Time is one of those universal and dare I say timeless themes in writing, but as I continue to celebrate birthdays—the latest being my 21st—I inevitably look at the youngsters out there and can't help but see the difference in childhoods of today versus how I grew up.

I always thought Millennials were born after the second millennium, which would make sense, but as I've learned so many other times, sense has nothing to do with it. I'm considered a Millennial even though I was born in the '90s, just as kids born in the 2000s are also Millennials. But that categorization is too broad and there is good reason why '80s- and '90s-born kids aren't true Millennials -- where's the connection, the same cultural experience of growing up between today's preteens, early teens and 20-somethings?

Millennials are supposedly tech-oriented, acclimated to and expectant of using technology for everyday tasks. They are tech-savvy. I can work a computer, social media apps and finagle my way through a new phone, but I am not as in tune with technology as my younger counterparts. My first cell phone was the size of a house phone -- the portable ones -- which today's children may not even realize were a part of the average household. Will they ever know the days of Mom telling you not to boot up the Internet because she's waiting for a phone call and the phone and Internet didn't work at the same time? I don't think so. I knew technology as a privilege, as a new asset to the modern world, but not as part of life itself.

I learned how to search a library for the book I wanted -- just to read the summary on the back rather than open up Amazon or Wikipedia to find chapter-by-chapter summaries.

There's much to be appreciated from the "old ways." I learned to ask a person for help. "The faucet won't shut off" turns into a lesson on the entire plumbing system behind the sink, not Siri telling me to look for a shut-off valve and call Yelp's most recommended local plumber.

My brother and I had to agree on a television show to watch -- we didn't have our own tablets or Netflix accounts to appease each of us. That may be why we read so much: sharing a book isn't exactly as easy as sharing a television. Although now I suppose kids can just pick up a tablet and read any book of their choice instead of learning to think ahead and pack a couple books when going on long car rides.

Do the younger Millennials learn to plan ahead and share through other daily activities? I question that considering most kids don't have recess every day and are sent to day camps instead of playing in the streets with neighbors and a judicial system that was created by 10-year-olds. Or are these lost values that when attempted to be introduced in other ways have less impact? I guess I'll have to wait and see how this one turns out.