad has always driven me if I ask anyways (not this year because he wants me to be motivated to drive. Jokes on him, now I walk A LOT). It's like having a chauffeur suddenly tell you to drive. Nah bro, i'm comfy here in this seat with my phone and no lives in my hands, thank you.
My theory: Gen X, the generation that raised itself since your parents kinda left you to your own devices, from what I understand. You gave your children the attention you always craved, but never had. You do so much for us, like driving us to soccer games, and friends houses, and to school. We don't have that driving force to get away from you because you're good to us. A car doesn't feel like freedom because we don't feel trapped or board or restless. You've been nice enough to be around to drive us, and be caring and understanding enough to go out of you way to do so, giving us the freedom anyways. And now I'm all comfortable in the passenger's seat and you're telling me to start putting effort into the freedom you've already given me? Nah, keep chauffeuring me 😌🍷
Honestly, it’s really encouraging to see folks sharing similar sentiments. I turned 16 less than a month ago, without a learners. And my parents and younger sister have been badgering to be about it constantly. I’ve since studied for it, but I never feel like I’ll know enough. Like, I’ll get pulled over for something, I’ll get in a wreck because I miscalculated how far away a person is, I’ll miss a turn, I won’t figure out the sensitivity of the gas pedal and steering wheel.
And while not an incredibly anxious person, the idea that I’m pressured to drive, along with pressures to do well in school (and this is coming from a homeschooler who doesn’t deal with the social and academic pressures most teens do) and be involved in my present social activities, and prepare for a future, being able to sustain life for myself, the idea of getting a job, etc… it’s just very draining and stressful that I’m really offput by the idea of driving.
I haven’t had a bad experience. I just… don’t want to. I don’t want to spend time on it, I don’t HAVE the time to just get a learners mid-day, I don’t want to disappoint everybody but at the same time I really don’t feel like I know enough or would do well enough to drive.
I’m sure it’s great. I’m sure I’ll be fine at it eventually. But for now, while I live in a small town with little to no close friends, I really don’t NEED to drive, and my word, I don’t want to.
I’m 19 and still don’t have mine. Don’t sweat it. My sister didn’t get hers till she was 18 without permit, same for my mom and my brother waited till his 30’s
I was a bit apprehensive like you. When I first started driving lessons, I was scared of the car & specifically the brake. I froze once & my instructor had to stop the car before ramming into a bus. So you know what he did, he made me follow cars very closely (like 2 inches away, no joke) & made me brake JUST before crashing, it showed me that I could make the car do whatever I wanted. My point is, you need to have faith in the car, yourself & your feet, a well maintained car will be perfectly fine & organised feet will make sure you're pressing the right pedals. It's not scary at all. Also I recommend driving with experienced boy racers (not f1, like the young lads with done up cars & modified Mercs etc) when you see how much trust they have in their car & themselves, you'll realise a car is nothing to be afraid of. Get some confidence!
@@guesswho484 You sound a lot like my inner monologue (lol). I understand you point, and have had a conversation with my mom since writing this comment.
I've been really stressed about the future and stuff, and on top of life just being busy, I just haven't felt like driving and haven't wanted it.
Luckily, I still have a couple years until I really need to be competent at it.
If you're anything like me (given again, this form of writing looks a lot like my negative thought patterns), I'm sorry you feel like you can't burden people. I hope you have people in your life you can rely on.
I'm trying not to cry in a hole all day long, but I'm the kind of person that under stressed circumstances gets rattled easily. (Otherwise I'm decently even keel.) But, I will take your advice somewhat and assess situations and find the best actions instead of falling into a sea of emotions.
@@islandpersuasion4690 Thank you. It's really encouraging to see other people who share similar experiences.
I've only had one experience trying to drive around my church's parking lot with my dad. It was one of those "exhilarating but nerve wracking" experiences. Because it was fun, but I didn't know what I was doing in the slightest.
I'll likely be working towards getting outside my comfort zone in a few months (the closest to when I'll actually have time to take a night or two to practice).
