Baby Boomers (people over the age of 30) have begun to grow out of their “baby” status as many of them begin to grow older and some even begin to retire. As these Baby Boomers begin to step down from their positions, they leave a hole that Generation Y (people under the age of 30) is next in line to fill. As the years continue to pass, Generation Y will continue to assume more and more responsibilities until the day comes in which Generation Y is called upon to lead the world. However, many Baby Boomers are concerned that Generation Y just may be the dumbest generation ever. Should the fate of the world really be entrusted to this youthful, tech-savvy generation? Despite Baby Boomer fears, Generation Y just may be the smartest generation …show more content…
In addition, due to its immediacy, "the digital world lowers barriers to self-directed learning." This means that people no longer have to seek out traditional teachers but can instead learn a subject by themselves. Generation Y is able to be much more flexible with their learning schedules than any generation before them. Young adults no longer have to choose between putting food on the table or learning new trades, they can now do both. However, despite all of this, some people may still argue that Generation Y is the dumbest generation due to their lack of in-depth knowledge on a topic. Technology has rendered many old school practices obsolete and inefficient, as Nicholas Carr stated, “research that once required days in the stacks.. can now be done in minutes.”(source 4). Hand sewing was rendered inefficient by the sewing machine, horses and wagons were replaced by cars, and memorization of numerous facts and events were kicked to the side by the smart phone. There is no longer a need for Generation Y to memorize obscure dates and facts as they can now look them up within a matter of seconds on their phones. However, this doesn't hamper critics such as R. Smith Simpson who laments that there is an "abysmal ignorance of so elementary a subject as the geography of the United States." (source 5) In some
As generations go by, our predecessors assume we are skipping out on important aspects of life just to get a few extra minutes on our devices. In Catherine Rampell’s “A Generation of Slackers? Not So Much”, it is said the older generations believe Generation Y is “coddled, disrespectful, narcissistic, and impatient” (Rampell 388). In all reality our generation is just doing what it has to in order to thrive in the world we live in, where technology is one of the largest parts of our everyday lives. If the older generations that criticize Generation Y had grown up in Generation Y they would realize the world we live in requires the use of technology. The advancement of society with technology has shaped Generation Y to be the people that they are, relying on technology; however, older generations believe Generation Y is lazy.
Mark Bauerlein seems to believe that is the dumbest generation because research has shown that knowledge skills and intellectual habits have gone down, and although some people agree with him, others don’t. I believe this generation isn’t the dumbest because there are other things that need to be considered when calling someone, a group of people, or even an entire generation stupid or dumb, rather than just knowledge skills and intellectual habits.
Technology has advanced a lot more in the past century than it has over a million years. There is millions of new advancements found every day, however, this is making the younger generation a lot less knowledgeable. In the book The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerkein, it states that the teens today are the dumbest generation to live on the planet. It is commonly believed that the young generation is the least knowledgeable generation because of their great reliability on technology, constant distraction by technology, and negative media influences. Although technology helps to make one’s everyday life a lot easier, it is taking away one’s intelligence.
The compare and contrast of these two generations; X is merely based on feedback and how the information is received and how the criticism can be used to accomplish goals and advancement opportunities. In regards to generation Y; prefers regulation via social networking websites to sustain firm information being provided to them. The issue in this generation is the multi function capability of basic mediation without higher authority assistance. Technology for the veterans and baby boomers is just a laughing situation to most, my views are they do appreciate change, they have traits of a human with autism; someone who accustom to routine.
