The Fine Bros have made several videos on the subject of kids and teens (the same group of kids and teens) reacting to various technological devices and societal issues related to technology. In the videos, the kids and teens are given either a technological device or a video on a technological device to try out and react to, while being fed historical information on the devices. These videos, and the kids and teens reactions are hilarious, but they also point out the obvious generation gaps. Generation gaps aren’t a bad thing, they are inevitable, you can laugh and roll your eyes at the kids and teens, but it’s not their fault. They are growing up in a different era, which is something that both the kids and teens and us, within ourselves have to remind ourselves of constantly, when we see technological devices being used in everyday life, by people of several generations.

I have handpicked the most relevant videos below, the most recent video being posted onto YouTube six days ago.

Kids React To Walkmans

I first came across the Fine Bros video of “Kids React To Walkmans” in another article on Tech Reviewer, which celebrated the 35th anniversary of the Sony Walkman. The laugh-out-loud reactions included unforgettable anecdotes such as: “I feel like I’m Indiana Jones”, “I can’t imagine living in your guys (to the Fine Bros) days!”, “I can’t imagine living in the ’90s” and “yucky old stuff!”.

Kids React to Old Computers

This video had the kids reacting to a computer from the late 1970s to early 1980s. The Fine Bros gave the kids information on the computer as well as got them to try and use it. The kids often reacted in frustration and shock at how simple and bulky it was, with hilarious anecdotes such as: “I don’t get the 1970s”, “this computer is an error” and “why does it have to make so much noise?”. The kids didn’t realise that there was no internet back then and wondered how homework was done, they were also unfamiliar with floppy disks and DOS. One of the kids did point out that if he lived in the 1970s he would have loved to have had this computer.

Kids React to Rotary Phones

What is interesting about this video is that, in contrast with the old computers video, the kids can immediately identify the rotary phone as “an old fashioned phone”, as we all know the rotary phone is not as common anymore. The kids also ask what a pay phone is and are amazed that you couldn’t text or press buttons, which is fair enough considering that most of the kids were born in the last ten to fifteen years, which was when mobile phones were on the rise.

Kids React to Xbox One vs PlayStation 4

This video is more about comparing Xbox One and PlayStation 4 which were released within a week of each other. This video was posted a month after their releases and three days before Christmas. Rather than focusing on how to work the consoles, it focused on the advanced graphics, how much time the kids spend playing video games and wanting one or both of the new consoles. However the generation gap between the kids and the Fine Bros is pointed out when the Fine Bros bring up parents questioning what makes video games so great. One of the kids pointed out that in ten years, the next generation of kids will not know what these new consoles are.

Teens React to Smartphones

This video has the teens reacting to the “I forgot my phone” video which was written by and starred Charlene deGuzman. The “I forgot my phone” video went viral within days and made news around the world. The teens react to the video and talk about their dependence on their phones, what phones they have and the societal expectation of having the latest technological devices and social media accounts, in particular with peer pressure and fitting in.

Teens React to 90s Internet

This video has the teens reacting to a 1997 video tutorial of the internet. This video is the most recent “Teens React To…” video and was uploaded onto YouTube on June 1, it has already had over 4 million views. The teens laugh at the bad puns and outdated references, however they also point out that most of them were born into the “internet age”, that the tutorial would have been helpful at the time and that we take the progression of the internet for granted.

The common denominator in all of these videos is the fact that in years to come, future generations will react the same way to the technology of today, as these kids and teens have reacted to the technology of the last ten to fifteen years past. As you can see the kids and teens in these videos figure this out and point this out themselves. It will be interesting to see what future technologies kids will be comparing today’s technology to, in videos like this.