You really seem to know what you're talking about! :D
If you live in America then you need your license. You don’t want to have to rely on people for rides trust
Pandemic also had an effect as well. No one had much motivation or incentive to go out for the last two years, and wfh jobs exploded. Horrible older parents yelling while teaching, rideshares, and connecting with your friends virtually also plays a role
No... They simply don't wanna grow up. It's a harsh truth. Most job's on applications nowadays say "requires driver's license" usually because they want to know your going to be able to commute back and forth to work. COVID has nothing to do with it. Back then during COVID the state of Georgia was literally handling out driver's license to people. And even if it effected it in the slightest back then... What's everyone's excuse right now in 2023? During COVID so many people foolishly quit their jobs so they could collect extra stimulus for being " unemployed parents". They became lazy over those 2 year's and act entitled now that some have returned to work. This new generation doesn't want their driver's license because then mom or dad may ask them to get a job at a local fast food restaurant. And they wouldn't want to miss out on a new TikTok trend while learning to work. It's different if you live in a city then you could just ride a bus or whatever. But I'm sure the teenagers would make up an excuse for getting a bus pass too. All I got to say is parents change your WiFi passwords and I'm sure they'll want a job and driver's license so they can "escape" your home! Cause it's time to get ready for the coming of age. Growing up has to happen it's part of life.
YEP!
Wfh???
@@Candyy248 work from home
@@heavenforney3830 ah I thought in english you called it telework v:
I think you hit that nail on the HEAD. 🎯🎯
For me growing up a huge thing was the genuine fear I experienced while growing up with cars. Watched family get in nearly fatal wrecks when I was the age to learn and it’s turned being in any car into a fearful experience.
17 here. i signed up for my learners test the day i turned 16. then i begged my parents to let me use the car. i tried with them for months and months but they were too scared to let me drive, even WITH them present. they would scream and yell so horribly…i’m still traumatized. they made me cancel my first driving test bc i “wasn’t prepared enough”. I quickly booked my second one and this time i didn’t take a change. i dished out hundreds of dollars on driving lessons that i could have saved had i had a decent parent driver. i didn’t bother telling them about my test, dished out another couple hundred, borrowed a car, went to testing site and passed, got my license and kept it a secret until eventually my sister spread the news. no hate, love my parents to death, but i think you guys should stop blaming technology bc there is something wrong with your generation, millennials and gen X’s. ya’ll are mad stressed out and take it out on your kids without realizing, then wonder why they don’t want to take any risks or do anything with their lives. i mean i get it, insurance is crazy high and cars even used are more expensive then ever, but this is psychotic.
and fyi, there is still definitely a trend where you’re “cool” if you have a car, I just don’t think EVERYBODY cares anymore
i’m the oldest child, so maybe that’s why they weren’t inclined to take the risk?
Um, I’m X-ennial and this is so inaccurate. Don’t throw a bunch of negative characteristics onto two whole generations just bc your parents were emotionally unstable…my 13 year old is already super excited to get her license and is asking me to teach her to drive and I’m happy to do so. My parents started teaching me around her age and I took drivers ed in school and my dad went with me to get my license when I was 16. I passed first try and I’m still a great driver. I Can’t wait to teach my daughter and encourage her to be a safe driver. And she has lots of goals and aspirations so not all teens have your problems you’re describing. That sounds “psychotic” as you put it. 😂
@@Indite_Biden 👎👎👎
Thats more of your parents thing and not generation
@@Kdk058 its true though.. not saying hes wrong about his family, but he took his anecdotal experience and applied it to all families/parents.
I'm not saying it was malicious or that there was some underlying nefarious purpose, but still, that doesn't make it true. He could probably give us examples that would show proof of the contrary as well.
As a millennial with Gen X parents, I can agree with some of your points. My parents were the same way with me and I literally had to move to a whole new state at 18 to be able to do any of the adult things that I wanted to do. They kept nagging at me for being a useless good for nothing but never wanted to teach me to drive.
My friend's parents were the same way and the ones that got their driver's license around that age was because they had older siblings to help them instead of their parents.
I also notice that Gen Z's generally are less quick to grow up. I'm a training manager and the 18 year old new hires are nothing like the ones I trained 4-5 years ago pre COVID. It feels like I'm talking to entitled middle schoolers who think they're too good to do anything and are extremely disrespectful.
I, a millennial, felt so lonely being one of the few people in my high school to not at least have their temps. Over the years I've made my peace with not driving. I s'pose teens now are more reliant on services like Uber & Lyft. Plus have y'all seen gas prices let alone car prices? Those are enough to deter anyone 😭
Hi, millennial here. I also don't have an interest in driving. I actually think more people should make use of public transportation because it's just so super convenient. I think cars should only be used for long distance traveling. But that's just me. I'm good with being a Passenger Princess for life. 👸🏾💖
Omgoodness I thought I was the only one, you really have to dedicate time and energy to drive. It something I wanted but I will make my peace with not being a driver if it's not for me.
