Chapter one provides somber facts and statistics concerning the younger and "dumber" generation. In the book's introduction, the author points out that never before in history have our youth had opportunities for achieving greatness in areas such as education, politics, science, and cultural awareness.
However, this isn't happening. It is true that today's youth are digitally empowered, but that empoweredness isn't being used to advanced their educational knowledge. They are more interested in their social knowledge and networks. The author points out that "Never before have young people been so intensely mindful of and present to one another, so enabled in adolescent contact." While they may be interested in worldly ideas, they are so enamored with their own personal world and its realities that they tend to be cutoff from the outside world.
Chapter one provides factual evidence covering the past ten years of studies, surveys, and results of national testing of American youth in the areas of history, civics, math, science, technology, and fine arts. Results have shown that a larger percentage of American students are scoring in the lower percentiles of their knowledge in these areas. The author states that "The mental equipment of the youth falls short of their media, money, e-gadgets, and career plans."
The author is also quick to point out that he is in no way rebuking the young. He states they have many admirable qualities such as an increase in community service. But if things don't change and American youth continue to spend less time in activities such as homework and more time with instant gratification from their different types of entertainment, it will continue to have an anti-intellectual effect. He states that even though today's youth may be more advanced in critical thinking, higher order thinking should not replace historical thinking.
Bauerlein reocognizes that today's youth is digitally empowered but they aren't increasing their educational knowledge. Young people today know much more about where to find information than knowing information. Possibly this is the way the future will be for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThe statistics in the first chapter of this book were a bit frightening. This generation does not know information instead they rely on the technology that will allow them to find the information when they need it. This generation has grown up with information at their fingertips and they do not see the importance of memorizing facts if they can just google it when they need it.
ReplyDeleteMary highlights the importance of how youth spend their TIME. The wealth of offerings on the Internet are real - and some very educational - but they are not part of how young people would choose to use their very valuable asset of time. The author points to how much leisure time youth continue to have, and how little is spent with connecting to this wealth of knowledge. It is a typical choice for youth, but adults do have a responsibility to curb these choices.
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