Kids these days

[triskellian]

(In backlash against being five yesterday, today I shall be seventy-five ;-)

Parts of my journey to work are shared by dozens of teenagers walking to school, and I have observed that all of them wear their backpacks properly, on both shoulders. What is the world coming to? In my day, no one used both shoulder straps, and backache be damned!

[Poll #1023562]

Comments

[white_hart]

I've noticed that. It's very odd.

I still have the backpack I used when I was at sixth form: standard brightly-coloured Millets one, with a drawstring and a flap and a front pocket. It's under my desk at work with gym stuff in, not that I ever go to the gym. It's also a pain to carry, because the left-hand strap is stretched and flattened after carrying all my A-Level stuff around, while the right-hand strap is almost like new, and any attempt to carry it properly is extremely uncomfortable!

[cardinalsin.livejournal.com]

On one shoulder until I got back-ache. Then on two. This is still how I wear a backpack :)

[motodraconis.livejournal.com]

I wanted a backpack, but my mum would never let me have one! Now I'm all growed up I have lots of backpacks, which I wear on both shoulders sensible-style.

[undyingking.livejournal.com]

I still wear it on one shoulder. But I alternate shoulders, to stave off the backacheyness. (Which doesn't always work.)

Maybe modern teens have more sloping shoulders, and it just won't stay on.

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

if weight_of_bag == light
   number_of_shoulders_used = 1;
else
   number_of_shoulders_used = 2;

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

Shoulder bag.

[knirirr.livejournal.com]

At my school the unfashionable way to carry one's books was a briefcase. The fashionable way was loose in one's arms. Backpacks were never used.

[bibliogirl.livejournal.com]

I had a shoulder bag at school, but these days tend to use a rucksack/backpack (largely because we have a stack of free ones from rotwang's conference/work type stuff). The rucksack goes on one shoulder most of the time, or on both if it's especially heavy, if I need my hands free, or if I'm doing something which is likely to cause it to come loose (example; pulling a suitcase)

[bateleur.livejournal.com]

Caveat to my poll answer: Except when riding my bike!

[smiorgan.livejournal.com]

Mine was usually worn on the shoulder of some other kid, running away from me and laughing.

[dyddgu.livejournal.com]

I dutifully wore mine on both shoulders, until the pisstaking got too much...

[mrlloyd.livejournal.com]

One shoulder. Have to use two when cycling though, which still feels wrong. So as soon as I get to work and can dismount I revert to one...

[quantumboo.livejournal.com]

Argh! Not Britain too? When I arrived in Canada I noticed all the students wore theirs properly. I do not understand. Would James Dean have worn his properly? Exactly!

Actually, when I were a lad, I tore a muscle in my right shoulder from carrying a heavy bag. But it was worth it.

[onyxblue1.livejournal.com]

I think I probably wore mine on both shoulders, but I didn't have a backpack when I was a teenager. Or if I did (it was a long time ago, you know), I probably carried it in my hand, unless I was riding a bike, in which case it would have been on both shoulders.

[sumbitch.livejournal.com]

Always on one shoulder. Only the very nerdiest of the nerds wore them on two shoulders.

Oh, fickle fashion! I suspect part of the reason it's now fashionable to wear them on two shoulders is because the kids' parents wear them on one shoulder...

[mkononi.livejournal.com]

The only people who used to wear the rucksacks on both shoulders were the french exchange kids surely.