Yes I'm a millennial that did not get a license until 24 and I'm now 35. I didn't give a damn about driving and getting a license my friends in high school, though my mom did attempt to teach me at 16. I basically was a young mom who finally did get my license after two tries. Also it wasn't until 18 or 19 that I realized I should of been wearing classes since elementary school but I never told my mom it was needed then so I have to wear glasses or contacts to drive.
I'm Gen X guys I haven't driven in 2 years and to be honest I love it no car payments, no insurance and I get a Lyft or Uber and I'm good I've saved almost 5,000 dollars not owning a car
@@mellow_vybes understandable. I've only had a temp after high school but I let it expire. I've learned how to drive for emergency purposes which has come in handy a few times. For my safety and the safety of others is for the best that I don't drive. I, too leave the driving to my partner. If he's up for it, he drives where I or we need to go.
i'm 20 and i hate driving. it's good to know it's at least somewhat a generational thing bc my parents always give me shit when i talk about disliking it. for me it's just incredibly stressful, dangerous, and i hate that i basically have to drive bc where i live there is very limited public transportation and my job/school are not walking distances. i hate that i have no option other than to pay thousands of dollars for a huge piece of metal that i lock myself into at ridiculous speeds. the only reason i even got my license while still in high school was bc i was sick of all the homophobic kids on my school bus.
Wow that is an interesting thought process. Makes me really wonder if Gen Z kids are just that different from the previous generation. I must say, you do have a pretty pessimistic view of something mundane as a car LOL. But there is both sides of a coin to everything, so you put up some valid poitns.
@@StickyKeys187 over 30k people die in car crashes every year in America so the pessimistic outlook seems justified
@@MoostruckCoyote well you can always ride the bike :)
@@StickyKeys187 true, bikes are fun!
@@MoostruckCoyote I agree! I have a collection of everything bikes, from vintage to electrics. Same as with my cars 😎
That is a really good theory, Kev! Cause yeah, I’ve seen it in todays teens too. Even my brother who’s only 8 years younger than me (I’m 33) he only just recently learned how to drive and very recently got his first car. He’s happy as heck now with driving and owning a car, but I and others my age were all over that the moment it became accessible to us! Not his generation, and especially not the generations after that.
I'm 21 and I have to drive pretty much every day. I hate it cuz it's dangerous. I do everything I can to make sure I am the safest driver possible, but since I'm young I'll get blamed if someone crashes into me. Moral of the story is, buy a dash cam and drive safe. I wish we had good public transit in the US. Our cities aren't walkable, traffic is always insane, and everything is too far away. I'm continuously amazed by Japan's city design and how most places are easily walkable and trains run on time, and there is more space for businesses to open, etc. Not to mention the cities are connected by bullet trains
Tokyo is the most populated city on Earth.
However, I'm looking at the wikipedia list for most densely populated cities in the world and Tokyo is not there (there are 77 cities) - I don't know how accurate this is, tough.
I live in Korea, and same. I almost wish I didn’t know how behind we are as Americans. I don’t miss driving
For me not driving is not an issue becuase public transport is good here v:
I kinda feel bad for americans for that (except new york who has metro v:)
The insurance companies don't assign blame based on age
you are not going to automatically get blamed for an accident due to your age. who told you that? it's absolutely not true.
Millennial here. I got my driver's license at 19. I was a "gifted kid" in an advanced program, and MANY of my peers put off learning how to drive - I'd say over half waited until after graduation. Maybe it was because we felt disempowered because of our helicopter parents... Maybe it was because we had phones... But I think the main reason amongst me and my peers was simply because we were too fucking busy to practice driving! That, and we already had off-the-charts stress levels from school, so we didn't have the bandwidth to add more with learning to drive.
We did have to pass driver's ed (the written bit) in order to graduate. If that hadn't been a requirement, I definitely wouldn't have done it until college at least.
Only within the last year, at age 30, have I become truly confident and comfortable behind the wheel. Driving is scary, man.
