The Stupidest Generation

“We are gradually changing from a nation of calloused hands to a nation of agile brains.” – Marcel Just. (Begley 92) This quote really speaks to me. I find it to be very true as we are focusing more on developing new technology to do the work we might be doing with our hands. It is similar to the common expression “Work Smarter not Harder”. I think that this is what the internet is letting us do. However many authors and writers do not think this is the case. They believe that the internet is making us less intelligent as it is rewiring our brain to think in order of internet articles rather than books. I on the contrary believe the internet is giving us an easy opportunity to learn which is therefore making us more intelligent.

A few years ago, I decided to learn sign language. It was not a project for a class, a requirement to graduate, or a fact that everyone knew. I just wanted to learn sign language, so I did what many twenty-first century millennials do and downloaded an app. The app showed me diagrams to learn basic phrases, videos to perfect the movements, and lessons to learn more efficiently. The technology of the app made learning sign language easy, and I could use it wherever I went. I thought that I was smart for using technology to learn specific things, but Mark Bauerlein, the author of a 2008 book called The Dumbest Generation, would disagree. According to Bauerlein, twenty-first century teenagers possess “low knowledge levels” when compared to past generations because of the increased use of technology. However, Bauerlein is mistaken. This generation is not “the dumbest generation” because we focus on different topics, we write more often, and we know that every generation has been called “the dumbest”.

In this modern age, the majority of society has adapted to social media and the newest technology to fit around our lives. Technology provides tools that are imperative to the making and the use of other tools. It is a tool in itself. Technology is changing rapidly; so rapidly, in fact, there can be cultural gaps between generations. The construction of social media has enabled access to innovative phenomenon, broken barriers, changed our perspectives on ideas, and has even opened doors to new opportunities.

In conclusion, to answer the question about our generation being the dumbest, I do but I don’t think that our generation is the dumbest generation because I don’t think that it should apply to everyone based off of these certain people or off of what this group of people did because it could relate to me, but at the same time I know that’s not

In a 2014 article on Psychologytoday.com, Ray Williams informs his audience about the rise of anti-intellectualism in American in an article called: Anti-Intellectualism and the “Dumbing Down” of America. Williams clams that America has suffered in intellectualism because society has dismissed science, the arts, and humanities and have been replaced by media, entertainment, and ignorance. He backs up this claim by citing Susan Jacoby, author of The Age of American Unreason, Pulitzer price winner Richard Hofstadter, author of The Dumbest Generation, Mark Bauerlein, a number of studies and statistics done across the country, and as well as many other authors on this subject. Williams makes bold claims by comparing American education to Japanese,

Throughout history generations have judged those of a newer generation with the belief that they are worsening, specifically in their intelligence levels and work ethic. But is this necessarily the case? According to professor Mark Bauerlein, a social critic and author of The Dumbest Generation, it is. He believes that the generation of today is in fact what he considers “dumb”. As controversial as this might seem though, it is truly not surprising to hear due to the chain of criticism towards one another that has been around for centuries. So why exactly is this important to take into consideration? The answer itself lies within the generation of today. The actions Millennials take will not only influence them, but future generations as well. The way Millennials have chosen to portray themselves has just been slightly modified to adapt to this present day. Therefore they are not as “dumb” as previous generations have thought them to be. So why should you?

There have been many claims that Generation Y, or millennials, are the dumbest generation to have lived. However, millennials, while they don’t hold extensive knowledge, know where to get the information needed and can access the information they need for research quicker than past generations due to search engines. Millennials also can change their tone to match their audience generally better than past generations as well. Does this mean they can be considered the smartest generation? Possibly.

You express how much you value connections as much as much as you express your other values, and you, dear reader, are likely to esteem certain types of personal connections over others. In The Dumbest Generation by Matt Baulerlein, he expresses how this exact trait could be the downfall of an entire young generation because teenagers are connecting too strongly to their technology. In Echo and Narcissus, Narcissus' fatal flaw is desiring a relationship with no one but himself, and obsessing over his own vanity. I believe that while these sources express their concerns for becoming obsessed with vanity, or technology, we must keep balance among every type of connection in order to be content and active in the world.

Today, almost everything is technologically motivated. Everything is at our fingertips with the push of a button; consequently, making our generation lazy or as Mark Bauerlein says dumb. What constitutes the term dumb? Is it a lack of knowledge, or understanding, maybe it’s the ability to retain the least amount of information? While this generation certainly has its setbacks in the field of learning and knowledge, it does not mean that this generation is the dumbest.

Electricity was first introduced to society hundreds of years ago; the way people communicate began to change in many different ways since then. New inventions helped people build more sophisticate tools to build better places to live and work. This new inventions changed the way we live now days; they make our lives much easier. In the decade of the 1920's when radio was first introduced to public, people begin buying it and using it more and more, as years passed by it become incredibly popular that most American families had a radio at their houses. They could spend hours with their families listening to music or their favorite shows. This was just the beginning of the revolution of social media.

Recently, people are now discussing how social media changes our life, whether it is good or bad. Some of them think that social media is a kind of fad because of its rapid development. Others think that it is really useful and makes our life easier than before.

Throughout the last decade, social media has drastically changed the way people interact with others. Websites like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram have taken the world by storm. It has never been easier to have a conversation with family members, friends, or even strangers who live millions of miles away. Due to the rise of social media, people have become more aware of social issues and have become aware of the world around them. They can easily read the news online or catch up on the latest celebrity drama. Social media improves the way humans communicate because it allows ideas to be spread quickly and efficiently to a global audience.

The social media is one of the most common ways of communication and pretty much of knowing anything and everything around the world these days, and it is growing very rapidly. It changes and affects each person in a different way, or ways. Some may argue that social media has a bad influence on children and young adults, and that it negatively effects their brains, character, or personalities, while most people see that the social media has a more positive effect on them than a negative one. Moreover, social media has helped many people around the world to connect, or re-connect, with each other, easily. Social media is basically the new way of keeping in touch with everything and everyone, and of even strengthening bonds between each

As far back as I can remember my family and I have taken advantage of technology. The types of technology have changed over the years, along with our usage and dependence on it. Technology is a fundamental part of our lifestyle, including both work and play. What is interesting is that we also have many friends who use very little technology in their day-to-day living. This drastic difference makes one wonder how necessary the technology really is, and whether or not our dependence on it is healthy in the long run. It is really easy to just get caught up in using technology without thinking about the pros and cons.

Society has changed over the years. One social change in society would be social media. Being able to share opinions so freely has become a hot topic in today’s news. For example, social media not only allows gateways to others confidential information but it also serves as a way for terrorist to send threats that can be seen by the public. With social media, comes technology which creates new possibilities. Computer technology; shrinks the world by decreasing time and distance between sources of information. It improves medical care with quick diagnostic and treatment information through video consultation, and increases educational learning options and workplace options.