Is Generation Y the dumbest generation yet? In Sharon Begley’s essay “The Dumbest Generation? Don’t be Dumb” she brings up an author by the name if Mark Bauerlein. Bauerlein has wrote a book describing how he believes Generation Y is the “dumbest generation” and is blaming it on their ignorance with use of the internet. He uses very basic evidence, such as that there has been a decline in adult literacy from 40 percent of high school grads in 1992 to 31 percent in 2003. (Begley 90) Begley brings up a very good point as the definition of “Dumbest”. (91) She proposed two separate definitions, the first being “holding the least knowledge” and the second being “lacking such fundamental cognitive capacities as the ability to think critically and
In chapter one of The Dumbest Generation, Mike Bauerlein makes several statements about our generation and comes to a conclusion that helps set the groundwork for the entire book. His analysis of today’s youth states that the current generation is lacking when it comes to intellectual knowledge. He provides evidence that states that today’s under-thirty population in the United States does not have adequate knowledge, and their lack of knowledge with affect them greatly in their adulthood years.
As R. Smith Simpson says, "My initial surprise was to find among the candidates an abysmal ignorance of so elementary a subject as the geography of the United States" (Source 5, R. Smith Simpson). However, this small knowledge of geography is just one example of a young person's intelligence. This lack of knowledge of geography doesn't point to a lesser intelligence of the younger generation, but rather a lesser need of knowledge. In past generations, people couldn't find out information about the works around at an instant via the Internet. They had to learn facts and memorize them if they wanted to be aware of something. The lack of knowledge of geographical information shown in some cases by today's youth points to easier ways of finding out information, instead of young people being dumber than their
Along with the progression of society, major advances have been made in hundreds of different fields — particularly technology. Controversy has risen, and debates ensued over whether today's young Americans are really “the dumbest generation,” due to their “money, media, e-gadgets, and career plans” [Source A]. While advances have been made, they have brought with them resources to benefit off of, and ultimately assist in the overall intellect and intelligence of the human race.
Over the course of time technology has changed society’s views on various topics. In The Dumbest generation, Mark Bauerlein makes the argument that the youth generation is less knowledgeable than the older generation. This is not necessarily the case because the youth generation do not feel the need to know facts such as “who wrote the oratorio “Messiah” (which 35 percent of college seniors knew in 2002, compared with 56 percent in 1955) (Source B). As mentioned previously this is not by any means indicating that the youth generation is less knowledgeable, but instead shows that they have other resources to find out this information rather than just knowing it. Also, not knowing facts that were once very important to the older generations does
Which generation really takes the title of the dumbest generation? Is it people under the age of 30? How does age have a part in this statement? And why is there even a dumbest generation?
The younger generation of Americans, those under the age of thirty, are often criticized as being the “dumbest generation”. Many Americans blame technology for making “goods so plentiful, schooling so accessible, diversion so easy, and liberties so copious” (Bauerlein). Many are posing the question: Is the increasing ease in life causing our intelligence to slip? Those under thirty are not the dumbest generation, in fact, technology is expanding, changing, and pushing in new directions intelligence and mental capacity.
Americans today look back and realize how much technology has advanced. The big question is whether this technology is affecting our way of thinking. Or like some authors politicians and older generations say “ dumb.” So why is it that we are considered the dumbest generation, won’t we just grow up and call the next generation dumb? Older generations (over 30) believe that people under 30 are the dumbest generation, but if you think about it that’s what each generation has said about the previous, making it a pointless and incorrect statement said by the elderly.
And since this generation was born in to technology it makes us the most qualified and most experienced than the rest and so forth the generation of people under the age of 30 are not the
Despite criticism and popular belief towards Generation Y, those under the age of thirty are not “the dumbest generation.” The new technology that has immersed over the past several decades is changing how the brains of Gen Y work, but not negatively. It is rather improving our mental thinking ability. Cognitive scientist Marcel Just stated, “Insofar as new information technology exercises our minds and provides more information, it has to be improving thinking ability.” (169)
Today’s generation would be considered to be the dumbest generation according to college professor Mark Bauerlein. In Bauerlein’s book “The Dumbest Generation”, he argues that people under the age of 30 are the dumbest generation. However research shows that technology has improved our knowledge over time. Also social media and all things related has played a positive role in today’s generation lives.