In his book "The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans and Jeopardizes Our Future (Or, Don't Trust Anyone Under 30)", Mark Bauerlein, the 49 year old English professor at Emory University, makes the argument that Gen Y is the dumbest generation today. His bases the argument on how technology has adversely effected what we learn and know. I believe his argument is heavily flawed for numerous reasons.
One argument Bauerline makes is that "never have the opportunities for education, learning, political action, and cultural activity been greater". The point that he makes with this quote is that even with all the advances and opportunities we have to advance, they aren't being taken advantage of, and we are actually becoming dumber due to them. I don't know if he failed to realize the fact that IQ scores in every country that measures them have been rising since the 1930s (Sharon Begley, Newsweek article) or if he just decided to ignore it. I think he is basing his argument purely on what is relevant to him and his generation. Just because Gen Y doesn't know who Charlie Chaplin (English comic actor and film director during the silent film era) is or what Mark Twain's actual name was (Charles Clemens) doesn't mean that we are the dumbest generation. It is simply a matter of what we choose to absorb. With all the technology we have, it would take almost no time at all for me to look up what films Charles Chaplin was in or what other books Mark Twain wrote using Google on my Droid X. Maybe I shouldn't say Google and Droid X since if anyone Bauerline's age reads this blog, the chances that know what I'm talking about are probably lower than someone in Gen Y. If I were to wrote a report today, I have almost an unlimited amount of resources available to my disposal via the internet and online databases. Even 20 years ago the number of available resources was significantly lower. So I could argue that with all the material available to me, I have the potential to be exposed to more information than someone writing a similar report just 20 years ago.
Another argument Bauerline makes is "Social life is a powerful temptation, and most teenagers feel the pain of missing out". I'm sure this argument is valid for any generation. When Bauerline was growing up, how would he have felt if he missed an opportunity to go with his friends to the movie because he simply didn't know? I'm sure he would have felt left out and somewhat upset. With the technology we have today it is easier to communicate than ever. If my friends want to hang out, we text each other. If I need to get together with a class group, we use Google Calendar to send each other a meeting request. There is almost no excuse "not to know" something is happening. I almost feel like Bauerline is just, for lack of a better way to express it, jealous that he didn't have the same privileges when he grew up. In class on Thursday Shannon said that when she was in line at Starbucks, she heard students talking about how classes should have been canceled due to the weather. Why should students want classes canceled when we are privileged just to have the chance at a higher education? I think it is because since we have been young, we have always seen a "Snow Day" as a personal day when we can do whatever we want, be it relax and do nothing or do something else on our "To Do List". I'm sure that even adults that are privileged to have a job wanted to be able to take a personal day due to the weather.
I think Bauerline is simply putting a spin on the tried and true practice of criticizing the generations after your own. Every past generation has done it, we're doing it, and i'm sure every generation to come will do it as well.
I think that now I really do not try to even learn information that I can easily look up (like movie years, who was in them, recipes,etc.). I feel as if I would much rather "fill up my brain" with information I find significant and useful to me. I find it a advantage really that the internet can telling me automatically who the voice of Andy was in Toy Story and I don't need to remember it. However, I can instead choose to remember more things about politics and History (the things that I will be using in the future and are important to me).
ReplyDeleteOne thing that popped in my mind while I was reading this was what was their "social life"? Our generation is the one he's labeling as being too social and to concerned with pop culture. What is Charlie Chaplin to him? I would compair him to Jonny Depp. Most of us know Jonny Depp while most of his generation knows Charlie Chaplin. Ironic isn't it? He is pinning us for what he himself has done. Yes in a different way because of technology, but still the same thing.
ReplyDeleteI definatly think that how easily the informtion can be accessed plays a huge role i the lack of memorization of the information. It's just to easy..
ReplyDeleteRelevance is key to any argument about whether we are doing the most with our opportunities. What information do you think is important to know? Are general education classes passe?
ReplyDeleteYea there is so much information for us to see, that we have to be able to choose the info that is relevent at the time.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right. His argument is very biased based on his opinion it seems. I really don't see any data that can honestly prove we're the "dumbest" generation. Maybe the laziest haha but definitely not the dumbest.
ReplyDelete@Olivia, I think information that is current is important to know. Everyone should have a general knowledge of major events happening in the work such as the conflict in Egypt. Generation education classes can be very beneficial if the professor is good, which can be said about any class I suppose.
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