I took driver's ed and never upgraded past my learner's permit because that required a car and auto insurance, which are things people can't do for free and I wasn't about to trade SAT prep and studying for a job. Then, once IN college, I did not need a car at all and still just focused on my GPA and building my resume. I don't think driving is hard at all, people do it just fine even with intellectual disabilities, and millions of elderly people are driving every day. Maybe it is because I played video games, but the coordination bit was not at all hard for me. It seems more that it just isn't worth the price of admission, and it isn't my problem that that is the case. I saw my friend get a parking ticket and a speeding ticket and how much it ruined her semester to have to pay fines and go to court and it was just the last thing to make me lose all interest.
I'm 33 and have an expired learner's permit. I don't even care anymore. I save tons of money and time.
I’m 19 and I’m scared of driving, idk why I have a fear, it’s really discouraging sometimes.
I'm 44 and I never got my license. My eyes are too bad now anyway but back then I was too afraid of being pulled over 😂 Alfred Hitchcock also had the same fear.
I’m 18 rn and I got my license when I was 17. I was TERRIFIED of driving. I had nightmares all the time of the brakes not working. My in-cars with my driving instructor made me so nervous and uncomfortable I’d start crying beforehand, but despite the discomfort I pushed through and got my license because I knew I needed to drive to get a job. I didn’t want a job either tbh, but I also knew I needed one.
For me I think it’s a combination of that, not being super confident in my driving ability even now that I have my license, and having been scared of driving because of videos I had to watch. In 9th grade they were teaching us about not texting and driving, and decided to show us several horrific car crash videos, which didn’t just make me not want to text and drive, but made me not want to drive at all.
this right here
I'm in my 40s and learning how to drive right now. When I was younger, I had an awful experience with my mom in the car and lost the desire to drive. Luckily, I lived in a major city as an adult so I never needed to learn. Now, I live in the suburbs and driving is a necessity.
Good luck Linda! Wishing u the best & u pass on the first test!
I'm 27 and looking at getting my license now bc of work. I've driven before but not motivated to get a license because I like living in the city and traveling longer distances for vacations. Also, not having a monthly car payment, plus insurance, plus gas helps me save more quickly for things that I actually want.
High school teacher here. I think this is very much a product of y’all living in big cities with access to public transport & ride sharing apps. I am in a small city (60,000 people) & it’s very much the opposite of what you’re describing: they cannot wait to drive. They grumble about gas costs etc like we all did, but at 15-16, they are soo excited to get their licenses. I see really no differences from when we millennials were teens. But I’m comparing apples to apples since I grew up in the burbs of a larger city.
Oh yea that's definitely a thing.
Even before rideshare there was always the city bus. Our friends in the city never had license or intentions on getting one quickly far as I know. They had the city bus. We in the small town everybody had license the first chance they got.
Same here. You literally can do nothing without a car
True. I live in TN and if you live in Nashville teens may not want to drive and I didn't need a car til I had my first child. But the more rural cities the kids are driving dang near in middle school.
@@arleedennis791 lol that is so funny bc I grew up in Nashville. But I was a teenager driving 20 years ago when the city was a very different place & way less urban than it is now. Living there without a car would have been very, very difficult
Another thing is, I think, driving in small towns and rural cities is a lot easier than driving in a major city. I probably would’ve learned to drive if I wasn’t worried about random people running out into the street or cars ignoring traffic rules. It’s scary driving in a major city and that’s one of the reasons I don’t drive lol.😂
Massive respect from this millenial to all the younger peeps saying they're aware of the risks and they fear hurting others or themselves. If you eventually pick up driving you're going to hella responsible and good drivers.
i don't want to drive because it looks super stressful and i always see people getting mad while driving, it's scary too
Imagine being that much of a puss
@@lolcow6668 i know right, it's hard
I'm 18 and personally I was interested in driving and I have my license, but for a long time I just wasn't interested because, and I know this is a situational thing not gonna apply to most people, because I have narcolepsy so I was like "I won't be able to drive anywhere by myself so what's the point". Until my dad had ankle surgery coming up so I got my permit and all that so I could drive him to and from appointments when needed.
I agree with your assessment, most kids just don't see the utility in it, they chat with friends online all the time and can watch whatever events they want to online. In my opinion the best way to grow that want for driving is giving kids the utility for driving, for me that was my family needing me cuz my mom can't drive more than a couple minutes at a time and my dad's recovery from surgery.
Gen X here. I think you are spot on. Driving was a right of passage, and it was a part of school curriculum. We have 3 kids the last just graduated high school and Driver's Education was not part of their high school elective choices (neither was home economics). I think this has had a direct influence on the quality of Driver's on the rode and teens interest in learning.
