From phones to entertainment to living arrangements, everyday family life now looks surprisingly different across generations.
1. Share a Landline
For earlier generations, one household phone could serve everyone. Now, a family may have several smartphones under one roof, with Pew finding that 68% of parents think children should be at least 12 before getting their own smartphone.
2. Watch the Same Shows
Television used to be one of the easiest ways families ended up watching the same thing. Now, kids can move between YouTube, streaming services and social platforms, while parents watch something entirely different—with 74% of parents saying they still watch YouTube with their children at least sometimes.
3. Ask for Directions
Parents once carried maps or stopped to ask someone for help. Kids growing up with smartphones have a very different default: navigation apps can provide turn-by-turn directions almost instantly.
4. Share One Computer
The family computer was once the household’s digital hub. Today, a family might have several laptops, tablets and phones, while children increasingly use personal devices for school, entertainment and communication.
5. Keep Childhood Photos in Albums
Printed family albums haven’t disappeared, but taking pictures has become dramatically easier. A single smartphone can hold thousands of photos, making childhood documentation an ongoing digital stream rather than a box of prints pulled out on special occasions.
6. Move Out at the Same Age
The traditional timetable for leaving home has shifted. In 2025, 49% of Americans under 30 lived with a parent, up 12 percentage points from 2019, according to the Federal Reserve.
7. Learn About Each Other’s Online Lives
Parents once had limited visibility into their children’s social world. Now, digital life can become a regular family conversation: Pew found 85% of parents of teens say they talk with their teenager about social media use.
Sources
- Pew Research Center — How Parents Manage Screen Time for Kids
- Pew Research Center — What Parents Say About Their Teens’ Uses of Social Media
- Federal Reserve — Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025
