Interesting you brought this up, my 17 year old teenage daughter and me had this somewhat similar conversation just yesterday glued to her cell phone. I told her that her generation wouldn't have survived 30+ years ago growing up probably same as my generations(age 40's/50's) would have had a tough time growing up in our parents generation say in the 1930's and 1940's.
I swear take their cell phones away today and they would die without it - NO JOKE.
I must admit though they can finger type 20x's faster than I can, gotta give them at least that I guess?

I gave once my 14 year old my 8 year old flip phone to text back a reply since I was busy at the moment and he couldn't figure it out having say abc, def, etc. on same button.