A high school teacher shares how their Gen Z students reacted to watching the 1985 classic The Breakfast Club, with one freshman stunned by the idea of teens in the '80s navigating life without social media. The piece highlights the generational gap in how young people experience adolescence—then versus now.

Editor’s Note: It’s a light but revealing snapshot of how different eras shape teenage life. For older readers, it’s a nostalgia trip; for younger ones, it might spark curiosity about a world before smartphones. Either way, it’s a fun reminder that some struggles (like teenage angst) stay the same—even if the context changes.