Teens not interested in driving or owning cars

[Rick]

Even the songs about driving are enough to make me want to grab the keys and go for a cruise

Unfortunately the future looks more like this:

 

[colintrax]

As a young guy (just turned 20) I can say the car won't go away. I won't own a vehicle that drives itself, honestly I'm proud my ranger is a stick shift without power steering, and no ABS. However, I'm a car guy.
But even my little brother, whom still can't remember how to change a tire no matter how many times I tell him. Is anxious to get a car. He'll be 16 soon, and ever day he's on craigslist looking at trucks. And right after, he turns on the xbox....
And he'll be learning to drive a stick as soon as I get the ranger running good.

Look at the ASME race cars at colleges. The younger generations still love cars

 

[OffTrac]

I would say that the popularity of The Fast and Furious speaks volumes about the interest Gen Y has in cars...no matter how annoying or unrealistic. Perhaps that has been part of the disillusionment though. Kids thought they'd buy a Civic and get to experience 200mph but quickly found out economy cars are much less thrilling than the movies made them out to be.

 

[Already_Taken]

sorry to revive an old thread but as someone in their mid 20's i HOPE cars will stay, but im not so sure anymore. i always liked muscle cars since my birth so about 7 yrs ago when i went to get a first car, i first looked at 60's stangs but quickly realized how insane i was and bought an X. i drove it through HS and people thought i was weird driving an "old" car, but i loved my X and would like to continue driving it. i have also gotten my cousin into buying a reg cab stick ranger so although i hope teens will continue to drive, i can only
hope. again, sorry to revive an old thread!!!!

 

[Josh P]

If someone doesn't want to drive, they shouldn't. Also a lot of the Gen Y are waiting until their mid 30s or later to buy a house for the 1st time. I think the best advice my dad gave me was to listen to old people when they give advice, especially about the things they regretted not doing sooner in life. I was told to buy a house as soon as I could afford it, get my license as soon as I was able to.

 

[2TimingTom]

I only know one person that doesn't have a car. But he lives in SF and is close to work and shops and good public transit.

The area I live in is your typical suburbia. You need a car. The grocery store is 1.5 miles away- but it's fairly flat between here and there. There's a state park between my house and where I work so I have to go around it one way or the other- 12 miles each way. And I work at a secured facility at the end of a state highway. Buses don't go there. I could ride a bike, but it snows occasionally here. And gets cold.

But the city is expanding its light rail trains. These are pretty popular and probably actually make money- unlike the buses that are almost always completely empty in this area. If I work in a direction that light rail serviced, I would utilize it. I'd still own a car (or 3) but I wouldn't drive them as much.

I'm also big time in favor of fuel efficient commuter cars. My VUE isn't super efficient but it gets 27 mpg, can carry 4 adults comfortably, can haul 2x4s home from the lumber yard, and has a trailer hitch and roof rack for added utility. Driving my Explorer daily just doesn't make any sense. It does all the things the VUE does but gets a little better than half the mileage while doing it.

I don't really know anyone with kids in this age bracket. But I have a nephew that's just a couple years away, so I'll see how it goes with him. The day I turned 16, it was the longest day of school ever. I couldn't wait to go take my test THAT day.

so fast forward about 7 years from when I posted this. I now have a 15 year old daughter. She has to log 50 hours of driving (10 of which are at night) in the year she has her permit and we practically have to drag her out to do. She’s just not interested in it at all.

It’s also interesting to see that because she has been distracted while a passenger with her phone. She hasn’t really picked up on those subtle things that you pick up while paying attention. I had my permit for 2.5 months when I was 15 but I wasn’t distracted while a passenger.

 

[94Eddie]

If these young people not wanting to get more self sufficient were left to sit at home with no money (due to lack of being able to get to a job), no social life (no job means no perks like a smart phone, Uber etc.) and no taxi service from their parents, they would quickly become way more interested in getting their license.

 

[94Eddie]

If someone doesn't want to drive, they shouldn't. Also a lot of the Gen Y are waiting until their mid 30s or later to buy a house for the 1st time. I think the best advice my dad gave me was to listen to old people when they give advice, especially about the things they regretted not doing sooner in life. I was told to buy a house as soon as I could afford it, get my license as soon as I was able to.

I don't mind someone who doesn't want to drive and a lot of people do not for good reasons. I do mind when they expect others to inconvenience themselves for their own convenience on a daily basis. I know some families who let their kids rule them like this. They aren't doing their child any favors. They are making them needy, unable to cope in the world on their own, disconnected from getting confidence in themselves etc. These kids work menial jobs, aren't moving on with their lives and their future prospects are very bleak. I have seen many of them do this for so long they are conditioned to live with their parents indefinitely. They are incapable of having meaningful relationships, starting a family and living a fulfilling life. There is a reason nature requires mammals to be weaned, birds to leave the nest, seeds to fall off of plants and grow. It is the cycle of life that we are meant to follow and this new desire to be stuck in one place, extremely dependent on others and not advance in life is not natural.

 

[Josh P]

I don't mind someone who doesn't want to drive and a lot of people do not for good reasons. I do mind when they expect others to inconvenience themselves for their own convenience on a daily basis. I know some families who let their kids rule them like this. They aren't doing their child any favors. They are making them needy, unable to cope in the world on their own, disconnected from getting confidence in themselves etc. These kids work menial jobs, aren't moving on with their lives and their future prospects are very bleak. I have seen many of them do this for so long they are conditioned to live with their parents indefinitely. They are incapable of having meaningful relationships, starting a family and living a fulfilling life. There is a reason nature requires mammals to be weaned, birds to leave the nest, seeds to fall off of plants and grow. It is the cycle of life that we are meant to follow and this new desire to be stuck in one place, extremely dependent on others and not advance in life is not natural.

I believe if someone is old enough to work, then they can pay for their own cell phone, car, tires, gas, etc. If someone has everything provided for them, they will never do anything for themselves. My dad told me when I turned 18, living in his house it was my way or the highway. My kids will hear the same.

 

[94Eddie]

I believe if someone is old enough to work, then they can pay for their own cell phone, car, tires, gas, etc. If someone has everything provided for them, they will never do anything for themselves. My dad told me when I turned 18, living in his house it was my way or the highway. My kids will hear the same.

One of the most used phases from my father was "Get up, you're burning daylight." He was a prepper back in the 1960s and felt his kids needed to know how to be self sufficient. One of these kids who don't want to drive and be coddled wouldn't have lasted a day in my family.