Life has changed a lot over the last few months. Many things you took for granted because they were an everyday occurrence are just memories now.
- What are a few things that have changed for you over the past five months? (Depending on what guidelines your state adopted during the COVID-19 quarantine, your teens will comment on social distancing, losing jobs, wearing face masks, online schooling, no prom or graduation, etc.)
- What are some changes you anticipate over the summer? (Answers will vary; some may comment on things getting back to normal while others may think a “new normal” may take effect with some things never returning to what they were before COVID-19.)
- What are some things that have stayed the same during 2020? (Allow students to make their observations; if no one talks about the Internet/YouTube remaining constant for the most part, point it out.)
- Let’s say you have all this time on your hands so you want to pick up a simple skill—like learning how to play the guitar, or maybe beating a level in a video game. How would you be most likely to learn the skill? (Many of your teens would probably watch an online video.)
- Many people would watch a video on the Internet. Back in the days before YouTube, how would you have learned what you needed to know? (Students might have asked a friend or parent for help, paid for lessons, gone to the library for a book, or tried to figure it out on their own.)
The Internet has made learning things a lot easier. Need to change the oil in your car? Want to unlock the galaxy skin in Fortnite? A “YouTuber” will teach you whatever you want to learn! Usually, that’s a good thing—it can really simplify life. But it’s possible the Internet has made some things too easy to learn.
Several years ago, an eight-year-old boy from a small Ohio town was craving a cheeseburger. Regrettably, his parents were asleep. He could have tried grilling a burger in the kitchen, or maybe walking to a restaurant. But that sounded like too much work. Instead, this kid watched a YouTube video about how to drive. Then he got in his dad’s van, drove to McDonald’s, and bought a burger with money from his piggy bank!
Amazingly, the eight-year-old boy drove better than some adults—he even obeyed the speed limit. Let’s watch a video about his epic trip to McDonald’s.
Share the following video with your students [0:43]:
8-Year-Old Learns How To Drive From YouTube, Takes Sister To McDonald’s
Young driver stories don’t always turn out so well. Sadly, two brothers, ages six and seven, died last week when the car the seven year old confiscated from his grandparents crashed and caught fire.
Thankfully, most eight year olds don’t try to drive after watching YouTube videos. But this story highlights how much technology has changed the way we do things. Twenty-five years ago, an eight year old couldn’t have watched YouTube videos about how to drive . . . because YouTube didn’t exist. Sixty-six years ago, he couldn’t have gone to McDonald’s for a burger . . . because there weren’t any McDonald’s. And 140 years ago, he couldn’t have climbed into his dad’s van . . . because there weren’t any cars.
Most of us would probably agree those new technologies have been positive overall. But change always has a price tag. YouTube is convenient but can also make eight year olds think it’s OK to drive. Fast food like McDonald’s makes it easier to get food on the go but contributes to unhealthy eating habits. Cars make travel more efficient but pollute the air.
Whether the outcome is mostly good or mostly bad, it’s hard to live through periods of life when it seems like everything is in flux. You can feel excited and worried and sad and angry, all in the same day . . . or maybe the same minute! You might even feel that way right now.
- What’s one thing that has helped you cope with changes in your life, even when things seem uncertain? (Accept all reasonable answers.)
Our lives change all the time. Often, that’s a good thing, but many times, the changes around us can cause concern or frustration. But since God is already perfect, He has no reason to be different. Let’s explore three short passages from the Bible that show God’s unchanging character.
Source information:
Driver, 7, younger brother die in car crash after taking grandparents’ car