The Dumbest Generation

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According to Mark Bauerlein, those who were born after 1982, known as Generation Y, are the world’s dumbest generation. Bauerlein argues that this generation is not meeting the standards that he believes today’s technology should allow them to reach and it is hard to argue with all of his statistics on test scores, but Bauerlein obviously does not understand this generation. Who does he think is behind it all? It takes a genius to create new technology, no matter what the technology is used for or how other people perceive it. It did not just appear out of nowhere. Generation Y is not the dumbest generation, because if they were that would mean Bauerlein’s generation failed to raise Generation Y, technology just creates itself, and test scores determine intelligence. What would it say about Generation Y being “the dumbest generation” when Bauerlein’s generation is the ones who raised them? It would be a bigger blow at his generation than at Generation Y. Their expectations are so high that Generation Y can not deal with them. When you grow up with people telling you you can’t do something, because you are not smart enough and yet they still expect that something of you, what are you to do? The fraction of Generation Y that is on the less intelligent side, the fraction that is more noticed and gives the generation that bad reputation which Bauerlein’s book is based on, are the way they are because it is their way of coping with what they are expected of. They become lazy and idle, because they are scared of all the pressure that is being placed on them and they know they will not have to deal with the pressure as long as they avoid responsibility. They would rather be seen as lazy and dumb than as unable to meet expectations. It... ... middle of paper ... ...s they make up for in their own ways, Intelligence is not based off of knowledge, but how you apply that knowledge and Generation Y just has a different way of doing so. This generation uses their knowledge and skills to skip a step. They understand that time is ticking away, and they do not have the time to waist memorizing information that is useless to them. Unless the definition of dumb has changed dramatically, Generation Y is not “the dumbest generation”. Generation Y, however, has a different perception of life than Bauerlein's generation. Things that were then important are now not and things that are now common were not then. Generation Y is not the dumbest generation, because if they were that would mean Bauerlein’s generation failed to raise Generation Y, technology just creates itself, and test scores determine intelligence. All of which are not true.

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