I had drivers Ed in highschool. It was mostly videos of kids being horribly mangled in accidents.
@@Raya-ir4tm It seems to me there are many life skills/extra curricular programs that have been gutted, which had practical use in our public schools. Not every parent can teach another person how to drive. And given that America by and large was built for the motorcar, and many places within it not having public transit or ride share services every 5 feet, choosing not to teach kids that skill in particular could be compared to making them too cognitively stunted to function in normal day to day society.
Beyond that, if driving was a part of the OP's curriculum, why wouldn't they expect it to be part of their kids? We also were taught calculus, algebra I & II, geometry, world history, biology, chemistry etc. if those get cut, are we going to have to hear from someone wagging their finger, saying that we should have assumed the schools we pay for through our taxes, would just dump educating our kids off on us?
The point of schooling is to make children functional professionals, kind of hard to do that if you just cut programs, and puke out excuses about how it's everyone else's burden but the people who's job it is to educate them.
That's to say nothing of the skills gap as it relates to careers; but hey, who needs shop?
Who needs home economics? It's not like people ever get anything useful out of those. I'm sure when the less academically gifted, newly minted graduates get out in the world, they will be glad when they don't have to fix the car they couldn't budget for even if they wanted to. Along with the minimum wage job they received due to their lack of skills, and experience all the joys of choking down the gas station food. Not to mention whatever McGarbage they bring home from work after a hard day of scraping gum off the underside of tables, and cleaning french fry grease, because they have no clue how to cook for themselves. That is until they become a fat diabetic, with broken teeth, failing kidneys, and one day die in a miserable cramped studio apartment, or their parents basement; since they can't afford their own healthcare or place to live. Some people need to be locked outside for a day, might help them come down off their high horse. Especially the ones who haven't accomplished anything yet. XD
Gen X here. Was never interested in learning to drive. Finally got there on my late 30s just to drive other ppl around. I’m much more excited about walking, boating, railway journeys and biking. Cars suck everything up.
@@Raya-ir4tm You are massively projecting onto a stranger in youtube comments, tell this to your therapist not strangers online
@@adiofhiowfawjfjalwdfjk1300 but they are going to teach your kids…. Nvmd lmao
My parents were way too scared until I turned 17. And even now that I am 17, and DO wanna go places with my friends.... where do I go? A little park near me is my only option. If I wanted to learn to skateboard, I wouldn't be able to do it anywhere except for a skatepark, because I constantly notice little extra bits of metal designed to stop a skateboard.
But yeah, similar to what another comment said, my parents were very scared my whole childhood. I had to fight to be able to walk home from school during the second semester of 8th grade even though it was barely 15 minutes away. 🙃 ( my mom, after agreeing, said she should've spanked me more as a child and said normal kids would love to be driven every day) I just got my first key to the house a few months ago, and I'll be an adult in half a year. I was never allowed to go to summer camp because "bad people would do bad things to me". Same reaction to sleepovers until I was 14. I feel very incapable of doing anything and am scared to go into adulthood. Not as scared as 16, though, because I was able to get a summer job and find out for myself that I can actually learn pretty quickly. My boss even called me a hard worker, even though I've probably done about 30 chores in my whole life.
So, uh... maybe it's mostly you guys, not us?
(Ps, I love my parents, and they'd done many things right. For some reason however, they chose to coddle me to a bad extent, that's all I'm saying)
I can relate to everything that you said. I have never had a sleepover with a friend (even though at that time we were friends for 5-6 years). I was not allowed to ride to school with my bike or anywhere else because there could be accidents. My father bought me a scooter but I never used it because he was scared I could get in an accident 💀. And now that I'm 21 he's confused why I don't want to learn to drive a car.
If you have a moment to ask your parents, I want you to ask who is parenting them when they are making decisions for themselves? They have to realize if you present it to them that they won’t always be around forever, and you need to be able to take care of yourself.
On god i relate
Your parents didn't let you walk home from school?? Bruh everyone where i live that didn't live far away(or did,if they couldn't afford transport) walked and came home from school at like age 8
This is so exactly me and my parents with the addition of me suddenly being expected to do all these things bc I’m an adult now even tho like two years ago i wasn’t trustworthy to go get the mail on my own bc i might get kidnapped 💀💀 they done fucked me up with how over protective they were and now i don’t even like leaving the house bc I’m so paranoid bc of them